Woman finds out she's pregnant while in labor...

[conuly]

What's scary about this entry is not the fact that it happened once, but that there's a stream of comments saying that it happened to them, or to a friend.

How many people in this world are actually able to go nine months without finding out they're pregnant? That's scary. I'd hate not to know something like that....

Comments

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

I like all those people who think that just because it happened to someone they know, that means it can happen to people who aren't stupid. ::snerk::

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Jim worked at a MEPS station ... basically all in one recruiting. The recruiters get people in, the Dr gives them a physical, etc. Jim's part was setting up logistics like when the person got paid and such. Anyhow, they had a woman who was about 7 months pregnant, trying to join, and insisting she simply was not pregnant. They had to call her mother, who didn't have a clue either, even the girl lived at home. It was just this huge case of denial, but I thought it was really weird and impossible too, but apparently not.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Crap, man, I can't imagine someone not noticing their period starting, much less a pregnancy.

*shudder* That is beyond scary. The missed pregnancy is leaping into the 'Things That Are Of Nightmares' for Lakidaas.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I could probably go two months without registering that I hadn't had a period. I'm not regular enough to know "end of each month" or anything, and over the last year I've had several 5 or 6 week gaps. Generally I realise it's coming (from the pain) and think "what was I doing last time... oh yes, I suppose it is about time again." But as a result, I could probably go a while and not register.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

See, I can tell about one or two days beforehand, and prepare accordingly. I keep reading in 'girl' magazines stories about women who totally did not know and had embarrasing things happen. Which is boggling.

What I mean is, 'Not know that your period is coming up from body signs (cramps, for example.)', not neccessarily from a calendar, even though those things are useful.

[drewaline.livejournal.com]

Some women can have periods throughout their pregnancy, so I thought anyway.

[xmorningxrosex.livejournal.com]

ditto. My Depo Provera is supposed to be highly effective, but if for some reason it wasn't, I wouldn't know until I began showing, etc. since I haven't had a regular period...well, ever really, but definitely not in the last 2 years.

My friend in HS got pregnant...I don't think she really knew how it all worked (yay abstinence only sex ed!), but then she didn't tell her family until about 6 mos., and they hadn't been able to tell before then just because she was a bigger girl who always wore baggy clothes.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I get a few hours warning. But I also get ghost pains elsewhere in the cycle sometimes (and have to say to myself "no, it's only been a couple of weeks" even though back in my fun 2-3 week cycle days that meant nothing.) I suppose that's my body reminiscing about those fun early teenage years where I got pains twice every cycle. (But at least then they lasted a couple of hours, not the 24-72 I now enjoy.)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

eew, poor eofs.

Mine is perfectly regular in is warnings (Body: oh hey, tomorrow I'mma gonna bleed mmk? *crampycramp*), but not so in its timing.

I know perfectly well what I'm saying, really, I do.

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

It's happened to many other women. It's especially likely if 1) the woman is obese; 2) she has an irregular period, so wouldn't notice a skipped period.

And not all women get really big when they get pregnant. My mom did not show when she was pregnant with me. I was a very small baby.

[leora.livejournal.com]

That happened to me pre-pill all the time. My body does enough weird things without needing menstruation as an excuse and it always has. And I just don't get that much pre-period weirdness. Actually, I get more on the pill, but I also get significantly shorter and less painful periods. And far, far more predictable.

[leora.livejournal.com]

There is an incredibly scary picture of my mother holding her first child as she came out of the hospital or just after she got home... somesuch. She looks thin... probably thinner than I am now, and I am not heavy.

She carried small (which was also the advice of the time, that's changed), she had trouble holding down any food anyway, and she was young (19) and her body was more resilient. But still, she's just had a baby, and she looks like any really thin teenager. Actually, we calculated it out, when you subtract out the weight of the baby and stuff to support the baby, she lost weight while pregnant. Good thing my sister came out perfectly healthy. It still disturbs me though.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I never know my period's coming-- my vag is like a slip and slide all the time and I have phantom cramps randomly, so without my BC pills I would seriously never know when it's coming up on me.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

*shrug*

There are always exceptions.

I blame body chemistry. *does so.*

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's the chemicals whacking your body into balance?

I feel like the only girl ever on the internets that doesn't have her body wigging out.

[thette.livejournal.com]

Light spotting, yes. Full uterine lining shedding? No. That would kill the fetus quite effectively. Any bleeding coming out of the vagina during pregnancy is cause for medical attention.

