I found the story of the mom who did not know she was pregnant very interesting. I have the same sort of story, but mine is a bit different.
It was mid February 2004 and my period had been missing for 3 months. I went back to the doctor, and of course she asked me if I was pregnant. “No” I said “I tested” so she decided to check and get a blood test done. Sure enough when I came back the beginning of May, it was negative, even though I told her I was exhausted and gaining weight, despite not changing my eating habits. She told me my hormones we so low that I couldn’t even GET pregnant. However, the hormone prolactin, usually only seen in nursing mothers, was very high. This could mean I had a certain type of brain tumor, so I had to go for an MRI.
I had been doing home pregnancy tests every couple of weeks for several months, simply because I wasn’t getting my period and thought it was best. They were always negative. My Mom said she wanted me to get an ultrasound before the MRI, since she had many problems in the past with ovarian cysts and other things. So I got one scheduled for Monday, May 31st, 2004.
The weekend before, my stomach had been bothering me. The oddest sensation- like I could feel myself getting fatter- I had stretch marks! Still, negative tests, and the doctor did say it wasn’t possible for me to be pregnant.
Monday came, and I went to the ultrasound- by myself, because everyone had to work… and no one expected what we found. I got really mad at the technician- she saw my belly and asked me right away if I was pregnant. I told her the story so far, and she just said “okay, get up on the table then”
I wasn’t even looking at the screen. Then I heard, “Um, Kerri? There IS a baby here- and it is about 21 weeks along” I quickly did the math in my head.. “What??….You mean.. I am over 5 months pregnant???” I said. “Yes, you are”
This is what he looked like that day. Also, a picture of him at exactly one week.
We only had 4 and half months to prepare. I was only 23 and completely not ready for all this. I had been on the pill.. I only went off the pill because my doctor had told me to (back in November), that the hormones were what was disrupting my period. I was worried because I had done so much heavy lifting- all these things you shouldn’t do when you are pregnant. Good thing I don’t drink or smoke, or have any really bad habits!
At first I was really angry and blamed the doctor. I missed almost my entire pregnancy- she told me I might have a brain tumor! What was I going to do? We were supposed to be moving across country in just a couple months. We couldn’t now, I would be nearly 8 months pregnant!
In the end, all my friends and family helped us get everything ready, and the parents of the kids I taught were amazing (I was teaching in a preschool) They brought me maternity clothes, baby clothes, baby seats, everything. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise.
Anyway, the point of my story is, when someone tells you “They didn’t know” Don’t look at them like they must have just been stupid. I ‘KNEW’ I was pregnant from almost the beginning- but I kept hearing it was impossible, over and over, and all those endless negative tests and blood tests. What would you REALLY have thought? You would probably assume it was impossible then, as I did.
My new doctor knows this story. If I ever miss a period for over a month, and if I even suspect, I will be going in for an ultrasound. I am glad that this doctor believes me. Some people still assume I was just in denial.. but they don’t take into consideration all that happened and how they would feel.
My son turns 2 on Tuesday, October 17th, 2006. He is the love of our lives- even if he is trouble sometimes!
He is beautiful!!
He is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen (and I have two children)!
A good (and well educated) friend of mine delivered a baby in the ER, not knowing she was pregnant. I know that many people do not believe this can happen but I believe her. She was experiencing a major and devastating illness in her family and I believe she had all her energy directed towards that. She grieved for her pregnancy that she “didn’t” have and was so dissapointed that she didn’t have the opportunity to enjoy the anticipation a pregnancy brings. But, when all was said and done she had a beautiful child that gave light to her family in a very dark time. All things are ment for a reason and we should not judge a person unless we have a chance to spend a day in their body.I’m so happy for you that your brain tumor was a baby!
Thank you for posting this, Kerri. I will admit that I am the kind of person who used to suck their teeth and roll their eyes at the thought of stories of women who didn’t know that they were pregnant. I mean, who doesn’t know?!BUT—Your story has changed that for me. Your honesty and the things that happened to you flipped a switch in my brain. I have 2 children and with each one, even *knowing* that I was pregnant from the home pregnancy test, the test in the midwife’s office, and the first ultrasound; sometimes it still didn’t feel real. Sometimes, you almost don’t believe it until you are birthing your baby. It’s such a miracle, and even though we can see the baby through ultrasound, there’s something different about holding your new baby, touching him. All of a sudden they are very real and tangible and unmistakeably *there*.So, all of this hit me just now from reading your story. Thank you so much for telling it. I have a lot more compassion now for the women who really didn’t know!
Thanks for sharing your story. It sheds some light on how things can get so confused. Your baby is beautiful!
Thanks for telling us your story, I would never guess that to be possible.
Amazing.
Thanks for the story. I think I have found it impossible before that people did not know they were pregnant. My babies do gymnastics inside of me, so I just can’t imagine not knowing!!!
What a beautiful surprise! :o) And that pic of him is too sweet!
Thank you Rebekah, that response was exactly what I was hoping for! You made me smile. And to everyone else- thank you! :)
Kerri – Wow… your experience is almost verbatum like my own 6 years ago. Right down to the MRI to search for a brain tumor (which for me ended up being positive – and benign – so all the doctors were more concerned with the “cool” diagnosis than the mundane fact of pregnancy). An endochronologist treating my brain tumor finally figured it out for me after looking at the very same blood test my OB-GYN had. Thanks for posting… nice to know I’m not the only one.
What an amazing story! My mother was told she wasn’t pregnant as well. She was told she had a tumor, not a baby. She refused a D&C and about five months along they FINALLY found a heartbeat. That was my little sister!So often we think everyone should fit into a textbook explanation. If anything is outside of “normal” we don’t believe them. But, people are not textbooks and sometimes nature fools us. So, as Dr. Bradley used to say, “It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature.”
I believe your story wholeheartedly. I do not however believe that the majority of people who “didn’t know they were pregnant” didn’t “KNOW”. It is a seriously ridiculous prospect, in my opinion. Feel free to disagree, but There will be no changing my mind.
Ditto Above…Amazing
Amazing story! Glad to hear that everything went alright in the end. Thanks for sharing.
I love these stories because it’s nice knowing I wasn’t the only one. I was injured at work 2 months before I became pregnant, I never missed a period and had no symptoms. I had been on the pill for 3 years. I was on pain meds, having x-rays, mris, smoking for the first time in years because I was stressed … things you shouldn’t do while pregnant. I assumed my weight gain was due to inactivity, as I couldn’t walk. I finally got consistent morning sickness near the end of my third month, it lasted only a week but made me suspicious enough to take a test. I was terrified, more for the well being of my child than anything else, I’d done so many bad things. I missed out on over half my pregnancy, my daughter was 6 weeks early, but she was born perfect, kicking and screaming, with absolutely no medical complications :) She’s 14 weeks now and I am thankful for her everyday, she is truly a miracle. Congratulations on your miracle, too.
Thank you Kerri for sharing your experience. I am so glad to know that I was not the only one this happened to. Even though I was only 19 at the time I believe I had a child for a reason and no one will ever make me think different. I thank you for giving me even more inspiration and for helping me feel proud of the fact that I didnt know and so what look what happened from it!!!THANK YOU!!!!!Lindsay(previous anon. poster)li3381@hotmail.com
What a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing.