To ask - Can you really not know you’re pregnant?

[DefrostingBuble]

I’m just curious and it’s not a dig at anyone.

Recently on Facebook, a girl I know posted that she had just found out she was 30+ weeks pregnant and had no clue.

I have two children and during my pregnancies there is no way I couldn’t have known from about 4 months.

I was just wondering whether any of you had no clue you were pregnant until very late on and what made you realise?

@WankPuffins

I start vomiting and feeling like death about three seconds after conception.

Not knowing until until birth would be a dream.

Yes this was me. I can't get my head around women who can't tell. I think it was fluid retention or something but I was in maternity clothes at about 6 weeks.

I too know someone who had a full term baby and claimed she had absolutely no idea until she was in labour. I've always been curious sceptical about her and other stories you hear.

I've got 2 doctor friends, one an obstetrician and one an A&E consultant. Both have dealt with surprise baby deliveries and when I asked about it, both are of the opinion (separately btw, they don't know each other) that there's no way the mum doesn't know, or at the very least suspect, that she might be pregnant. I remain curious sceptical.

Oh and I don't mean mums who don't find out until a few weeks/months into the pregnancy. I totally accept that can happen, particularly with anterior placenta etc.

I’m confused as to how people ‘can’t comprehend’ anyone else’s different experiences when they have explicitly explained why it’s different

I know a woman who found out she was pregnant when she went to her GP with stomach pains - she was in labour.

She was childless, menopausal and large. She didn't think anything of her period stopping and didn't notice the weight.

Found out at 18 weeks

I had no clue with my third pregnancy. My first two children were conceived through IVF as the chances if us catching naturally were really low. I did take myself off to the doctors as I was feeling low, lack of energy etc but I thought this was due to stress and anxiety as my second child had just undergone major surgery. Well, it turned out that I was 26 wks pregnant!! I didn't start showing until I knew which was really weird. I think I just started to eat!! I didn't think anyone could never know they were pregnant but I can see it now.

pregnant teen

Just found this article from Daily Mail (sorry) with pictures of a teen who didn’t know. The first picture is when she was seven months pregnant. She certainly didn’t look pregnant then.

I’d say it’s possible but it requires a certain set of circumstances ie no symptoms combined with very little weight gain combined with certain positioning of the placenta so movements weren’t overly obvious etc etc

On a personal level I had very clear movements from 19th weeks but no significant symptoms so had I not been trying or tracking my cycle I could have possibly got to 3 maybe 4 months without realising. (If you discount the missed periods, as some women do get small bleeds they mistake for periods)

@WankPuffins

I start vomiting and feeling like death about three seconds after conception.

Not knowing until until birth would be a dream.

This in spades ^^

My sister genuinely had no idea until she found out at 15 weeks. She was on the pill so wasn’t looking out for it.

Absolutely can. My neighbour who was mum to 4 discovered she was pregnant 2 weeks before she gave birth to her 5th. She wasn't really overweight and knew exactly what being pregnant felt like, yet this one was different and she put some of the (minor) clues down to peri-menopause/stress.

Yes, very possible if periods not regular or not usually long-lasting. For the first couple of months I bled and spotted and didn't really think this was that out of the ordinary. Eventually got a suprise when using a pregnancy test that gave you an estimate of how many weeks post-conception, which said 4-5, turned out I was in fact nearer 10 at that date, based on first scans that were therefore pretty late in the game. My mother also was (very) late in catching on when having me.

Very possible.
If I hadn't have taken a test with my first, I wouldn't have known. I had bleeding every month around my normal period time, I had no sickness, nothing and didn't even have the slightest of bumps until 36 weeks. I didn't feel very strong kicking either due to my placenta being at the front.

I’m jealous of all the people who stayed so small to not even notice a bump?! I was asked if I was having twins with each pregnancy I was the size of a house 😬

I’m 20w along right now and currently watching her kick a plate off of my belly. Would be some seriously bad indigestion to cause that much movement, even without the HG and weight gain I think I’d have to wonder.