Have you ever heard the story of a Malaysian artist who did not know that she was pregnant until she was in her 7th month of pregnancy? The story took place back in 2017 where Eira Syazira who just had her second baby 9 months prior was ecstatic to hear the news.
Cryptic Pregnancy
This situation is called cryptic pregnancy. Cryptic pregnancy happens when the mother does not know that she is pregnant until her third trimester or even during labour.
Cryptic pregnancy is not a common condition that happens to all women. This is because most women will go through symptoms in the first trimester of pregnancy such as missed periods, fatigue, nausea, weight gains or even aching breasts.
However, this is not the same as women who experienced cryptic pregnancy. MOST OF THEM will still get their periods even though they are pregnant at the time. Some do not even go through the common symptoms and that is why they did not know that they are pregnant.
How can people do not notice that they are pregnant?
1. They already have an irregular period cycle.
Women who usually have an irregular period cycle are most likely to take it likely and not associate it with any signs of pregnancy.
Older women who have already reached the age for menopause will also think of the same thing.
Moreover, those who have diseases that may be related to irregular periods like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can also make them not worry about their period being abnormal.
2. They took the test at the wrong time.
There are also women who have already taken the pregnancy test but it turned out to be negative. It is more likely because they have taken it at the wrong time.
Women are advised to take a pregnancy test in the morning when they first urinate. Hence, a pregnancy test taken at night may not be as effective.
3. They are still in their postpartum period.
Women who just gave birth to a baby and they are still breastfeeding will most likely take a longer time to ovulate or get their first period. However, these conditions differ for everyone.
So, you can’t really tell when they can start conceiving. This is the same case as Eira Syazira as she was still breastfeeding her second baby and thought that it was normal when she missed her periods.
4. Mind control
When we are talking about mind control, it is not about people getting hypnotised. Most women who experienced cryptic pregnancy thought that they were not pregnant.
It is their mindset which makes them unaware of their body condition. It can also be called as denying their own pregnancy although they have already encountered the symptoms.
For example, if they have already taken birth control pills, tied their fallopian tubes and other preventive measures, they won’t be expecting their body to be able to conceive any babies.
That makes them truly oblivious to the presence of the baby in their tummy.
5. Associating pregnancy symptoms to illnesses.
Many mothers who experienced cryptic pregnancy believed that past illnesses were the cause of their pregnancy-like symptoms.
They tried hard to rationalise their swollen legs with kidney failures and drastic weight gains with the pills that they are taking for birth controls. Another example is that they will associate cramps during pregnancy with menstrual cramps.
Labour & Delivery After a Cryptic Pregnancy
Physically, the labour and delivery at the end of a cryptic pregnancy will be similar to any other pregnancy. You will have the contraction that feels like severe cramps while your cervix stretches to be able to deliver the baby.
The only different about labour and delivery for this type of pregnancy is that you may not be expecting it at all, which can cause intense psychological distress when it happens.
If you are in labour for cryptic pregnancy, head straight to the emergency room as you may not have a doctor or midwife on call.
Cryptic pregnancy can happen to anyone and at any time. The only concern of a cryptic pregnancy is that the babies may not get enough nutrients needed to develop healthily. However, in most cases, these babies were all born healthily. Although there are some who were born earlier than they should, they all grew up to be fine.
Stay tuned with Motherhood Story to know more about pregnancy.