Mom didn't know she was pregnant

by Rachel Mosteller (Subscribe to Rachel Mosteller's posts) Jun 27th 2006 1:00PM

Here's a story that I hear time and time again: A woman goes nine months through a pregnancy and has no idea she is pregnant. What is even weirder about this story is her background: She is 34 and already has two children.

According to the article, the woman contributed her weight gain to a change in eating habits, water retention and stress. She said she did not feel the baby move during the nine months. In fact, she had no idea she was pregnant until her fiance delivered their 7 pound, 10 ounce son in their bathroom.

Honestly, I don't see why someone would lie about this situation, so I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt. But, as someone that has been pregnant twice, I have questions. What about her menstrual cycle? Breast enlargement? A rock-hard belly? The feeling of never being able to get comfortable?

So, what about you? What was the first sign you had that you were pregnant?

Comments (23)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

thordora 6-27-2006 @ 1:14PM

My boobs hurt.like.hell. and broke 3 bras before I missed my period.

Learned my lesson with the second on that one. :P

Eden 6-27-2006 @ 1:39PM

I was screaming at the dog for no reason.

Ginny 6-27-2006 @ 1:41PM

Count me in the "sore boobs" club. OUCH!

Marcia 6-27-2006 @ 1:50PM

My first sign was the normal one, missed a period. I have a regular down-to-the-day cycle so once I had gone over that about a week we bought a couple home tests! A friend of mine has very irregular periods though, sometimes going 6-7 months without one so I could understand not knowing because of that, but dang there are so many other things that is a tell-tell sign. I just don't see how she just 'didn't know'.

suburban misfit 6-27-2006 @ 3:39PM

I knew I was pregnant before I missed periods with both of my kids because #1 wasn't planned (I found out at my annual exam that I was pregnant; I had one week to go till my period) and #2 was very planned so I took an early PG test.

But the first pregnancy symptom I had with both of them: the constant, never-ending-throughout-all-nine-months vomitting. All day, every day. I lost weight with both of them and nearly had kidney failure with the second.

So I'm probably not someone who wouldn't know she was pregnant!

Angie 6-27-2006 @ 3:55PM

My mother-in-law went through this with her fourth child. She says she never stopped menstruating, and it's my understanding that she was already ca 200 pounds at the time, so any weight gain was unnoticed.

My first sign of pregnacy is when I fall asleep unexpectedly in the middle of the day. I NEVER do that when I'm not pregnant.

Deb 6-27-2006 @ 4:06PM

Sore boobs, missed period, and SEVERE headaches and nausea. It was like having a really bad hangover that lasted for a month, without having partied at all! I was also unusually tired...kept falling asleep right after dinner. I can honestly say, there is absolutely no chance of me ever getting pregnant & not knowing it right off the bat. I'm too "in tune" with my body.

Caitlin 6-27-2006 @ 4:21PM

When you have been using the pill for 8 years with no problems, you have no reason to suspect to suspect pregnancy in the absence of the classic symptoms. I have a very irregular cycle, but I never missed it throughout my entire pregnancy. I didn't find out until my second trimester when I was renewing my pill prescription and they did the standard pregnancy test.

I had just started a very demanding new job right before I was pregnant, and never had any morning sickness. The only symptoms I had were the first trimester tiredness and a bad case of rhinitis of pregnancy which I assumed were allergies from moving halfway across the country.

thordora 6-27-2006 @ 4:49PM

Eden-you just described the beginnings of my second pregnancy is you substitute "Husband" for "Dog".

Cracked me up you did... :)

Keri 6-27-2006 @ 5:19PM

Umm, I'm sorry but this story is disturbing. I understand how mothers can become busy but too busy to pay attention to their own bodies, especially when there's a baby involved? It just doesn't make any sense to me. How can a person NOT feel a baby move?

Anyhoo, my first sign of pregnancy was the absence of my very regular period. I'm curious to find out how I will know about a second pregnancy since I am still nursing full-time and have not menstruated yet.

Nicola 6-27-2006 @ 7:27PM

I hadn't menstruated in a few years and was on my first round of Clomid, so had no idea that it had actually worked. In retrospect, the symptoms were obvious. We were on a weekend vacation with a group of friends. I nearly filed for divorce when, at breakfast, my husband sat at a table with some friends while I sat at another table with friends because these were the only two seats left -- heaven forbid! I was absolutely sure that he was flirting with the middle aged woman sat next to him. I didn't speak to him all day. And on our way home, having already eaten dinner and spent the last of our ready cash (because I kept needing snack stops all weekend) in a small town with no ATM, my husband actually had to pay with a cheque at McDonalds so that I could have another meal. Did you even know that McDonalds took cheques?

