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Oh the irony! Woman from SURPRISE, Arizona, says she didn't know she was pregnant until she was in labor
A Surprise, Arizona, resident got the surprise of a lifetime when what she believed to be appendicitis turned out to be labor pains.
Taylor Dobbins, 24, gave birth to a healthy son she named Noble last month after more than 38 weeks without any signs, such as morning sickness, cravings, or kicking.
Ms Dobbins had a miscarriage years ago, and since then, her menstrual cycle has been irregular. While a missed period is typically the first sign of pregnancy, she thought nothing of it.
The unexpected pregnancy to the point of birth is known as a ‘cryptic pregnancy,’ and it affects as many as one in 2,500 women. Cryptic pregnancies up to about five months are far more common, affecting one in 400 women.
While she was unprepared for Noble’s birth, saying she went from ‘single with a cat to single with a cat and a baby,’ Ms Dobbins said they are both doing well despite not having received any prenatal care throughout the pregnancy.
Taylor Dobbins, 24, did not know she was pregnant until hours before giving birth to her son
Roughly five hours after arriving at the hospital with what she thought was appendicitis, Ms Dobbins welcomed healthy Noble Alexander Davon Dobbins, who weighed eight pounds 15 ounces
Ms Dobbins woke up on May 18 with some abdominal pain but soldiered on and went to work anyway. But the pain only got worse, according to AZFamily.
Eventually, she rushed to the ER, knowing something was wrong. Nurses rushed to perform a panel of tests, including blood tests. One of them gave Ms Dobbins the shocking news that she was pregnant, probably around eight weeks.
Then, they ran the tests again.
Ms Dobbins said: ‘She says, “So remember when I told you I think you’re six to eight weeks?” I said, yeah. She goes, “Unfortunately, I was wrong. You are 38 weeks and five days,” and I was speechless. I’m like, there’s no way. There’s no good way on God’s green Earth that I am giving birth.’
At this moment, she began to worry about the health of her baby.
Most pregnant women see a doctor about once every four weeks during the first trimester, about every two weeks during the second, and weekly during the third.
Ms Dobbins had not seen any gynecologist or obstetrician during her pregnancy.
‘I was concerned that he was going to come out missing some fingers or some toes or heaven forbid, blind or deaf,’ she said.
Roughly five hours later, Ms Dobbins welcomed healthy Noble Alexander Davon Dobbins, who weighed eight pounds 15 ounces.
Ms Dobbins's aunt, who started a GoFundMe for Taylor to defray the costs of having a newborn, said: ‘Leave it to my overachieving niece to accidentally give birth to [a] completely healthy toddler!’
The first time she held her son was a life-changing moment for Ms Dobbins, who said that while Noble’s arrival was unexpected, his presence is a miracle.
She said: ‘Was this the way that I planned it? No, but will we be OK once we figure it out? For sure. Definitely going to be a process though.’
Noble is healthy and happy, but when she learned of her imminent birth, Ms Dobbins was nervous about the baby's health. She hadn't received any prenatal care during her pregnancy
Ms Dobbins had suffered a miscarriage years ago, leaving her with irregular periods and without any clues to her pregnancy
Anyone can have a cryptic pregnancy, but women who have polycystic ovary syndrome – and around six million do – are more likely to have an irregular menstrual period, which could hide a pregnancy.
And symptoms of pregnancy can be confused for signs of other issues, such as GI problems.
Nausea that arises from pregnancy, for instance, could be mistaken for eating contaminated food.
Fatigue could be mistaken as a sign of a sleep deficit. And spotting could be mistaken for a regular albeit light period.
Cryptic pregnancies can be dangerous. A woman who does not know she is pregnant does not get the standard prenatal care, such as blood testing, ultrasounds, nutrition counseling, and other supports.
A woman with a cryptic pregnancy also is not likely to alter her lifestyle habits, such as smoking and drinking, to grow a healthy baby.
The baby is also at a higher risk of being born with birth defects because the mother was not able to obtain genetic testing before giving birth.
There were roughly 3.7 million births in the US in 2022. While firm figures for the number of births that resulted from cryptic pregnancies are not available, the rate of 1 cryptic pregnancy for every 2,500 pregnant women would suggest over a thousand pregnancies fall into this category.