A mother who had no idea she was pregnant thought her stomach cramps were due to a ‘bad takeaway chicken’ – until she gave birth to a baby girl.
Zoe Doyle from Maidenhead, Berkshire, was left stunned after giving birth to her newborn daughter Hayley in her tent during a camping trip on Hayling Island, Hampshire.
The 38-year-old woman said she had “no pregnancy symptoms”, had regular periods and had even flown to Turkey two months before the child’s unexpected arrival.
Zoe said she had gained some weight in the months before Hayley was born, but she attributed it to late-night snacking.
The daycare worker’s life was turned upside down when she went on a camping holiday last month with her two children and husband Stuart Doyle.
Zoe Doyle from Maidenhead, Berkshire, was left stunned after giving birth to her newborn daughter Hayley in her tent during a camping holiday on Hayling Island, Hampshire
A few days into the trip, Zoe woke up around 5am on August 1st with stomach cramps, which she thought was due to a ‘bad takeaway chicken’.
But as the abdominal pain got worse, Zoe thought she was having a miscarriage and woke her husband to ask for help.
The mother of three says she felt an overwhelming urge to push when Stuart saw a head sticking out of her.
He then gave birth to the couple’s surprise baby in the tent’s living room, after which he and his wife rushed to the hospital.
Zoe said: ‘I woke up and thought the chicken we had for dinner the night before had really upset my stomach.
‘I couldn’t get to the main toilets and we have a small portaloo in the tent, so I just stayed there.
‘I thought it was just stomach pain, but it just kept getting worse and worse. I knew something was wrong. There was so much blood, I thought I was having a miscarriage.
‘I had no idea I was doing all the contractions on the porta-too myself. I just stood up and my husband asked if I was okay and I said ‘I need to push’ then I got on my hands and knees and my husband saw a head.
“He had to help her give birth in the tent and cut her cord in the tent and wrap her up with what we had. I did it all by myself. I felt like Mother Mary giving birth outside. It was just so bizarre.
Stuart and Zoe Doyle are photographed on holiday together, while Zoe is unknowingly seven months pregnant
Poppy and Jake are pictured with their new baby sister Hayley, who was born during their family camping holiday
Stuart Doyle is photographed holding his baby daughter after giving birth to her in a tent
The mother of three said she then felt an overwhelming urge to push when Stuart saw a head sticking out of her
Stuart and Zoe were photographed on holiday while she was unknowingly seven months pregnant
As Zoe’s stomach pains got worse, Zoe thought she might be having a miscarriage and woke her husband up to ask for help. That’s when they saw Hayley’s head sticking out.
Zoe gave birth to a healthy Hayley Doyle, who weighed 8 pounds and 14 ounces. She was named after her birthplace on Hayling Island
“She literally came out and I remember thinking, ‘What just happened?’ I thought, how could I not know? Everything I shouldn’t have done, I did anyway.”
Zoe gave birth to a healthy Hayley Doyle, weighing 8lb 1oz. She was named after her birthplace on Hayling Island.
Zoe claims she had no classic symptoms during her nine months of pregnancy and even went abroad in her last trimester.
Zoe said: ‘I had absolutely no symptoms. I thought I had just put on some weight. My periods were light but I put it down to stress and I still had them every month.
‘I wasn’t hungry or anything. I had gained a little weight, but I attributed that to the fact that I was eating more snacks in the evening. I didn’t have a noticeable belly and no one said anything about it.
‘There was no morning sickness, there was no nausea, there was nothing. It was truly a hidden pregnancy.
Zoe is photographed holding her newborn Hayley, who surprised the family on August 1
Zoe said doctors told her the chances of having a second child were “very slim” because her husband has diabetes.
Zoe flew to Turkey for a holiday in her third trimester, not knowing she was pregnant
Zoe (pictured with daughter Poppy and son Jake) said their ‘huge surprise’ fits in perfectly with their growing family
Zoe and Stuart are pictured left and right with their one-year-old son Jake.
Zoe (pictured with her husband Stuart) thought a ‘bad chicken takeaway’ was the reason she was in pain
‘I went on holiday to Turkey in June. I now know I shouldn’t have flown. I feel awful, I could have had her abroad. I was seven months pregnant and didn’t know it.’
Zoe said their “huge surprise” fits in perfectly with their growing family.
Zoe said: ‘I said I would always have another one, but our youngest is not yet two, we said we would see. Then we said no, we’re done.
‘Because my husband also has diabetes, they said the chances of us having another one were pretty slim. So when she came, I thought, how on earth can she be here? She’s fought against all odds to be here.
‘I went on and off the pill, but because we were told the chances of us getting pregnant were slim, we didn’t think much of it. She was such a huge surprise.
“She’s going to have the most amazing story to tell when she’s older. I never believed in cryptic pregnancy stories when I read about them, until it happened to me.
“She just fits in perfectly, like it was all meant to happen. They think I carried her high and that’s why I didn’t feel her move.”