to ask how many people didn't know they were pregnant?

[hairbrushbedhair]

And for how long? Till birth? First few months?

And what happened? Condom split? Pill failed? Wasn't using any method?

And could it possibly ever happen that someone doesn't know they're pregnant with twins or more?

Sadly it's not me, fertility issues.

[MrsKoala]

Based on my own personal experience i just cannot imagine not knowing. The day after i conceived both dc i went blind in one eye (ds1 it lasted 12 weeks but dc2 only a few days), i felt sick, i had migraines. I lived on twiglets. By wk 3 i was wearing trouser extenders and by 6wks i was obviously showing, by 12 wks people were asking when it was due and by 18wks people in lifts were saying 'oh any day now! don't have it in here' with a panicked look.

But, my Nana didn't know till about 6 months, she thought she was having the menopause, her dc were 22, 18 and 13 and her and granddad definitely didn't want another baby. It was before abortion was legal anyway, so nothing could have been done even if she had have found out earlier. Much gin was consumed and hot baths were taken and i think she even may have slipped down the stairs a few times. Granddad may have helped her there too. He was so furious with her for being pregnant that he didn't speak to her for months. Of course once my aunt arrived they adored her and felt so guilty they spoiled her rotten and created a very odd dynamic in the family.

[JennyOnAPlate]

A former colleague found out she was 32 weeks with dc2 after going to see the GP about her persistent back pain.

I absolutely believe she didn't know...I witnessed the shock!

[hufflebottom]

I was 3/4 months with dd. I'd had a previous miscarriage so me and doc put it down to my body settling down after that. Both me and doc were confused when he did a test and sent me for scan.

This time round I've known from week 1. And I've still got 3 months to go it's gonna be a long 3 months.

[80sWaistcoat]

Friend who had 4 kids, went to doctor saying that she was bloated and tired all the time. Dr said 'not surprised, you're pregnant!' just from looking at her. In her late 40s.

Another friend whose auntie was born on the dining room table, auntie's mum had no idea she was pregnant at all until she felt a bit 'rum' at Sunday lunch...

[lilyb84]

This was the recent thread I was referring to. INeedHelp if you're still reading, hope all's okay!

[UterusUterusGhali]

I knew a midwife who didn't find out until 24 weeks. She thought it was the menopause!

Had a lady at work who didn't know until she was in labour. She'd taken numerous tests, including blood tests, and had been seeing the dr about her bloating etc.
She was admitted via A&E with "cramping".
She was lovely. I often wonder how she's doing.

[Yoksha]

Well, I knew both times, but my 35yr old daughter was 42 wks. + and didn't know. We had joined w/watchers and I lost 4lb. She didn't. I joked maybe your pregnant and we had a good laugh. But in reality she was. My beautiful dgs was born 5wks later.

[contrary13]

Both of my children were conceived whilst I was taking the pill (two different ones, because I'd figured with my oldest that the one I was on at the time obviously didn't work!).

With my DD (now 19), I was told by a GP that I was 5 months pregnant... when I was only 2 months pregnant. When I went to see the midwife, she thought that I was carrying an ectopic fetus, because my stomach muscles were too hard for her to palpitate (I miss those muscles... DD split them eventually with her need for her own personal swimming pool pre-birth) and no one really knew when she was going to be due. When she was born, she was overdue according to the delivery midwife - yet they were loathe to do anything to induce that day, because she was premature (a consultant took pity on me and quietly did a sweep which kick-started things).

With my DS, I knew from the start that I was pregnant. He was one of twins and I miscarried the twin at 9 weeks (passed clots and they think he absorbed some), but I knew I was pregnant, whereas with my DD... I didn't. I was really ill with what I thought was the 'flu round about two weeks after she was conceived (working back from what the midwife said at delivery) and just put the sickness down to that.

My DM also didn't know that she was pregnant with me. She went to the GP to get a tablet "to bring on her period" (some 1970s form of the morning after pill, most likely) and it turned out that the reason she'd not had any periods for 5 months... was me! My due date started on September 17th and finished on November 19th, though. I was born in October. But because she was on the '70s version of the pill... no one knew when I was conceived.

I'm starting to think it might run in the family...

[roughtyping]

It also really bothers me when people doubt that I didn't know and say that they would definitely know how can you possibly know that? Every body, every baby, every pregnancy is different

[roughtyping]

My aunt is a midwife and said at the time that although people have a 'stereotype' in their head of people who don't know they're pregnant (i.e. Young, faking it, whatever), from her experience it is far more likely to be women thinking they're going through the menopause who come in in labour.

[strugglingwithstepson]

Also ex colleague knew she was pregnant but didn't know it was twins until she gave birth to the first baby and second baby soon followed!

