I didn't know I was pregnant...

lauranoelle09

Has anyone seen the show I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant? I think it's on TLC. It seems so nuts to me...I don't understand how a woman can go through 9 months of growing and carrying a baby in her body and not realize it! Not judging people who have, but I didn't realize it was as common as the T.V. show makes it sound. Does anyone know of a woman personally that this has happened to? I know it happens but some of it just seems so unreal to me...

Ivana_Stolichnaya

I don't buy it, nor do I buy any stories of people on here saying their friends or family members didn't find out they were pregnant unitl months into their pregnancy.  You can flame me and try to convince me all you want but I don't believe it.  There's no way you can be that out of touch with your body. 

When you're 9 months pregnant...you KNOW you are pregnant, there is so much discomfort and pressure on your pelvic floor muscles...lol...so when you see these women on that show who think they are trying to take a huge dump and a baby falls out in the toilet...that makes me laugh.  There is quite a difference between going poop and giving birth to a live full term baby.

Dewey12

I love this show!  My favorite was the lady who delivered in her pants!!!

Several years ago I had a coworker tell me that her cousin didn't know she was pregnant until she was 7 months pregnant.  

I know a lot of women here have said that they had minimal to no symptoms, so I guess it's possible.  My one friend bled so much during her second pregnancy that both she and her doctor thought she m/c until they did an u/s to confirm and there was baby Jake bouncing and waving away in there.

Maybe for some of these women it's kind of like Schrodinger's cat. Even if maybe they suspect something is up with their bodies, as long as they don't go to the doctor, take a pregnancy test, etc, then they can't be pregnant. 

Zilly13

I worked with a woman who didn't "find out" she was pg until she was 6 months along.  Whether she was just in denial - I'm not really sure - however I'm pretty certain she had no idea as she has two other children.

She was experiencing a lot of back pain but didn't put two and two together as she was on the Depo shot so lack of periods are the norm.  During this time she drank at our company holiday party, was on weight watchers, saw a chiropractor, and took pain meds.  

The baby turned out fine, but I always doubted these people until I knew someone it happened to!

Lanatir

Idk.  As my first pregnancy, I can't say anything about beyond week 12/13, but if I hadn't been tracking my Basal Body temp, I wouldn't have known I was pregnant until at least 2 months in (perhaps longer, as my "normal" cycles vary from 29-60 days and I have had a few that went longer than that) because of my PCOS.  I have also had really nothing wrong with me other than 2 throw up instances (but accompanied by almost migraine strength headaches, which are common for me), some fatigue, and just barely little more irregularity in the digestive tract than I normally get.

 

It does seem to me, though, that they would have figured it out, as every OBGYN I've had has specifically said if you go more than 60 days without a period to go to the doctor's, even if you have a medical condition, because (as I was told) it could be early signs of reproductive tumors.

 

Some of the episodes I saw forever ago, though (I don't have cable now), I was like "Really?" about, as they even were in labor and thought it was nothing.  Haha, here's hoping we all get labor that easy!

psychgirl33

A girl my husband went to high school with had a baby last year when she didn't know she was pregnant.  She was on birth control pills and supposedly had monthly bleeding at the time her period was due every month.  We saw her out a few weeks before she had the baby and she didn't look pregnant at all.  We couldn't believe it when she updated her FB status to say she had given birth.  I have no reason to think she is lying about not knowing.  She's a mother of 2 already, so I feel like if she had any reason to suspect, she would have suspected (since she knows what being pregnant feels like....) 

ehepner

I've never seen the show, but my best friend (who is plus sized to begin with) didn't find out she was pregnant until she was 7 months along.  She had miscarried and had a D&C and the doctor told her it could take up to 6 months to get her period so she didn't think anything about it when she didn't have one.  Then several months later she called her doctor because she 'felt like something was moving around in her stomach' (no kidding) and the dr. told her it was just gas.  Didn't order blood work or a pregnancy test, just wrote it off.  The 'problem' persisted for another month, he saw her and then finally did a pregnancy test, found out she was pregnant, guesstimated she was about 5 months along, did an u/s and BAM, 6 weeks later she delivered a perfect baby boy.

