David Copperfield is born with a caul, a fetal membrane, on a Friday at 12 a.m. The caul, eventually, ends up with a lady with a hand-basket who dies peaceably in her bed at the age of 92, thus substantiating the belief that a caul is an insurance against dying by drowning.
On the eve of his birth, a Miss Betsey Trotwood Copperfield, Miss Betsey, visits David Copperfied’s mother. Miss Betsey, who had once been married to an abusive husband, is David’s great-aunt and David’s father’s aunt. Disapproving of David’s father’s marriage on account her nephew’s bride’s youth and naivety, Miss Betsey had alienated herself from her nephew, who had died a year later, 6 months before David’s birth, on account of a weak constitution. She has come to inform Mrs. Copperfield that she—Miss Betsey—will act as the soon-to-be-born child’s godmother, which child, incidentally, Miss Betsey believes will be a girl. To that end, she inquires Mrs. Copperfield about her finances, about Mr. Copperfield’s posthumous support in terms of insurance. Mrs. Copperfield, who is in a poor state (she had initially fainted what with Miss Betsey’s open criticism of her late nephew/Mrs. Copperfield's husband) and who couldn't possibly know that her husband been a favorite nephew of Miss Betsey at one time, eventually goes into labor, compelling the housemaid Pegotty to have Mr. Chillip, a doctor, brought to the house.
Seeing as how it was going to be a long night of waiting, Mr. Chilip tries to be sociable with Miss Betsey—to no avail. First of all, Miss Betsey has her ears plugged in order to block out Mrs. Copperfield's sounds of labor. Secondly, when he does manage to get a word in, Miss Betsey is so terse and abrupt that Mr. Chilip, who is mild and meek, finds himself unable to make any headway. By and by, the baby is born. Miss Betsey asks the doctor how she is. When Mr. Chilip informs Miss Betsey that the baby is a boy, Miss Betsey rises, puts on her bonnet, and vanishes.