Not knowing about pregnancy until the very birth: why is this possible

Some women are unaware that they are pregnant until they are on the verge of giving birth, which may seem absurd. Despite its rarity, this phenomenon has confused medical professionals and families alike. How is it possible to ignore a pregnancy for so long?

This is caused by a number of things, such as irregular menstrual cycles and the absence of typical pregnancy symptoms. While some women may not notice any discernible changes, such as weight gain, others may attribute these symptoms to other factors.

The intricacies of the human body can become more apparent when we comprehend why this occurs. Investigating the psychological as well as physical factors that may contribute to such an unexpected occurrence is crucial.

Hidden or secret pregnancy – what are they

It turns out that these circumstances are referred to as hidden pregnancies, or crypto pregnancies. This kind of pregnancy has two names in the English language.

The first is denial pregnancy, also known as denied pregnancy; it is a pregnancy that is rejected. We are discussing situations in which a woman, frequently without realizing it, rejects the idea that she could be pregnant and fails to acknowledge its existence.

Two categories of psychologically denied pregnancies are distinguished by experts:

1. Affective. It is relatively rare, only 11% of cases. This happens when the expectant mother is not emotionally ready to become one so much that she denies her condition in spite of everything.
2. Obsessive, it is most common. 52% of women with pregnancy denial notice its signs closer to the end, only in the third trimester. And out of surprise, unpreparedness, they are in no hurry to go to the doctors for confirmation of their discovery, trying to deny everything to the end. And according to the same statistics, one out of 500 pregnancies in the world remains unnoticed until 20 weeks! So the situation, as we see, is not so unusual.

The second kind is a pregnancy that is hidden or cryptic. Another name for it is resistant. This category comprises 36 percent of pregnancies that are not detected until the time of delivery, which is a "true" surprise because there are no telltale symptoms and the woman truly is unaware that she is pregnant.

How on earth is that possible? Assume that many fortunate women are spared from toxicosis. Some overweight women are accustomed to having a very irregular cycle, so they might not notice their swollen belly. However, is it really possible, for instance, to miss the baby’s most vigorous kicks during the final few months of pregnancy?

It turns out that all of this is real, and medical professionals can respond to any inquiries.

Although it may seem unreal, some women are unaware that they are pregnant the entire time they are carrying a child until they give birth. Numerous factors, including irregular periods, little weight gain, and the baby’s position, can cause this. Physical symptoms can occasionally be misdiagnosed as other illnesses, leading to the pregnancy being overlooked—especially if the woman doesn’t exhibit typical symptoms like morning sickness. Clarifying how this occurs can help emphasize the significance of being aware of any unexpected changes in the body and help clear up any confusion.

No toxicosis, no kicks. A persistent hidden pregnancy

Delay: either there is or not

Therefore, not getting menstrual is typically the first clear indication that a woman is pregnant.

In reality, there are frequently instances of what are commonly referred to as "periods through pregnancy"—regular, or irregular, bloody discharge that a pregnant woman confuses for her menstrual flow. The placenta’s location in the lower part of the uterus, where its internal os overlaps, may be the cause of this discharge, which could indicate a risk of miscarriage. Moreover, hormonal imbalances, cervical polyps, damage sustained during intimacy, and prolapse or displacement of the intrauterine device can all result in bloody discharge.

It is also not unusual for the opposite scenario to occur: irregular or nonexistent menstruation prior to pregnancy. As an illustration:

• during breastfeeding;
• during premenopause;
• in adolescence, before a regular cycle was established;
• with polycystic ovary syndrome;
• with significant obesity;
• when taking certain oral contraceptives (pregnancy can occur if the conditions for taking them were violated).

Particularly frequently "caught" in this are women whose irregular menstrual cycles are caused by hormonal imbalances; for them, a break lasting several extra weeks is normal. They just give up trying to remember when they last had a period.

Occasionally, stress, food, illnesses, etc., can be used as an explanation for the irregularity of menstruation, whether it is present or absent.

As we can see, not everyone’s body functions "like clockwork," and having bloody discharge does not always mean that a woman is not pregnant.

Toxicosis or gastritis?

But what about the other "delights" of the first trimester, like morning sickness and sensitivity to smells?

First off, despite being extremely common, toxicosis is by no means a necessary side effect of pregnancy. Many women may not become familiar with nausea because it is reported to affect 56 to 80% of pregnant women during the first trimester of their pregnancy.

Rare instances of nausea, however, are typically accounted for by stomach issues, such as an aggravation of gastritis, or by poisoning.

Feelings of fatigue, vertigo, agitation, and drowsiness? Presumably, if you are over 40, you are going through premenopause; if you are a young nursing mother, sleep deprivation and the body’s general lack of healing from childbirth are to blame. If you are a young woman without children, you may be able to explain these issues with overwork or a past medical condition. As we can see, toxicosis is generally an unreliable indicator of pregnancy and is simple to ignore or not feel.