In a way, wouldn't it be so nice to only have to wait 6 weeks to have a baby?  This 40 weeks thing feels like forever :-)

krispy83

My cousin didn't know until she was 5 months pregnant.  She found out on a Friday that she was pregnant, went in for an appointment the next Monday and found out she was FIVE MONTHS!  This was her 2nd so I do believe that she really didn't know.  She was on Depo, so irregular periods are pretty standard and I guess she didn't have any other symptoms.  She said in retrospect the only thing that should have made her at all suspicious was that raw meat kinda grossed her out, which was something she experienced with both her first and third kids.  Anyway, I always thought those women were dumb or crazy or both until my completely sane and intelligent cousin experienced it.

shanad

This actually happened to a friend of mine who I recently re-connected with.  She wasn't feeling well (m/s and food aversions), she went to the doctor and they told her she had acid reflux.  She was a nanny for two small children and was tired all the time, but attributed it to the new nanny job.  She went into labor.  She went back to her doctor, who said she must have a double kidney infection (since she was having back labor).

She went to the hospital and finally was told that she was pregnant and in labor.  Sadly, her baby girl was still born after an emergency c-section.

Until I heard her story, I didn't think it was possible either. 

comrad1102

When I was 16 I hid my pregnancy for 7 months and my family had NO idea. so yes its possible ppl's family dont know they are pregnant. The only reason they found out was bc my step dad was a health freak and thought I was getting fat. Im very small in stature. when I was told I needed to work out and lay off the junk food. I confessed!

idk bout ppl who didnt know they were pregnant tho... i have a hard time with it but stranger things have happened I guess

nd01

I know someone personally (not well) that didn't find out until she was 5 mos along.  She must have gotten pregnant about a month after giving birth so I am guessing she didn't find it odd that her mid-section wasn't flat and she didn't have her period.  Your body can be so weird after giving birth that it seemed fairly reasonable to me.  She only found out after her doc made her take a pregnancy test so she could get on BCP.

GalwayGirl80

I have a friend who didn't find out that she was pregnant with her first until she was 36 weeks.  I asked her how it was possible that she didn't know and she told me that she thought that she was pregnant a few times due to fatigue and some nausea and an absent period but the tests came up negative every time and the doctors just said it had to do with her irregular period history. Finally, she went in to the doctors for the last time and asked for another pregnancy test and it FINALLY showed up positive. They gave her an ultrasound that week and found out that she was 36 weeks pregnant. I saw the pictures of her the following week (at 37 wks) from her last minute baby shower and she didn't look pregnant at all... but she was always a little bit plus sized so I guess that helped hide it.

Cholzmei

Dewey12:

Maybe for some of these women it's kind of like Schrodinger's cat. Even if maybe they suspect something is up with their bodies, as long as they don't go to the doctor, take a pregnancy test, etc, then they can't be pregnant.  

I love that you brought Schrodinger's cat into this conversation

Since I didn't know what being pregnant would feel like, I was quite surprised when I actually became pregnant and it's NOTHING like what I thought it would be.  Honestly, I have been nauseous, and my boobs have been sore, but I haven't had tons of symptoms.  Despite all of that, even if I hadn't been actively TTC, I would have wondered where my period was... and the first thing I would have done when it was late would be to take a pregnancy test!

NewzieMom

My mom didn't find out tell she was 6 months with me. She was in the middle of switching bc and they told her her period may be off and she took muliple hpt and they all came back negative.

09saluki86

I used to work for a college basketball team.  One of our players didn't know she was pregnant until she was in labor.  Being on the b-ball team, they have to lift weights and workout alot and it was common for them to not have periods because they didn't have enough body fat to sustain one.  She never gained any extra weight and maintained her "6 pack" throughout the season.  She actually gave birth the day after our last regular season conference game.  We took her out of the game the night before because she thought she broke a rib and couldn't breathe. She went to the trainer the next day, still having pains and problems breathing.  Our trainer took her to the E.R. and found out she was 6 cm dialated.

