I thought I ‘couldn’t be pregnant’ – turns out I was already 8 months pregnant
A WOMAN who was completely unaware of her pregnancy for eight months of her life claims she knew nothing about it, despite her stomach problems.
A cryptic pregnancy occurs when a woman is unaware she is pregnant and often shows no symptoms despite undergoing several tests.
Nicole Patrick, 39, was stunned when she discovered she was more than eight months pregnant after a hospital visit in April 2024.
In a moving story, Nicole tells how she initially lived in denial and how she eventually faced the big problems. news.
She explained: “I was just completely stunned and in shock.”
Nicole is originally from New Jersey, USA, and had an unusual pregnancy as she was unaware she was pregnant the entire time.
Nicole, a makeup artist by profession, was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects a woman’s ovaries and makes it harder to conceive.
Nicole was so stunned that she started to cry. She was so overwhelmed by the whole experience.
Looking back over the previous eight months, she admits there were signs she was pregnant, but she didn’t know until she looked up the symptoms.
She thought she wasn’t meant to know about her daughter, but now she thinks it’s the best thing that could have happened to her.
Sadly for Nicole and her family, her father passed away five months before the big news, but I believe it helped them to have something to celebrate during a sad time.
Nicole discovered she was pregnant on April 11, 2024, and gave birth to her daughter Sophia shortly after.
She said: “Because I’ve never been pregnant, it never occurred to me.
“It wasn’t until I had an ultrasound in the ER that I was completely numb and in shock, and I started crying because it was so overwhelming.
“My mind was racing and I thought about literally everything possible, from the need to stay healthy to the need to live.” insuranceprenatal care, that my life would never be the same again.
“Apart from all the other health-related issues that were going on with me, I didn’t even think about getting pregnant being a possibility.
“I truly believe I wasn’t supposed to know about this little girl until I did.”
How a cryptic pregnancy can occur
Being pregnant without knowing it may sound almost impossible, but there are many reasons why a pregnancy can go unnoticed until delivery.
In a hidden pregnancy, symptoms are sometimes absent. Symptoms such as fatigue and nausea are usually mild enough to indicate a stomach virus.
According to the experts of FlowThere are a few causes for a cryptic pregnancy.
“The primary cause of a stealth pregnancy is hormones. Let’s look at some physiological reasons why someone might have a cryptic pregnancy,” they explained.
“If someone has recently been pregnant or recently given birth, it can take some time for their hormones to return to their normal cycle. During this time — or while someone is breastfeeding — ovulation can occur without someone knowing, which can result in a cryptic pregnancy. Similarly, perimenopause can lead to irregular hormone cycles and cause a cryptic pregnancy.”
You can still get pregnant if you use birth control, but if you continue to do so, the usual symptoms of pregnancy may go unnoticed or vary slightly.
“Stress also affects hormones, so high levels of stress can disrupt common pregnancy symptoms. Low body fat can also cause hormonal imbalances, which can lead to a symptomless pregnancy. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which causes irregular or prolonged hormone cycles, can also cause a cryptic pregnancy.
“A secondary, less common cause of cryptic pregnancy is certain psychological conditions. This is called “pregnancy denial” and occurs when a person mentally believes that they are not pregnant, even though tests show that they are.”