We found out the next week when I was in a flying tirade about not getting my period and that stupid Clomid not working and making an appointment to go in and give the doctor a piece of my mind. Husband suggested that maybe it would be best to at least have taken the test first, as evidence, before I ripped the poor doctor to pieces. I took the test, threw it on the counter in yet another blind fury, went to fold the laundry, and a few minutes later had a shell shocked husband approach me asking about the meaning of two lines. Yep, pregnant.

Uly 6-27-2006 @ 7:56PM

The last one that was mentioned here, the baby wasn't felt moving because it was kicking towards the back instead of the stomach, right?

Quite a few people don't realize they've missed periods because their cycle is always irregular (especially if they're nearing menopause, though I doubt this woman applies), or because they don't, in fact, miss periods.

Lauren 6-27-2006 @ 8:52PM

Nicola, I completely understand....

I was on my second month of Clomid (the first month didn't work - and I assumed the second wouldn't work either)

I had this habit of running out the door to work and not eating much, if anything - well, that day at work all of a sudden I got very shaky, dizzy and sick feeling - I was worried (thinking maybe it was something to do with the Clomid, or maybe I was getting sick or....well, I had no idea what would cause that)

So, went to the Dr. - she knew that I was TTC so she had me take a blood test (and what a sweetie she ordered it stat) and got home, was laying down to take a nap and get a call that I'm pregnant....

Looking back, how obvious it was....duh

Eva 6-27-2006 @ 10:45PM

I'm going with clinical denial here. She has a 14 month old as well. As someone who got pregnant when my baby was five months old I can totally understand the feeling of wishing and pretending it's not true. Couple that with the fact that she's overweight and recently started a business, I can definitely see how the stress sould cause her to convince herself of such a thing.

ivy 6-28-2006 @ 12:09AM

I was the freak who "knew" I was pregnant before I missed a period. Both Tom and I dreamt about babies for a week, so I begged my gyn for a test, though he rolled his eyes, and tada - pregnant. Since I was carrying twins the hCG levels were higher than they would of been if I were carrying one, so the test came back positive only a week after I would of gotten pregnant. Then came the partial miscarriage at 5 weeks, which would of been even more of a shock if I hadn't already known I was pregnant. Once my hCG levels evened out to just support the one baby I wasn't attacked by the morning sickness/sore boobs fairy until almost 20 weeks. But after that? The baby fet in the ribs would of given it away right away.

And I am with "Team Denial". It HAD to of crossed her mind at some point, but she chose not to consider it, for whatever reasons.

Laura Snow 6-28-2006 @ 5:46AM

I find stories like this so unreal. I think a woman sometimes says this so she doesn't get in trouble with the boyfriend or husband.. OH I DIDN'T KNOW HUNNY! LOL

Oh and I think you meant attributed instead of contributed hehe..

Anna 6-28-2006 @ 9:20AM

I thought something was odd when I leaned up against the counter and my abdomen hurt. That was my first pregnancy, I was 7 weeks. But I lost it at 10 weeks. My second pregnancy, I was going to the bathroom a lot more and although the test said NO, I knew something was odd.

wookie 6-28-2006 @ 10:42AM

It is possible to not feel the baby move... depending on where the placenta is, how big the baby is, how big you are, can all effect how you do or don't perceive the babies movement. I had this problem with my second... unless she was turned a very specific way, I couldn't feel her moving.

Heather 6-28-2006 @ 10:49AM

I had my period for the first 3 months, and my belly didn't get hard. I had a layer of fat and so my belly didn't feel had all the time. But I had morning sicness bad up to 8 months.
A friend of mine had her period right up to month 7. another friend only gained 10 lbs and was able to hide her pregnacy with a sweater right up to the end.

Brenda 6-28-2006 @ 11:57AM

She got pregnant 5 months PP, chances are, if she was nursing, she hadn't had a period yet. In fact, many nursing moms do not have periods for 12-24 months pp.

She was probably a bit overweight and the placenta was attached to the front of the uterus instead of the back/top and she really didn't feel the baby move. Not to mention after having a baby you always have to adjust to the "new normal" anyway.

I believe she didn't know.

Anyway, my first sign of pregnancy was my temperature shot up. I am ALWAYS between 97.4 and 97.6 and within days of becoming pregnant it was up to 98.6 and 98.9. And I could feel the difference, though I totally denied it at the time because SERIOUSLY you don't get pregnant as soon as you vaguely start trying, right ;-)