Newborn baby illustration By: Feng Qian

A new mother was horrified to learn that her doctor left a sponge inside her stomach following a Cesarean section, according to court documents in Illinois.

The woman told the Cook County Circuit Court that the Caesarean section took place at the Prentice Women’s Hospital.

31-year-old Rachel Erceg and her husband, Stephen Bryant, filed the lawsuit on Tuesday, naming the hospital, a doctor, and two hospital employees as defendants.

Erceg said she underwent the Caesarean section by her gynecologist, and during the procedure, a sponge was left inside her abdomen.

She was discharged from the hospital three days later, but returned to see the doctor on eight occasions, complaining of abdominal pain and other symptoms such as fever.

However, she never had an X-ray or CT scan performed. The sponge was removed five months after the Cesarean section. The lawsuit seeks damages on charges of negligence.