It"s hard not to notice your growing belly, but it"s possible!

How could you not notice the distinctly protruding belly during the third trimester of pregnancy, after all? And not to anyone else (I’m sure a lot of us were able to conceal our stomachs under stylish clothing even before maternity leave began!), but to the expectant mother herself?

Naturally, we are first discussing large, tall women with a wide pelvis and pregnant women who are overweight. Obesity-afflicted women typically lose weight during pregnancy, so when it comes time for delivery, their weight is essentially unchanged. Additionally, the stomach’s volume stays roughly the same but increases in density, which can be attributed, for instance, to effective sports training that "strengthens the press."

These factors frequently work in tandem. For instance, hormonal imbalances leading to irregular cycles are common in obesity. A woman who believes she is "in menopause," one who has the same polycystic ovary syndrome, or a nursing mother will not be surprised by weight gain.

But it’s not just obese women who might fail to notice their tummy expanding. This is a common occurrence in athletes – strong abdominal muscles limit the expansion of the abdomen, and it may not be apparent until the final few weeks.

There are also instances of extremely thin girls becoming pregnant and not realizing it until the last few months. The cause in this case is a phenomenon known as the uterine bend, or retroflexion—a backward deviation of the uterine body. Based on certain data, one in five women are diagnosed with a uterine bend. Their uterus appears to "grow inward" during pregnancy, which causes their belly to enlarge slightly as well. However, it isn’t until the end of the second trimester that the uterus finally finds its proper position and abruptly "announcing" to the expectant mother that she is pregnant.

No butterfly wings, no heroic pushes?

It is very easy to miss the baby’s tiny movements up until thirty weeks if this is the woman’s first childbirth and she is also unaware that she is pregnant. And then there’s probably only two ways to stay in the dark about what’s going on.

The fetus’s movements are felt much less strongly in the first scenario, which is when the placenta is located on the uterine anterior wall.

The second is apparent or current intestinal issues; that is, sensations of movement and jolts that are explained away as "gas," spasms, etc.

We think that if the mature fetus is not very big, it is still possible to miss its jolts, and in that case, the woman has very little reason to suspect that she is pregnant.

This is childbirth! And not colic or poisoning.

Assume, for the moment, that the expectant mother was able to keep her impending status a secret until the very end. Then the contractions start! However, the first stage of labor can occasionally go completely unnoticed; it happens that the cervix opens without any pain at all, or that the pain is very mild. But what could be mistaken for consistent, escalating lower abdominal cramps? As it happens, it is feasible! And not just for first-time moms, but also for seasoned mothers.

Every obstetrician has anecdotal evidence of a woman giving birth in the restroom. The reason is straightforward: contractions are mistaken for colic (occasionally even medical professionals err!) or pushing for particularly strong intestinal spasms, or particularly strong spasms prior to menstruation (which is not far from the truth!).

A better option is for a woman diagnosed with "acute abdomen" or "renal colic" to end up on the surgeon’s table; in this case, a cesarean section is performed rather than the appendix being removed.

Denied pregnancy

It all comes down to a misconception that is based on physiological factors, then. And how do we account for the higher frequency of psychological denial of pregnancy cases (nearly two thirds)?

You are mistaken if you believe that we are discussing mental illnesses or antisocial behavior. Of course, there are also cases where a mentally ill woman is oblivious to what is happening to her.

However, the findings of the study indicate that young women who are mentally sound, typically prosperous, and frequently married are more likely to conceal their pregnancy.

The most common cause is a severe fear of becoming pregnant, either for the first time or again, which causes total denial of it. It may be brought on by an extramarital affair, a mental trauma related to this experience, or the already challenging experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood.

Strong fear—in this case, fear of one’s parents—also contributes to denial of pregnancy in teenagers and young girls. A fear of "what will mom say" is accompanied by an emotional lack of readiness for motherhood.

A woman can reinforce her denial of her condition by considering the following reasons:

• false negative pregnancy tests (this is rare, but it happens!), soothing for a long time and helping to ignore all the signs of pregnancy;
• confidence in 100% effectiveness of her contraception method, especially an intrauterine device or oral contraceptives – which, like any method, can fail;
• confidence in infertility, yours or your partner"s;
• medical error when pregnancy is not detected during examination or ultrasound.

Some women go through an entire pregnancy without realizing it until the very end, which may seem unbelievable. Many factors, such as irregular periods, little weight gain, or failing to recognize pregnancy-related symptoms, can cause this.

Some women may not have morning sickness or other typical pregnancy symptoms, while in other cases the baby’s movements may be misdiagnosed as digestive problems. Psychological factors may also be involved, particularly if a woman is not mentally ready for the prospect of becoming pregnant.

This instance demonstrates the wide range of pregnancy experiences, despite being uncommon. Every woman has a different body, and being aware of these variations enables us to be more understanding and receptive to the distinctive experiences that women have.

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