In 2009, TLC released a TV show called “I Didn’t Know I was Pregnant” revolving around stories of women who didn’t realize they were pregnant until they moment of childbirth. While this may sound ridiculous, doctors say this is more common than people might think.
Here, Sermo physicians from around the world share their professional insights, perspectives, and personal experiences treating patients who didn’t realize they were pregnant :
“Had a young woman who played D1 soccer in college, played a game during the week, flew home that weekend delivered healthy full term infant on way to ER I was working in. She was obviously physically fit, lean how could anyone not know?” – Family Medicine
“Every obstetrician on the planet with more than 10 year’s experience, has delivered at least a dozen of these.” – General Surgery
“My daughter works with a college educated woman in her late 20’s from a solid middle-class background who came back from her doctor one day stricken looking and told her coworkers that she had just been diagnosed as 7 months pregnant. She is thin, gained no weight, got her period every month and had no clue. As bizarre as that sounds, it happens!” – Pathology
“Seen it about a dozen times myself. Usually in someone with hx of irregular menses, chronic alcoholic/drug user, obese. Not that uncommon.” – Obstetrics & Gynecology
“As a resident, I saw a very obese woman in the ER, with 12 hours of crampy abdominal pain.
Her water broke during the ER exam and she rapidly delivered after arriving on OB. She denied she could be pregnant, until the baby was delivered.” – Family Medicine
“I had a 31 yr old who arrived in the ER complaining of stomach pain. She delivered 2 hours later.” – Family medicine
“I’m 62 years old. The patient honest to goodness had an intact hymen. She was terrified of exams, and even more so of the whole birth process. It was a zoo to get her delivered.” – Obstetrics & Gynecology
“In my previous life as an ambulance EMT, ran a call where a women thought she was having a bowel movement an delivered her unknown pregnancy right into the toilet. When we got there the baby was still in the water. He was a little cold but otherwise fine.” – Internal Medicine
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