A woman in Surprise, Arizona, got the shock of her life when what she thought was appendicitis turned out to be labor pains.
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 kicks.
Mrs. Dobbins had a miscarriage years ago and her menstrual cycle has been irregular ever since. While missing a period is usually her first sign of pregnancy, she didn’t think anything of it.
Unexpected pregnancy up to the time of birth is known as a “cryptic pregnancy” and affects one in 2,500 women. Cryptic pregnancies of up to about five months are much more common, affecting one in 400 women.
While 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 received any prenatal care during the pregnancy.
Taylor Dobbins, 24, didn’t know she was pregnant until hours before giving 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, 15 ounces.
Ms. Dobbins woke up on May 18 with some abdominal pain, but she went ahead and went to work anyway. But the pain only got worse, according to AZFamily.
Finally, he ran to the emergency room, 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 about eight weeks pregnant.
Then they ran the tests again.
Mrs. Dobbins said, “She says, ‘Do you remember when I told you that I think you’re six to eight weeks along?’ I said yes. She says, ‘Unfortunately, I was wrong. You’re 38 weeks and five days,’ and I’m speechless. I say, there’s no way. There’s no good way on God’s green Earth that I’m giving birth.’
At that moment she began to worry about her baby’s health.
Most pregnant women visit the doctor about once every four weeks during the first trimester, about every two weeks during the second, and weekly during the third.
Mrs. Dobbins had not visited any obstetrician or gynecologist during her pregnancy.
“I was worried he might be missing some fingers or toes or, God forbid, blind or deaf,” she said.
About five hours later, Mrs. Dobbins welcomed healthy Noble Alexander Davon Dobbins, who weighed eight pounds, 15 ounces.
Dobbins’ aunt, who started a GoFundMe for Taylor to defray the costs of having a newborn, said, “Let my high-achieving niece accidentally give birth to a completely healthy child!”
The first time she hugged her son was a life-changing moment for Dobbins, who said that while Noble’s arrival was unexpected, his presence is a miracle.
She said: ‘Was that how I planned it? No, but will we be okay once we figure it out? Safely. However, it will definitely be a process.”
Noble is healthy and happy, but when she learned of her impending birth, Mrs. Dobbins became nervous about the baby’s health. She had not received any prenatal care during her pregnancy.
Mrs Dobbins had suffered a miscarriage years ago, leaving her with irregular periods and no clue of her pregnancy.
Anyone can have a cryptic pregnancy, but women who suffer from PCOS (and around six million do) are more likely to have an irregular menstrual period, which could hide a pregnancy.
And pregnancy symptoms can be confused with signs of other problems, such as gastrointestinal problems.
Nausea that occurs during pregnancy, for example, could be confused with the consumption of contaminated foods.
Fatigue could be confused with a sign of sleep deficiency. And spotting could be mistaken for a regular, albeit light, period.
Cryptic pregnancies can be dangerous. A woman who does not know that she is pregnant does not receive standard prenatal care, such as blood tests, ultrasounds, nutritional counseling and other supports.
A woman with a cryptic pregnancy is also unlikely to alter her lifestyle habits, such as smoking and drinking, to have a healthy baby.
The baby is also at higher risk of being born with birth defects because the mother was unable to have genetic testing before giving birth.
There were approximately 3.7 million births in the US in 2022. While firm figures are not available on the number of births that resulted from cryptic pregnancies, the rate of 1 cryptic pregnancy per 2,500 pregnant women would suggest that more than thousand pregnancies fall into this category. .