MrsMincks

I know someone who didn't know she was pregnant until four months in. She had irregular periods her whole life and had some bleeding/spotting while pregnant, so really was shocked! 

Another woman my mom knows didn't know she was pregnant because she thought the symptoms were those of menopause. She was a little young for it, but it's not totally out there to think a woman could confuse the two.

Belinda80

Every Body and every woman is different, thats probably how some women never found out.. I have gone 10, 8, 6 months without having periods and I have been nauseous constantly prior to being pregnant.  I wasn't pregnant then so that could of easily happened to me, plus like others have mentioned, I'm a plus size so you can't even tell I am.  I haven't had fatigue or any major signs that i'm pregnant. My sis in law didn't know she was pregnant until 4-1/2 months and another friend didn't know until she was 6 months.

phillygirl526

Ivana.Stolichnaya:

I don't buy it, nor do I buy any stories of people on here saying their friends or family members didn't find out they were pregnant unitl months into their pregnancy.  You can flame me and try to convince me all you want but I don't believe it.  There's no way you can be that out of touch with your body. 

When you're 9 months pregnant...you KNOW you are pregnant, there is so much discomfort and pressure on your pelvic floor muscles...lol...so when you see these women on that show who think they are trying to take a huge dump and a baby falls out in the toilet...that makes me laugh.  There is quite a difference between going poop and giving birth to a live full term baby.

This. Not to mention, there is a big difference between randomly spotting and getting a full flow period every month. I don't get how you mistake spotting for your period- I would know right away that something is not right there.

psychgirl33

phillygirl526:

Ivana.Stolichnaya:

I don't buy it, nor do I buy any stories of people on here saying their friends or family members didn't find out they were pregnant unitl months into their pregnancy.  You can flame me and try to convince me all you want but I don't believe it.  There's no way you can be that out of touch with your body. 

When you're 9 months pregnant...you KNOW you are pregnant, there is so much discomfort and pressure on your pelvic floor muscles...lol...so when you see these women on that show who think they are trying to take a huge dump and a baby falls out in the toilet...that makes me laugh.  There is quite a difference between going poop and giving birth to a live full term baby.

This. Not to mention, there is a big difference between randomly spotting and getting a full flow period every month. I don't get how you mistake spotting for your period- I would know right away that something is not right there.

People have all different levels of flow as their typical period.  To assume that everyone's period is just like yours is kind of silly.  I have had months with just 2-3 days of light flow as my period before and that is not unusual for me.  Although it's rare, some women continue to have regular, monthly bleeding that looks like a period while pregnant.  That's what happened to the girl I know.  She didn't have spotting; she had red flow like a period...

angelaggie

When I worked at a hospital it happened twice. However, both times the women were extremely obese...like upwards of 400 pounds and couldn't walk without assistance. To me, that seems more likely. They always felt bad due to poor health, no periods due to their weight, and who is going to notice 20 pounds on someone that large? No way could they feel the movements through the excess fat, and any weirdvstomach issues would be chalked up to diet.

texasweetea

my friend's sister didn't know she was pregnant till 3 weeks before she was due. i still don't know how she didn't know but she didn't really pop out till then and she went to the doctor and they gave her a pee test and they were like uhhhh

RaeJ004

As unbelievable as this is going to sound, it happened to my good friend.  She had a 2 year old and a 9 month old and was told that she would not be able to have any more because of the difficulties she had while in labor with her last.  I remember her complaining that she hadn't started her period since her last baby yet, but she had the same thing with her first daughter and as soon as she stopped breast feeding it came back so she thought the same thing would happen. 

She finally went in to the Dr. becuase she felt her hormones were off (no period, not losing the weight like she did the first time, etc) and her Dr. told her the pregnancy test came back positive.  She went back in two weeks later for an ultrasound and they told her it was twins and she was about 27 weeks along.  I remember her just crying because she was so overwhelmed.  Not only were they wrong telling her she wouldn't be able to have any more, she was going to be having TWO more in just a few months.  Plus she felt terrible she hadn't known earlier.

