Oh the irony! SURPRISE, Arizona, woman says she didn’t know she was pregnant until she went into labor
In a surprise, an Arizona resident got the surprise of her life when what she thought was appendicitis turned out to be contractions.
Taylor Dobbins, 24, gave birth to a healthy son she named Noble last month after more than 38 weeks without any signs, such as morning sickness, cravings or kicking.
Mrs. Dobbins had a miscarriage years ago and her menstrual cycle has been irregular ever since. Although a missed period is usually the first sign of pregnancy, she didn’t think about it.
The unexpected pregnancy until birth is known as a ‘cryptic pregnancy’ and affects as many as one in 2,500 women. Cryptic pregnancies up to about five months are much more common, affecting one in 400 women.
Although she was unprepared for Noble’s birth and said she went from “single with a cat to single with a cat and a baby”, Ms Dobbins said they are both doing well, despite not having an antenatal during pregnancy. have received care.
Taylor Dobbins, 24, didn’t know she was pregnant until hours before she gave birth to her son
About five hours after arriving at the hospital with what she thought was appendicitis, Mrs. Dobbins welcomed healthy Noble Alexander Davon Dobbins, who weighed eight pounds.
Mrs. Dobbins woke up on May 18 with some stomach pain, but persevered and went to work anyway. But he said the pain only got worse AZFamily.
Finally, she rushed to the ER, knowing something was wrong. Nurses rushed to perform a series of tests, including blood tests. One of them gave Mrs Dobbins the shocking news that she was pregnant, probably around eight weeks.
They then ran the tests again.
Mrs Dobbins said: ‘She says, ‘So remember when I told you I think you’re six to eight weeks?’ I said, yes. She says, “Unfortunately, I was wrong. You are 38 weeks and five days,” and I was speechless. I’m like, that’s not possible. There is no right way on God’s green earth that I am in labor.”
It was then that she began to worry about her baby’s health.
Most pregnant women see a doctor about once every four weeks in the first trimester, about every two weeks in the second trimester, and weekly in the third trimester.
Ms Dobbins had not seen a gynecologist or obstetrician during her pregnancy.
“I was afraid he was going to come out without a few fingers or a few toes, or heaven forbid, blind or deaf,” she said.
About five hours later, Mrs. Dobbins welcomed healthy Noble Alexander Davon Dobbins, who weighed eight pounds and fifteen ounces.
Ms Dobbins’ aunt, who started a GoFundMe for Taylor to help cover the costs of having a newborn, said: ‘Leave it to my overachieving niece to accidentally deliver a completely healthy toddler!’
The first time she held her son was a life-changing moment for Mrs Dobbins, who said that while Noble’s arrival was unexpected, his presence is a miracle.
She said, ‘Was this the way I planned it? No, but will we be okay if we find out? Certainly. But it will definitely be a process.”
Noble is healthy and happy, but when she heard of her upcoming birth, Mrs. Dobbins was nervous about the baby’s health. She did not receive any prenatal care during her pregnancy
Mrs. Dobbins had suffered a miscarriage years ago, which left her with irregular periods and no evidence of her pregnancy
Anyone can have a cryptic pregnancy, but women with polycystic ovary syndrome (and around six million have it) are more likely to have irregular periods, which could hide a pregnancy.
And symptoms of pregnancy can be confused with signs of other problems, such as gastrointestinal problems.
For example, nausea resulting from pregnancy can be mistaken for eating contaminated food.
Fatigue can be mistaken as a sign of sleep deprivation. And the spotting can be mistaken for a normal, albeit mild, period.
Cryptic pregnancies can be dangerous. A woman who does not know she is pregnant does not receive standard prenatal care, such as blood tests, ultrasound, nutritional advice and other forms of support.
It is also unlikely that a woman with a cryptic pregnancy will change her lifestyle, such as smoking and drinking, to grow a healthy baby.
The baby is also at greater risk of being born with birth defects because the mother has not been able to undergo genetic testing before giving birth.
There were approximately 3.7 million births in the US in 2022. Although no hard figures are available on the number of births resulting from cryptic pregnancies, the rate of 1 cryptic pregnancy for every 2,500 pregnant women would indicate that more than a thousand pregnancies fall into this category. .