Dilation pumpkins carved at Royal Oldham Hospital have made a Halloween return from the dead to haunt mums-to-be.

The pumpkins, carved by the midwives at Royal Oldham Hospital back in 2019, have flown to viral status once again after they were shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Author and medical historian, Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, shared the pumpkins today (October 31) saying: "Happy Halloween! A few years ago, midwives at the Royal Oldham Hospital in Lancashire created 'dilation pumpkins' - and I don't think I've ever seen anything scarier in my life.

"Posted with apologies to anyone who is pregnant."

The petrifying pumpkins have been cleverly utilised to demonstrate the stages of dilation during labour. 

With eerie googly eyes, the mouths of the pumpkins increase with each centimetre until they reach 10cm, the maximum dilation in childbirth.

They were originally posted in November 2019 Facebook page Pregnancy Chicken, who said: "These are the scariest thing I've seen all night."

Recent responses to Dr Fitzharris' resurrection of the pumpkins reflected the fear these pumpkins are still managing to produce in mums-to-be. 

One woman said: "A week away from our due date - can’t look at pumpkins this Halloween the same way after seeing this."

Another added: "That is fantastic and way too funny! And after 2 home births, completely accurate, too!

 "I think it wins my fav Samhain (Halloween) decoration award 2024..."

Another X user praised the enthusiasm of the midwives at Royal Oldham Hospital when it comes to seasonal festivities.

They said: "ROH midwives are fab. A few years ago they did the New Year's Eve night shift dressed as characters from 'Call the Midwife'.

"Yes, including the nun."

Dr Fitzharris' post reached a huge amount of people in just six hours after its publication, with 62,000 people having viewed it and 226 people retweeting the terrifying demonstration.