Mom Gets Christmas Surprise - A Baby

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts) Dec 25th 2008 10:00AM

Categories: Newborns, Pregnancy & Birth, Weird But True

Every now and then you hear the story: A women, usually a teen or college student, gives birth after having "no idea" that she's been pregnant for the past nine months.

Most of the time, it's assumed that having "no idea" is a euphemism for "was too scared to acknowledge it or tell anyone." But in the case of one UK woman, the pregnancy really was a surprise.

Tina Cook, who (this borders on TMI) had just finished her regular period, was rushed to the ER with stomach pains. Ten minutes later, she gave birth to a son. But here's the kicker: Tina's been pregnant twice before. I always thought those stories didn't make much sense, having been pregnant and knowing how hard the symptoms of pregnancy are to ignore.

But Tina says that though her last two pregnancies were obvious, she never had any idea she was expecting this time around. "The other pregnancies I knew about. I felt all the kicking, everything was normal but I didn't feel this one at all. We are totally unprepared."

Fortunately, they are also overjoyed. I can't imagine bringing home a baby with no notice whatsoever, but this is one family that seems like they're up to the task.

Source

Comments (14)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Kat 1-01-2009 @ 10:44PM

There has actually been a special on Discovery Health about this strange phenomenon. "I didn't know I was pregnant" it was rather interesting. It explained that every pregnancy is different (to which my mother, who was watching with me and is a mother of two, replies "No duh!") and that sometimes a mother can have a pregnancy and never even feel the beginning signs of a pregnancy, let alone anything up until the labor contractions.

Health pre-pregnancy can help to hide a pregnancy, one woman on the special had been unable to have children at all, and had gone to the hospital because of pains only to find out the was in labor with twins. She had been obese as well as having other health problems. The combined factor of these problems hid her pregnancy until she had actually delivered her son in a hospital bathroom.

tara 3-20-2009 @ 12:19PM

i think these women are very lucky... lol! i have two boys that are 2 and 7 months and with both i was miserable! i gained lots of weight and could hardly walk during the last month. i wish that i didnt feel a thing.

Donna 1-18-2009 @ 6:56PM

I graduated with a girl that this happened to. I saw her about a month before her son was born and I couldn't tell that she was pregnant nor could anyone else. I'd just had my son 6 months earlier, so I knew what a pregnant woman "really" looked like. After her son was born (weighing 6 lbs.), I asked her "how could she NOT know" and she told me that he never moved, she never gained any weight, she never showed and she got her period every month on schedule.

shan68ok 1-20-2009 @ 11:50PM

Actually, I knew a girl who weighed maybe 110 soaking wet who didn't realise she was pregnant until she went into labor. Lived with her mom who didn't know she was pregnant. Never out grew her jeans, never missed a period, and the baby was a healthy 6lbs 3oz. So this phenomena is not restricted to ignorant or fat people. And her mom, is a licensed nurse who had five children of her own.

IAM81CUTIE 1-21-2009 @ 12:25AM

YOU CAN'T EVEN SPELL.WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW.

Eileen 1-25-2009 @ 1:05AM

I knew a deaf woman a long time ago that when she fell at work and was Xrayed for possible back fractures they found she was in the middle of labor. She had had no idea either.

jenny 1-25-2009 @ 1:35AM

i remember this happened back in 2003 i found out i was 5 months pregnant. I didn't know at all. i didn't have morning sickness. yes, i was gaining a little weight but i thought that was my thyroid medicine being out of wack. didnt feel no movement or change. thank god i caught it in time, at least im glad i got prenatal care the last part of it. Next time ill know what to watch out for. sometimes i can kick my self for not being aware enough to get proper care from the beginning. Thats the crazy thing about thyroid underactivity you dont get your menstral cycle on time either. it could be very irregular at times. I thank god everyday that hes a healthy happy child who is going to be six very soon. :)

VetteGirl 1-25-2009 @ 12:24PM

Yeah, you really got to watch for that pregancy thing...it can sneak right up on you if you're not careful!

crystabenton 2-02-2009 @ 3:29PM

All i have to say is THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS ARTICLE. My son was born the 3rd of July 2003. And until that moment i had no idear. Ive always been a little heavy and at the time i was at college and only got 4 ish hours of sleep at night. I was a baker and those uniforms are not very forgiving and i never outgrew them at all. When i went into labor the nurse living next door thought i was hemoraging. And at the time it happened everyone thought i was an complete idiot. so thank you for posting this article.

tina 2-21-2009 @ 10:20AM

hi,
I know what you mean i am tina who this article is about,i swear some people think i am stupid or just lying but i had no idea,i hope your little one is well and i am sure just as loved if not more so than an expected baby.
Kindest regards and warmest wishes Tinaxx

shirley foster 2-15-2009 @ 8:51PM

I have had two grand babies 11 months apart born and mother or
no one else new or even supsected
a pregnancy. she never weighed over 100 lbs.with either pregnancy.
Kids are now 2 and 3 and are in
great health.

Betty 2-19-2009 @ 2:51PM

Yes, it can happen. My mother didn't find out she was expecting my brother until the 9th month. She lost weight and looked great prior to his birth. Most people didn't believe it was my mom who gave birth, they thought it was mine since I was 18 when he was born.

It does happen!

N2litehouses 3-20-2009 @ 10:50AM

I too found out @ 5 months that I was pregnant. I have polycystic ovary disease and was told after my 1st son that I would never have any more. After years of trying I gave up and my son was 18 when I found out. My 2nd son was born 3 months to the day after I found out I was pregnant. He was 1 month early but healthy for the most part. I never understood someone not knowing they were pregnant until it happened to me. I had only gained about 7 pounds, so that wasn't a factor for me. Everyone kept saying they were shocked but no one was more shocked than me!!!

Steph 3-20-2009 @ 12:19PM

I have to admit, this story and all of your comments leave me confused. How can a woman who is concidered skinny, or even slightly overweight, not notice that she was carrying a baby? Unless the baby was scarily premature when born?

I'm not trying to be rude, but I'm curious to see pictures of one of these women at the time they were pregnant. It's really not making sense how a baby could fit in a 110 lb. person's body if their stomach didnt stretch!