I also wonder about the mental health of those girls who go through an entire pregnancy and never notice. I think some might just be hip-deep in denial, but I suspect some are not quite connected to reality.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

You've got to think they know, but are just in SERIOUS, debilitating denial. Especially in the last few weeks, I just can't imagine one wouldn't notice, regardless of whether they notice the absent periods or whatnot.

[scottrossi.livejournal.com]

it happened to my friend judy who wasnt terribly obese but she had very few periods. i was working side by side with her and she just thought she was gaining some weight due to just getting married and stuff. anyway, christmas eve, she started having alot of cramps and thought it was her period. then her right side started hurting like it was her appendix. so she left work to go to the hospital and it turns out she was pregnant and had no idea.

[drewaline.livejournal.com]

Ahh, okay.

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

I dunno...I was in basic training with a woman who'd had three kids. Her first two were "normal" pregnancies...her third, she bled once a month on schedule. She went to the doctor, because she knew she was pregnant (morning sickness, sore breasts, uterine stretching, and by month six, feeling the child move), and her doctor kept insisting she could not be pregnant since she was bleeding regularly.

She finally started snapping at him "Look, GODDAMNIT, I have had TWO OTHER CHILDREN and I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE to be pregnant, and I am FEELING THE BAYB MOVE! Now GIVE ME A PREGNANCY TEST, damnit!" and it wasn't until after he got the results back positive that he even entertained the thought of believing her.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

I can scare you. I knew a girl to whom that happened. You'd think she'd notice right?

Wrong.

Her periods were really spaced out anyway - sometimes she'd only have 2 or 3 in a year - so the lack of that wasn't a sign.

She NEVER showed. How, we don't know, but basically, she thought she'd just gained a couple pounds.

When she went into labor, she initially thought it was a reaction to food poisoning or something, because she'd never shown, etc. so we were all rather surprised when the doctor announces a healthy baby boy.

Her husband, at least, was thrilled. *laugh*

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

my friend maria didn;t knwo about her son til she was pushing him out, literally. hospital admitted her for severe back pain, two hours later, cute HUGE baby. granted, she's a big girl, and has NEVER had regular periods, still dosn't, so yeah...

[ladyshrew.livejournal.com]

I like all those people who think that just because it happened to someone they know, that means it can happen to people who aren't stupid. ::snerk::

[beccak1961.livejournal.com]

Jim worked at a MEPS station ... basically all in one recruiting. The recruiters get people in, the Dr gives them a physical, etc. Jim's part was setting up logistics like when the person got paid and such. Anyhow, they had a woman who was about 7 months pregnant, trying to join, and insisting she simply was not pregnant. They had to call her mother, who didn't have a clue either, even the girl lived at home. It was just this huge case of denial, but I thought it was really weird and impossible too, but apparently not.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Crap, man, I can't imagine someone not noticing their period starting, much less a pregnancy.

*shudder* That is beyond scary. The missed pregnancy is leaping into the 'Things That Are Of Nightmares' for Lakidaas.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I could probably go two months without registering that I hadn't had a period. I'm not regular enough to know "end of each month" or anything, and over the last year I've had several 5 or 6 week gaps. Generally I realise it's coming (from the pain) and think "what was I doing last time... oh yes, I suppose it is about time again." But as a result, I could probably go a while and not register.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

See, I can tell about one or two days beforehand, and prepare accordingly. I keep reading in 'girl' magazines stories about women who totally did not know and had embarrasing things happen. Which is boggling.

What I mean is, 'Not know that your period is coming up from body signs (cramps, for example.)', not neccessarily from a calendar, even though those things are useful.

[drewaline.livejournal.com]

Some women can have periods throughout their pregnancy, so I thought anyway.

[xmorningxrosex.livejournal.com]

ditto. My Depo Provera is supposed to be highly effective, but if for some reason it wasn't, I wouldn't know until I began showing, etc. since I haven't had a regular period...well, ever really, but definitely not in the last 2 years.

My friend in HS got pregnant...I don't think she really knew how it all worked (yay abstinence only sex ed!), but then she didn't tell her family until about 6 mos., and they hadn't been able to tell before then just because she was a bigger girl who always wore baggy clothes.

[eofs.livejournal.com]

I get a few hours warning. But I also get ghost pains elsewhere in the cycle sometimes (and have to say to myself "no, it's only been a couple of weeks" even though back in my fun 2-3 week cycle days that meant nothing.) I suppose that's my body reminiscing about those fun early teenage years where I got pains twice every cycle. (But at least then they lasted a couple of hours, not the 24-72 I now enjoy.)

