A woman recently shared her unusual pregnancy story on Reddit, revealing that she was unaware she was expecting until almost the end of her term.
In a post on the ‘Am I the A**hole’ Reddit thread, she described how her pregnancy came as a complete shock. The woman noted that many people find her experience hard to believe, as she discovered she was pregnant at eight-and-a-half months.
She wrote: “I’ll let you guys start the takeoff, but this is indeed 100 percent true! So many people were in disbelief at my story that I figured I would share. I was 21 when I got pregnant and actually gave birth at 22.”
The woman explained that she experienced none of the usual pregnancy symptoms, which contributed to her late discovery.
She stated: “Oh for sure menstrually and hormonally I doubt I’m normal. I’ve known that for years. But believe it or not while pregnant I had no symptoms and didn’t show at all. Like there was no big belly, no morning sickness, no crazy eating habits, no aversions, none of that stuff. It was 100 percent unseen and just not there. My son’s dad and I only had sex ONCE without a condom, by the way! We’d used protection other than that.”
The woman’s experience aligns with a medical phenomenon known as a cryptic pregnancy. According to the Cleveland Clinic, this occurs when a woman is unaware of her pregnancy. Irregular periods, unfamiliarity with pregnancy signs, or negative test results can contribute to this condition.
The clinic states: “It’s even possible not to realize you’re pregnant until labor begins. It’s most common to realize you’re pregnant somewhere between four and 12 weeks of pregnancy. This could be because you have symptoms of pregnancy or because you missed your period.”
Despite missing her period, the Reddit user did not initially suspect pregnancy due to her historically irregular menstrual cycle. She explained: “I’ve never had a regular menstrual cycle. Ever. Like I hit puberty waaaaaay earlier than everyone else around me during my younger years. As I grew it never happened consistently ever, and to this day even AFTER aging some and giving birth it still hasn’t. I’ve gone months at a time without a period.”
Her friend eventually suggested taking a pregnancy test after the woman mentioned the absence of her period for several months. She disclosed that the longest she went without menstruating was one year.
Although the pregnancy was unplanned and she is no longer with the child’s father, the woman shared that they are committed to co-parenting and raising their son together.