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You've been feeling uncomfortable all morning. You have this weird bowel movement accompanied by abdominal pains and constipation. And this has been going on for a while. So you visit a hospital for a check-up, only to find out that you are 36 weeks pregnant! And further examination showed that you have a fully dilated cervix!
"How's that even possible? I didn't even know I was pregnant and I've been seeing my period!"
In less than 2 hours, you welcome a bouncing baby girl.
Weird story, right? Believe it or not, this happened to a 19-year-old girl somewhere in sub-Saharan Africa. And it's more common than you think. In fact, 1 in 475 women gives birth without knowing they were pregnant.
And no, it's not a disease or a curse. It's called CRYPTIC PREGNANCY.
In simple terms, cryptic pregnancy is a pregnancy that goes undetected until the third trimester or even up till labour.
In this article, we'll discuss the symptoms of cryptic pregnancy, causes, concerns, and how to confirm it.
Although cryptic pregnancy symptoms are usually very mild, they aren't very different from normal pregnancy symptoms. But when you're not expecting to be pregnant, it's very easy to ignore early signs. Most times people mistake these mild symptoms for something else.
For instance:
There are no exact causes of cryptic pregnancy but certain conditions have been linked to it.
1. Polycystic Ovary Syndrome(PCOS)
PCOS is an endocrine syndrome linked to irregular periods, weight gain, low fertility and hormonal imbalances.
The hormonal imbalance may cause mild secretion of pregnancy hormone thereby causing the patient to experience minimal pregnancy symptoms. And of course, such symptoms can easily be ignored.
Since low fertility is a symptom of PCOS, most patients don't expect pregnancy. Hence they may not recognise the signs.
2. Mental Health Conditions
Some mental conditions might make it difficult for a person to accept that they are pregnant. They may be in denial or may not even understand that they are pregnant. This is common amongst victims of rape or domestic violence and substance abusers.
3. Birth Control Use / Intrauterine Device (IUDs)
People who use birth control do not expect pregnancy. And it's quite logical since they've already taken measures to prevent it. But the thing is, no birth control method is 100% proof. Even though experts say that with IUDs, you have less than 1% chance of getting pregnant, it doesn't mean you're completely safe.
But most people don't know this, so they may ignore pregnancy signs or misdiagnose them.
4. Perimenopause
This is the period between the time your period becomes inconsistent to when it finally stops (menopause).
Such people may experience symptoms like:
Notice how similar the symptoms are to pregnancy symptoms? Hence, such people may ignore pregnancy signs believing it's a normal thing.
If you're sexually active and you notice some irregularity in your period, purchase a pregnancy test kit and do a urine test.
The test aims to check for traces of hCG in your urine. However, if your hCG level is low -probably due to hormonal imbalance- it may not be detectable in your urine hence giving you a negative result. That's why it's advisable to visit your doctor to double-check.
Your doctor may conduct an ultrasound scan. But they aren't 100% accurate so most physicians prefer to use blood tests to check your hCG levels. Once you get pregnant, hCG must be present in your blood even if it's a small quantity. So the blood test will most likely confirm your pregnancy status.
I've come across so many cryptic pregnancy stories and they always have happy endings. But that's not always the case. Cryptic pregnancy can put both the mother and her foetus at risk.
Impact on the mother:
If a person doesn't realize they are pregnant, they won't get the necessary prenatal care. Plus, the patient may indulge in practices a pregnant woman would normally avoid such as drinking, smoking or rigorous activities. And all these expose her to high-risk diseases like preeclampsia or even miscarriage.
The mother also runs a risk of giving birth to the child on her own -we've heard stories of women giving birth in their bathrooms! She may also undergo psychological trauma since she never had time to prepare for pregnancy.
Impact on the fetus:
Cryptic pregnancies are rare but they do happen. However, I believe they are preventable. If you experience any symptoms that may somehow be related to cryptic pregnancy, please see a healthcare professional as soon as possible. And if you know any pregnant woman who may be in denial, please urge them to see a professional.
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