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

eew, poor eofs.

Mine is perfectly regular in is warnings (Body: oh hey, tomorrow I'mma gonna bleed mmk? *crampycramp*), but not so in its timing.

I know perfectly well what I'm saying, really, I do.

[fascinoma.livejournal.com]

It's happened to many other women. It's especially likely if 1) the woman is obese; 2) she has an irregular period, so wouldn't notice a skipped period.

And not all women get really big when they get pregnant. My mom did not show when she was pregnant with me. I was a very small baby.

[leora.livejournal.com]

That happened to me pre-pill all the time. My body does enough weird things without needing menstruation as an excuse and it always has. And I just don't get that much pre-period weirdness. Actually, I get more on the pill, but I also get significantly shorter and less painful periods. And far, far more predictable.

[leora.livejournal.com]

There is an incredibly scary picture of my mother holding her first child as she came out of the hospital or just after she got home... somesuch. She looks thin... probably thinner than I am now, and I am not heavy.

She carried small (which was also the advice of the time, that's changed), she had trouble holding down any food anyway, and she was young (19) and her body was more resilient. But still, she's just had a baby, and she looks like any really thin teenager. Actually, we calculated it out, when you subtract out the weight of the baby and stuff to support the baby, she lost weight while pregnant. Good thing my sister came out perfectly healthy. It still disturbs me though.

[maladaptive.livejournal.com]

I never know my period's coming-- my vag is like a slip and slide all the time and I have phantom cramps randomly, so without my BC pills I would seriously never know when it's coming up on me.

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

*shrug*

There are always exceptions.

I blame body chemistry. *does so.*

[lakidaa.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's the chemicals whacking your body into balance?

I feel like the only girl ever on the internets that doesn't have her body wigging out.

[thette.livejournal.com]

Light spotting, yes. Full uterine lining shedding? No. That would kill the fetus quite effectively. Any bleeding coming out of the vagina during pregnancy is cause for medical attention.

I also wonder about the mental health of those girls who go through an entire pregnancy and never notice. I think some might just be hip-deep in denial, but I suspect some are not quite connected to reality.

[xiggaroo.livejournal.com]

You've got to think they know, but are just in SERIOUS, debilitating denial. Especially in the last few weeks, I just can't imagine one wouldn't notice, regardless of whether they notice the absent periods or whatnot.

[scottrossi.livejournal.com]

it happened to my friend judy who wasnt terribly obese but she had very few periods. i was working side by side with her and she just thought she was gaining some weight due to just getting married and stuff. anyway, christmas eve, she started having alot of cramps and thought it was her period. then her right side started hurting like it was her appendix. so she left work to go to the hospital and it turns out she was pregnant and had no idea.

[drewaline.livejournal.com]

Ahh, okay.

[ladydiana.livejournal.com]

I dunno...I was in basic training with a woman who'd had three kids. Her first two were "normal" pregnancies...her third, she bled once a month on schedule. She went to the doctor, because she knew she was pregnant (morning sickness, sore breasts, uterine stretching, and by month six, feeling the child move), and her doctor kept insisting she could not be pregnant since she was bleeding regularly.

She finally started snapping at him "Look, GODDAMNIT, I have had TWO OTHER CHILDREN and I KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE to be pregnant, and I am FEELING THE BAYB MOVE! Now GIVE ME A PREGNANCY TEST, damnit!" and it wasn't until after he got the results back positive that he even entertained the thought of believing her.

[wodhaund.livejournal.com]

I can scare you. I knew a girl to whom that happened. You'd think she'd notice right?

Wrong.

Her periods were really spaced out anyway - sometimes she'd only have 2 or 3 in a year - so the lack of that wasn't a sign.

She NEVER showed. How, we don't know, but basically, she thought she'd just gained a couple pounds.

When she went into labor, she initially thought it was a reaction to food poisoning or something, because she'd never shown, etc. so we were all rather surprised when the doctor announces a healthy baby boy.

Her husband, at least, was thrilled. *laugh*

[lizziey.livejournal.com]

my friend maria didn;t knwo about her son til she was pushing him out, literally. hospital admitted her for severe back pain, two hours later, cute HUGE baby. granted, she's a big girl, and has NEVER had regular periods, still dosn't, so yeah...