To sways be a little dubious when women claim they didn't know they were pregnant?

[missduff]

I'm talking women who give birth in their bathroom and claim they went through being pregnant for 9 months without having the foggiest.

I know some women don't get symptoms like sickness etc, I can believe women who maybe reach say 5 months or so. And I know some women don't get bumps, I've seen that myself, but come on...how can any woman not feel a 7lb baby moving around inside them? Or to think that when an elbow is poking out and wriggling around that it's just wind? Or when they shift from one side of your stomach to the other? Really just wind is it?

I remember when I was about 5 months pregnant with DS his dad complaining cos he couldn't sleep because of the vibrations coming off the bed from baby kicking. Bump wasn't even touching him and he could still feel it. Surely that kind of thing must happen to everyone whether u have a bump or not?

I know a load of you will give me your stories of ''it happened to my friend'' but i just really really struggle to really believe them.

What did you do for somewhere to live stranded? Did the council help you out or were you in a position to rent with your dp?

i was 6 months when i found out - i did feel weak and tired but i blamed it on anaemia i had no idea i was pregnant, i would have blamed symptoms on everything else but pregnancy. people said are you sure you aren't pregnant when i told them i didn't feel well and i thought it was just stress of marriage problems! then i got bad stomach pains, went to hosp and they did the test. but if i had not have had the test, i don't think i would have found out till i was 7-8 months as thats when i started to show.

How do you go from a regular person going about their normal life to suddenly being a mother, without any time to adjust to that massive change in circumstances?

Slowly. With me it didn't feel 'real' until DS was critically ill at 8 weeks old, it was only nearly losing him that made me realise how much I loved him and accept how my life had changed for the better.

I finder it harder to believe that some people are so lacking in brain cells and empathy they can't believe something if it never happened to them.

Bit harsh, but I basically agree - I was reading some of the early responses on this thread; the seeming inability of some people to accept that just because someone's experience is utterly different to yours, it doesn't mean it's not true!

Stranded your photos are amazing! What an astonishing experience to have! Has your DD suffered any consequences, that you're aware of, from your drinking etc whilst pregnant? Your DP sounds like a gem.

They turned up 6 hours later with clothes, nappies, moses basket, pushchair, carseat everything. I had nothing remember they literally went into mothercare told an assistant what had happened and she helped them buy everything. I dread to think how much money they spent

That just made me cry!!

I've come across quite a few 'concealed' pregnancies at work. I'm sure the majority of those pregnancies were a genuine surprise but I think there have been a quite a few who knew and for whatever reason didn't let on.
I remember one woman where the first time she knew she was pregnant was when she gave birth in the car just outside A&E and coincidentally it was the same nurse who caught both babies.
Another had had 4 babies before and turned up at the maternity unit when her waters broke. Her husband had had a vesectomy 9 months before.

LOVE stranded's mum's attitude! Surprise grandchild? Ok, will be there asap, but will just go and buy everything she needs in Mothercare first.

Your mum sounds fantastic Stranded :)

you can find something hard to believe and still know its true though

like when people go on holiday and leave their 4 year old to fend for itself for a week, getting food out of rubbish, you don't think it didn't actually happen but at the same time it defies belief

Wow stranded your story gets better what an amazing family you have! I think you should sell your story as it would help people struggling with PND and give people hope!

I don't get it, but I would not discount it, what reason would they have to lie. Its not like they get a prize, other than possibly a small fee from a tat mag, like best or others of that ilk.

Maybe you're a bit hyper sensitive to it stranded? Because you're looking for it, you think it's there iyswim. It's not like you were a meth/crack addict...

the thought that something I have done could have directly affected her upsets me.

I'm sure you've been told this many times, but I'll say it again - please try not to feel guilty about something that you couldn't help and didn't do intentionally. Foetal alcohol syndrome has quite recognisable symptoms, as far as I'm aware, so I expect that she would have been diagnosed if that were the case.

Stranded i dont know how you did it. I remember my first year of uni and well if id had a baby then im not sure that i wouldnt have had to go down the adoption route. I could not have coped especially with the total shock like you must have had. You are one brave lady !

Wow. StrandedBear. Those photos.

You must have been terrified!

I was bad enough finding out I was 19 weeks pg at the age of 36 (my third, and I had a mirena coil, which is foolproof and had stopped my periods long before).

Much respect

Stranded my 2yo dd (Nt) is just like that too. Dc 1 and 2 were like that too.

YABU. As I posted on a thread this morning, I got to 4 months without knowing, and I was trying to conceive, had tested around 7 and 9 weeks, and have a doctorate in embryology!
I'd probably have sussed in another couple weeks as I started having the metallic taste in my mouth which was ringing some faint bell so I'd probably have googled that if I hadn't had a letter from my GP saying "About those routine blood tests...you are pregnant"
But no periods for a year anyway (20% of women have very irregular periods), I lost a couple stone since conceiving, stopped throwing up, wanted lots of coffee and all those foods that women normally go off...

If I hadn't had really bad SPD, or the metallic taste for a couple weeks, I might not have noticed - my bump mainly just looked like podge. The squirmy kicks could easily have been wind, and I had no Braxton-Hicks until a couple hours before labour.

My consultant told me not to feel bad - he knew two ob/gyns, one who got to 7 months and one to 9 months before they knew they were pregnant.

This time round I've been sick as a parrot, had the crap kicked out of me for months, and had almost every symptom of pregnancy you can think of. Have to admit I preferred blissful ignorance for 4 months but very glad I found out then rather than have an experience like stranded!

A woman in my office gave birth on the floor, she had no idea. I believe her, but it was fairly hideous for her and her DP who also worked with us. She was Obese and commuted to central London, so always felt tire, and had bad gastrointestinal problems (which I guess masked/explained the kicks), also with some of the other symptoms she thought she was hitting menopause.

We were all surprised, but felt sympathy for her. They had clearly not planned or wanted it, although are a happy little family now, 10 years on.

BUT when it happened the second time, 1 year later, we all just thought she was a first class numpty. But again, believed her.

Those photographs are amazing! I would never have guessed you were pregnant.

Sometimes when I get a bit of tummy cramp stories like these do pass through my mind. Sadly it's never been anything more exciting than a bit of wind!