‘I didn’t know I was pregnant’: 947's Drive with Thando hears crazy cryptic pregnancy stories

947’s Drive with Thando speaks to listeners who didn’t know they were pregnant.

Listen below:

Cryptic or stealth pregnancies are rare, but they do happen.

Women can go up to about 20 weeks (five months) into a pregnancy without knowing it and some can actually go as far as labour.

“I honestly can’t imagine that because baby kicks, right, so what happens then when the baby is kicking? I wonder, what do they imagine is happening to their bodies?”

– Lerato Höffele

“We [my best friend and I] were together for nine months, every single day, we planned a holiday and at the last minute she was acting a little funny… she sent me a WhatsApp that she’s in hospital, she’s just had a baby - she didn’t know she was pregnant.” 

– 947 Listener

Speaking to the team, gynaecologist Dr Neelan Pillay recalls one patient who had a similar experience.

Listen below:

“She was quite advanced when she came in and in fact, she came in with her mother with abdominal pain and that was the day that she was in labour and having a baby.”

– Dr Neelan Pillay, Gynaecologist

He says there are several reasons why women could believe they’re not pregnant.

From the appearance of regular menstrual cycles to birth control.

“By the fact that you get your period it tells you that you can’t be pregnant. However, some women may not get their period because they’re not ovulating.”

– Dr Neelan Pillay, Gynaecologist

Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the discussion.