Australian Woman, 20, Gives Birth 17 Hours After Discovering She Was Pregnant: "Crazy Experience"

A 20-year-old woman, Charlotte Summers, shared her unexpected experience of going into labour just 17 hours after discovering she was pregnant due to a rare condition called cryptic pregnancy. This phenomenon occurs when a person remains unaware of their pregnancy until its later stages. Before giving birth to a healthy son, Ms Summers attributed her weight gain and increased clothing size to stress, rather than pregnancy, Mirror reported. 

She explained in a TikTok video: "I was still buying size eight clothes. I gained a bit of a pudge, I guess. But I am in a two-and-a-half-year relationship, and I just kind of assumed it was a bit of happy relationship weight. I was also going through a lot of stressful things in my life at the time."

During a General Practitioner visit for gluten sensitivity concerns on June 6, Ms Summers was unexpectedly asked to take a pregnancy test. The GP confirmed her pregnancy, but believed it was early. However, after her boyfriend's family arranged a same-day ultrasound, she was shocked to learn she was 38 weeks and four days pregnant, a revelation that caught everyone off guard.

She said, "I kind of blacked out. I just grabbed my stuff, rang my partner, and I was like, 'Hey, we gotta go.'"

During the ultrasound appointment, Ms Summers and her partner received yet another unexpected news about an issue with her placenta, which likely required induction. Shortly after, she was admitted to the maternity ward and gave birth to a son just 17 hours and 21 minutes after her initial pregnancy confirmation.

She said, "I was on my hands and knees throwing up because I was like 'there's no way this is happening right now." "I didn't really comprehend what was going on. I don't know how else to explain it. It was a crazy experience," she added. 

Ms Summers attributes the undetected pregnancy to the placenta's position at the front of her womb, which may have masked typical pregnancy symptoms. Aside from weight gain, she noticed minimal bodily changes. Notably, she continued using birth control and experienced what seemed like menstrual cycles throughout the pregnancy.

Following backlash accusing her of dishonesty after sharing her story, Ms Summers provided hospital documents from Queensland Health confirming a "concealed pregnancy" diagnosis, along with records of her ultrasound and delivery.

Despite the unexpected turn of events, she expressed her joy and contentment with her new role as a mother. She and her partner have embraced parenthood, stating they're happy, healthy, and loving their new life together with their baby.