I was rushed to hospital thinking I was dying only to find out I was actually eight months pregnant - despite having no bump

PUBLISHEDTue Mar 26 2024 12:05 GMT

UPDATEDTue Mar 26 2024 12:14 GMT

A woman was rushed to hospital thinking she was dying, only to find out she was actually eight months pregnant.

Tawana Musvaburi, now 22, from Buckingham, became concerned for her health when she was so tired she couldn't get out of bed, and something felt off in her body which made her feel as though she was dying so she rushed to the hospital.

She hadn't experienced any pregnancy symptoms, didn't have a bump, any weight gain or morning sickness and gave birth just four weeks after finding out that she was expecting a baby for the first time.

Tawana welcomed her surprise daughter, River, on 27 February last year, and after processing the drastic life change is now thriving as a mother.

Tawana Musvaburi, now 22, from Buckingham, was rushed to hospital thinking she was dying, only to find out she was actually eight months pregnant (pictured seven months pregnant)

The first time mother said: 'I was living my life as a normal 20-year-old at the time - going out drinking and partying the whole time, completely unaware that I was pregnant. I never gained any weight or experienced any other symptoms.

'When the nurse told me I was eight months pregnant, I just kept thinking this can't be my baby and I couldn't accept it. I didn't think I wanted to have children, so I was absolutely terrified.'

Tawana woke up one morning feeling so tired that she couldn't get out of bed. She called her mother and told her she felt like something wasn't right and it felt like she was dying.

Her mother told her to go to the hospital to get checked over. She explained to medics how she felt and they sent her for an MRI scan.

Tawana welcomed her surprise daughter, River, on 27 February last year, and after processing the drastic life change is now thriving as a mother

She hadn't experienced any pregnancy symptoms, didn't have a bump, any weight gain or morning sickness (pictured seven months pregnant)

Tawana gave birth on 27 February last year to her baby girl, River - four weeks and four days after she found out she was pregnant

She said it was 'overwhelming' being a new mother at first, and she was 'slightly depressed' at first but she quickly accepted how her life had changed

Tawana loves being a mother now to Baby River, she said it took her awhile to get into the 'swing of things'

Before the scan, Tawana was asked if there was any chance she could be pregnant before the MRI and she said no, however, a nurse was persistent and they did a scan to double-check.

The ultrasound revealed a fully formed foetus and that the 20-year-old was in fact eight months pregnant.

Tawana said that she was totally mind blown when she heard the news, and could not believe this was her baby as she hadn't experienced any signs of pregnancy, and had actually been losing weight recently, rather than gaining or a bump appearing.

Tawana then broke the news to her family and friends that she would be welcoming her first child in a matter of weeks. She said that no one believed her and that even her mother thought she was lying.

Tawana gave birth on 27 February last year to her baby girl, River - four weeks and four days after she found out she was pregnant.

How common are cryptic pregnancies?

One in 450 pregnant women in the UK don't know they are going to have a baby until week 20 of their pregnancy (half-way through), and one in 2,500 women are oblivious to the fact until they go into labour.

It's a phenomenon known as cryptic pregnancy - also referred to as 'pregnancy denial'.

Cryptic pregnancies typically affect either young women, who have never experienced a pregnancy, or women who believe they've gone through the menopause and who choose not to use contraception.

Women with erratic menstrual cycles are also more likely to miss signs they are expecting. This is especially true among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where small cysts grow on the ovaries; the hormone imbalance often leads to irregular or non-existent periods.

Yet there are some women who will continue to have monthly bleeds throughout their pregnancy. In this case, a scan at the local GP may be the only method of confirmation.

Women may simply not expect to find they are pregnant if they are taking the Pill - but then those taking it religiously can still become pregnant.

Eight in 100 women can get pregnant while on the Pill - usually not because of problems with the Pill, but with the taker, either because they've missed the Pill, thrown up or had diarrhoea.

She said: 'Before I discovered I was pregnant, I was living the normal life of a 20-year-old. I was out drinking, partying, and all the crazy things 20-year-olds do. I think I am very lucky that all this didn't damage my daughter in some way.

'After two weeks of the news of my pregnancy settling in my mind, it was like my body just started to catch up which helped me accept it too.

'It was such a horrible and stressful time because there was so much to sort out in such a short space of time.

'Babies aren't cheap either. I couldn't have done it without the help and support of my family.

'It was overwhelming being a new mother at first, and I was slightly depressed at first because it was difficult to accept how much and quickly my life had changed.

'However, one day I woke up and got into the swing of things, and I was figuring out our new life day by day.

'Now, we are doing perfectly. She's so bubbly and sassy. She's talking a lot and I am loving being a mum.'

I was rushed to hospital thinking I was dying only to find out I was actually eight months pregnant - despite having no bump

How common are cryptic pregnancies?

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