Sample these headlines:
“Girl gives birth in school toilet, didn’t know she was pregnant”.
“Woman had no idea she was pregnant, gives birth in train toilet, baby slips through the flush pipe”!
The internet tsk-tskers usually have a field day when such a story breaks. Surely there must be something off with the mother? How on earth does a woman not know she’s pregnant?
The question needs serious reckoning. How do these women not know? Are they in denial – because, surely, at some level, they ought to know? No matter how implausible it sounds, the condition is a legitimate medical one and is called a ‘cryptic pregnancy’. In fact, it affects 1 in 2,500 pregnancies!
Here are 5 reasons why some women have no clue they’re preggers while others experience a side effect every 32 seconds they miss their period:
1. Periods Are MIA To Begin With or They Mistake Spotting For Menses
If you’ve been on the pill for years and one fine day decide to go off it to let your body recover, your cycle will be off-kilter for months. Conceive in this phase and it’s easy to wake up to the shock of an unexpected pregnancy.
Also, about 25 percent women in India, who are in the reproductive age, have irregular periods – the top reason being Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. That’s a staggering statistic. If you’re a part of this brigade, a month or four without the crimson wave won’t bother you.
You can read in detail about this hormonal condition and its implications on fertility here.
Periods during pregnancy are an oxymoron – but as with all things around pregnancy, nothing is set in stone. Many women continue with spotting which lasts for a couple of days each month, thus making it easy to mistake it for a light period.
Combine this with a complete lack of nausea, morning sickness and weight gain and it’s not surprising that women don’t realise they’re pregnant till four or five months into their pregnancy.
2. The Position Of the Placenta
In rare cases, the placenta is located at the back of the uterus, almost on the lower spine. This in itself is a complication, because if a woman is carrying the baby in such a position, it is most likely to be underweight with very feeble movement.
According to doctors, it is very possible – when carrying the baby in such a position – for the mother to not feel a thing till very far along (or to confuse the kicks with gas).
Also Read: I Discovered at 5 Months, Pregnant Again
3. Tests Can’t Detect It
The human chorionic gonadotropin hormone – or hCG – is the first marker of whether you’re with child or not.
During pregnancy, this hormone shoots up several thousand times, but in very rare case – like when the mother is experiencing extraordinary stress or because of a genetic quirk – the foetus might be putting out an abnormally low dose of the chemical which a home pregnancy test will not be able to pick up.
4. They Don't Gain Weight Or Are Obese, So There’s No Visible Bump
Like it or not, there are some (unbelievable) women who just become a little pudgy around the waist even when they’re near full-term.
That’s great. Here I am, still struggling to squeeze my feet back into my old heels, after my last pregnancy!
‘Skinny pregnancy’ is a rather Western concept. Back home, two out of three women in their 30s are overweight or obese and all the extra layers around the waist can insulate one from the feeling of a growing foetus.
A lot of times, menopausal women – who think their fertile days are over – or the younger working lot who might be too busy to look for signs – might experience a combination of the above factors, ensuring they wake up to an unexpectedly noisy arrival.
Related Read: 6 Life-Saving Food Hacks To Make Your Period Cramps Suck Less
5. Mental Illness
Scientists haven’t been able to fathom this one yet, but it appears that a minority of cryptic pregnancies happen when women suffer from schizophrenia (5 percent) or other personality disturbances (8 percent).
Bottom line: If you’ve had constant gas, erratic periods or slight weight gain for months, don’t just pee on a stick and chill. No one should reach the finish line and be jolted by the ‘perfect storm’. Go see a doctor!
Also Read: Is Your Period Normal? 6 Symptoms You Should Never Ignore
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