Two weeks after her ultrasound she went in for another appointment and they rushed her to a high risk hospital telling her the babies would be born that day because of complications.  While in another u/s at the hospital they found a third baby.  Her two sons and daughter were born at what they think was about 30 weeks.  So in just over four weelks time she went from thinking she couldn't have any more babies to having triplets.  The babies were in the hospital for about 3 months each.  But now they are totally normal 4-year olds.  They are only 10 months younger than her second daughter.

She gets flack all the time about how nobody believes her and I might not if I didn't know her so well.

psychgirl33

RaeJ004:

As unbelievable as this is going to sound, it happened to my good friend.  She had a 2 year old and a 9 month old and was told that she would not be able to have any more because of the difficulties she had while in labor with her last.  I remember her complaining that she hadn't started her period since her last baby yet, but she had the same thing with her first daughter and as soon as she stopped breast feeding it came back so she thought the same thing would happen. 

She finally went in to the Dr. becuase she felt her hormones were off (no period, not losing the weight like she did the first time, etc) and her Dr. told her the pregnancy test came back positive.  She went back in two weeks later for an ultrasound and they told her it was twins and she was about 27 weeks along.  I remember her just crying because she was so overwhelmed.  Not only were they wrong telling her she wouldn't be able to have any more, she was going to be having TWO more in just a few months.  Plus she felt terrible she hadn't known earlier.

Two weeks after her ultrasound she went in for another appointment and they rushed her to a high risk hospital telling her the babies would be born that day because of complications.  While in another u/s at the hospital they found a third baby.  Her two sons and daughter were born at what they think was about 30 weeks.  So in just over four weelks time she went from thinking she couldn't have any more babies to having triplets.  The babies were in the hospital for about 3 months each.  But now they are totally normal 4-year olds.  They are only 10 months younger than her second daughter.

She gets flack all the time about how nobody believes her and I might not if I didn't know her so well.

Oh my goodness!  That poor woman!  That would be quite the shock to go from thinking you were done to having triplets period, let alone finding out right before they were born!!!

Zilly13

RaeJ004:

As unbelievable as this is going to sound, it happened to my good friend.  She had a 2 year old and a 9 month old and was told that she would not be able to have any more because of the difficulties she had while in labor with her last.  I remember her complaining that she hadn't started her period since her last baby yet, but she had the same thing with her first daughter and as soon as she stopped breast feeding it came back so she thought the same thing would happen. 

She finally went in to the Dr. becuase she felt her hormones were off (no period, not losing the weight like she did the first time, etc) and her Dr. told her the pregnancy test came back positive.  She went back in two weeks later for an ultrasound and they told her it was twins and she was about 27 weeks along.  I remember her just crying because she was so overwhelmed.  Not only were they wrong telling her she wouldn't be able to have any more, she was going to be having TWO more in just a few months.  Plus she felt terrible she hadn't known earlier.

Two weeks after her ultrasound she went in for another appointment and they rushed her to a high risk hospital telling her the babies would be born that day because of complications.  While in another u/s at the hospital they found a third baby.  Her two sons and daughter were born at what they think was about 30 weeks.  So in just over four weelks time she went from thinking she couldn't have any more babies to having triplets.  The babies were in the hospital for about 3 months each.  But now they are totally normal 4-year olds.  They are only 10 months younger than her second daughter.

She gets flack all the time about how nobody believes her and I might not if I didn't know her so well.

OMG that is crazy! I can't even imagine!

Fergie+1

I have a friend who didn't know she was pregnant with her son until she was over 4 months pregnant. She was a drug addict and not having a cycle was nothing new for her. She'd gained no weight or had any symptoms. I don't remember how she found out she was pregnant, but she was surprised as he||. Luckily he's a happy and healthy 7 year old.

kel716

My mom didn't figure out she was pregnant with my brother until she was like 4-5 mos.  She'd been sick for a while, but never put two and two together.  That said, he was the youngest of 4, unplanned, and my little sister and brother are 13 mos apart.  Needless to say, she was a bit distracted.  It dawned on her she was pregnant when she was standing at my little sister's baptism.  In other words, she had to take the time to read the signs. 

