What Is a Cryptic Pregnancy? Why Women Don’t Realize They Are Pregnant

Cryptic pregnancies occur when a woman goes through an entire pregnancy without realizing she is expecting. Recent viral social media posts have brought renewed attention to the rare medical phenomenon, with doctors explaining why some women remain unaware of carrying a baby until labor begins, USA Today reported.

Viral Social Media Posts Highlight Hidden Pregnancies

Stories of unexpected births have gripped users across social media platforms like TikTok. In one viral post viewed more than 3 million times, a mother shared that she went to the hospital for what she believed were severe period cramps, only to deliver her son at 35 weeks, according to USA Today.

I only found out about him like two hours before I had to push him out, the poster said in the video, noting that she typically has irregular menstrual cycles and experienced high stress levels. Another user commented, Feeling like it’s a big poo and it turns out to be a person is so crazy, while a different commenter wrote, Cryptic pregnancies have to be like the absolute weirdest most bizarre and unimaginable scenario for me! A further user added, This happened to my (sister-in-law) and little brother − she thought she had kidney stones, and noted, That kidney stone started kindergarten two weeks ago.

Cryptic Pregnancies Occur in Rare Cases

While most expectant parents know they are pregnant, cryptic pregnancies do happen. Data from the Cleveland Clinic indicates that approximately 1 in 475 pregnancies go unnoticed until roughly 20 weeks of gestation, while about 1 in 2,500 remain undetected until delivery, USA Today reported.

It certainly does happen, and to answer somebody’s question of ‘Could it happen to me?’ It certainly could, said Dr. Shannon Chatham, medical director at the telehealth platform Wisp, as reported by USA Today. It’s not very common. Chatham added that most people do know they are pregnant.

Biological Factors Cause Unnoticed Pregnancies

Obstetricians point to several biological and lifestyle reasons why a pregnancy might go unnoticed for months. Dr. Prudence Hall, an OB/GYN with more than four decades of experience, told USA Today that some patients are overweight, while older women often attribute missed periods to perimenopause or menopause.

Women who are breastfeeding a recent infant may also assume they cannot conceive so quickly. Although nursing provides some protection and can suppress menstrual cycles, ovulation can resume rapidly, meaning breastfeeding does not offer full protection against pregnancy, Hall explained to USA Today.

Some pregnancies generate minimal physical symptoms, and certain women continue to experience bleeding that resembles a period during the first couple of months, according to the Cleveland Clinic data cited by USA Today. Hall noted that (Some) women just continue with their life and they don’t feel anything different and they could even have a period or two, though pregnant people cannot have true periods. Chatham also explained that missed periods, nausea, breast tenderness, and other common pregnancy symptoms overlap with various other conditions. Chatham also stated that not all pregnant women gain weight, and some even lose weight during pregnancy, so they may not notice a baby bump.

Lack of Medical Supervision Introduces Risks

Going through a pregnancy without medical supervision introduces significant risks for both mother and child.

At-Home Pregnancy Tests Can Provide False Negatives

At-home pregnancy tests are quite accurate, according to Chatham, but they can occasionally provide false negatives early in a pregnancy. Chatham advised waiting until after a missed period to take a test, noting that tests taken after that window are nearly 100% accurate, while blood tests are even more definitive.

Coping With Sudden Parenthood and Shock

Hall told USA Today that individuals experiencing this sudden realization require a period of adjustment and counseling, particularly if it is their first child.