My aunt had regular 28 day periods with both her kids right though pregnancies. Knew she was pregnant though.

[DrDreReturns]

A friend of my wife's didn't know she was pregnant until she was three months gone. She has very irregular periods.

[strugglingwithstepson]

Friend with MS didn't know until she gave birth to twins on the toilet. It made the local newspaper. It wasn't even her first pregnancy!

[OnceAMeerNotAlwaysAMeer]

For those of you that did fall pregnant using protection, what do you use now?

Sterilization.

First son was conceived despite two forms of protection only two weeks after moving in with bf. It was a wonderful surprise but still a surprise!

Not good with pregnancy and no way could I go through a third. Asked the consultant (consultant led preg the whole way with second) about getting sterilized quite early on, and she okay'd it without a moment's worry.

It's a heck of a weight off my mind to be safe now.

[LittleMissAIBU]

I don't know anyone, but can believe it.

I knew straight away as we were TTC, but with DS1 I didn't show until about 26 weeks, and that wasn't a big bump. He was back to back so hardly felt any movement, and I felt fine, I even had some bleeding, so could easily have missed knowing early on.

DS2 however, lots of nausea, lots of kicking, no way I could have missed that one!

[megletthesecond]

It happened to an old colleague. She'd been on a huge weight loss and health kick for new year, she lost weight and did really well (me and another fitness freak colleague were supporting her). Then at the start of summer she was moaning about how she couldn't shift any more weight . A couple of weeks later she realised she was pregnant with dc2 and into her second trimester. She had to make a quick decision about amnio iirc.

Apparently she had given up on having a second baby and they'd long stopped using contraception. The health kick seemed to have worked in more ways than one.

[atticusclaw2]

My cousin gave birth on the toilet. Allegedly didn't know..

[mayhew]

Re what to do about mat leave. At my work, a ward sister said to her manager she needed leave to have a baby. Some surprise since she was childless, well over 40 and said she'd never wanted kids. Asked when she needed to go off, said as soon as possible. Found out she was full term that morning (but came to work!). That baby was treasured.

Leave is still your right in these circumstances.

[HardWorkButTheyMakeMeSmile]

I knew a mum of 4(last 2 were twins). Who must have fallen pregnant quite quickly after the twins birth.

She did realise she was pregnant booked a doctors appointment to start the ball rolling for scans etc. and then thought she she was having a miscarriage as she started bleeding slightly and getting stomach pains.

Within 2 hours she gave birth to a 8lb DS on her sofa. She swore she she thought she was only a few weeks along and had never felt any movement at all. She wasn't the kind of woman to tell stories or look for attention and drama so I fully believe this was a huge surprise for her.

[goodnessgraciousgoudaoriginal]

Happened to someone I know - didn't know she was pregnant until she went into labour. I can't even imagine how terrifying that must have been!

For her, she had her same (admittedly very irregular) periods throughout the pregnancy, didn't feel any movement that she couldn't easily consider to be gas/stomach issues (I think it turned out she had an inverted uterus or whatever it's called), and only put on a few kilograms throughout.

Just goes to show really. She'd had no tests, been drinking throughout the pregnancy (not like a club med rep, but on a regular social basis) and done literally none of the things you're supposed to/not supposed to do. Perfectly healthy baby!

There was another girl at work who didn't realise she was pregnant until she was about five months gone. Apparently she was at the gym as she was annoyed she had put on a bit of weight, and someone said "ah I didn't know you were pregnant!" - after getting hugely offended, she did a bit of mental calculations and then took a test. Very positive. Apparently she went from having slight podge to proper pregnancy bump pretty much overnight once she knew!

[FayKorgasm]

I can see why someone wouldn't know they were pregnant. When pregnant with DC3 the position of the placenta meant that I felt very little movement and even then it just felt like wind.

[Artandco]

Oh and with mine I did know by 20 weeks, but even at full term my bump was tiny ( and I'm small) so if baby had been born early at say 30-34 weeks I probably wouldn't have had any bump at all really so easily missed.

[Flambola]

A colleague's friend didn't know until she gave birth in her bath! He said it was a shock to everyone because she just didn't look it and was as slim as she'd always been. I don't know about movements etc.

[OffMyAyersRocker]

This thread

I'm currently wondering what contraception to use as dc2 will be our last but it seems like contraception and having your period is no guarantee! slightly petrified to have sex again

For those of you that did fall pregnant using protection, what do you use now?

[WaitrosePigeon]

I didn't know with both of my children until 10 weeks. First child I was dithering with the pill, second child we were TTC. I don't often get periods and I didn't have any symptoms except for a bit of sore breasts with the first.