I should add that she had her tubes tied once she gave birth to my brother.  Four was enough!

mommynpink

RaeJ004:

As unbelievable as this is going to sound, it happened to my good friend.  She had a 2 year old and a 9 month old and was told that she would not be able to have any more because of the difficulties she had while in labor with her last.  I remember her complaining that she hadn't started her period since her last baby yet, but she had the same thing with her first daughter and as soon as she stopped breast feeding it came back so she thought the same thing would happen. 

She finally went in to the Dr. becuase she felt her hormones were off (no period, not losing the weight like she did the first time, etc) and her Dr. told her the pregnancy test came back positive.  She went back in two weeks later for an ultrasound and they told her it was twins and she was about 27 weeks along.  I remember her just crying because she was so overwhelmed.  Not only were they wrong telling her she wouldn't be able to have any more, she was going to be having TWO more in just a few months.  Plus she felt terrible she hadn't known earlier.

Two weeks after her ultrasound she went in for another appointment and they rushed her to a high risk hospital telling her the babies would be born that day because of complications.  While in another u/s at the hospital they found a third baby.  Her two sons and daughter were born at what they think was about 30 weeks.  So in just over four weelks time she went from thinking she couldn't have any more babies to having triplets.  The babies were in the hospital for about 3 months each.  But now they are totally normal 4-year olds.  They are only 10 months younger than her second daughter.

She gets flack all the time about how nobody believes her and I might not if I didn't know her so well.

 

OMG that's crazy. I couldn't even imagine. Glad to hear the babies are ok now.  

farfanoogen

I wonder from time to time if our march board will get a "I didn't know I was pregnant...." intro post in the later months. 

Lowes25

I can totally believe some of these stories.

If I didn't know I was pregnant, I reckon I could blame some of my symptoms on other things! I haven't had much m/s, I haven't really felt more tired than usual! Also, I only get little aches and that around the time my period would have been due.

I have a good friend who had a baby when she didn't know she was pregnant. It even made the local newspaper! She is a "bigger" girl anyway, but she continued to have normal periods through out and only gained a bit of extra weight, which she put down to poor diet. No one suspected a thing, she went into work one day (works with my mum) and was complaining of bad stomach pains, so she went home and straight to the doctors. They checked her out and told her it was just bad gas!! So she went home thinking that was all it was. Later that night she called herself an ambulance and when she got to the hospital they told her she was in labour!! A few hours later she had baby Lily! It was all a complete shock and I remember my mum telling me that our friend had, had a baby and I couldn't believe it, I had only seen her the week before! Luckily she has lots of aunts and uncles and cousins etc and they all came to visit her with baby things as soon as they heard!

The worse part was her partner chucked her out! He must have been in some shock, but he didn't want anything to do with it and she had to move back in with her parents! Anyway, that was over 8 years ago and now she has another daughter who is 2 and she enjoyed every moment of this pregnancy because to her it was like a first pregnancy! 

mbcgirlie14

I work as a firefighter/Paramedic and a coworker of mine went on a 911 call to a lady that gave birth to a full term baby in the toilet.  She says she didn't know she was pregnant at all.  This was her third child so I just don't know if I believe it.  Her husband was so excited he could barely contain himself and it all seemed a little strange. 

chelseacheeese

I agree!
Every time I catch that show, afterwards I'm left scratching my head in disbelief. I guess it happens though?

metzy144

My best friend's sister went through this and delivered a baby boy last February. She was 37 wks and claims she has no idea. I don't know if I believe it or not. She got pregnant right before breaking up with her boyfriend then thought the weight gain was because she was depressed and eating terrible. She also has never had regular periods. I would like to think that she didn't know because she drank and might have smoked weed the whole time and I worry there will be something wrong with her little boy. He just seems a little off.