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ENTITY reports on why cryptic pregnancy isn't as bad as it may seem

Don’t freak out, but one in 2,500 women don’t know they are pregnant until they reach labor.

There are many reasons the woman may be unaware, including not gaining weight, believing the weight gain is coming from something else and having regular periods.

How does this happen? Here’s what ENTITY found out.

How is it even possible to not know you’re pregnant?

Cryptic Pregnancy aka “denial of pregnancy” occurs when you’re pregnant, but your body’s Human Chorionic Gonadotropic (hCG) levels are too low to be detected in a pregnancy test. Most doctors are not able to detect the fetus through an ultrasound as well due to some problems in the woman’s abdominal region or uterus.

In uterine retroversion, for example, the uterus is inclined towards the back of the pelvis, making it difficult to see the fetus. Other times, an abnormal scar tissue from a previous abdominal surgery or C-section can also prevent ultrasound waves from passing, resulting in negative results on the scan.

What are some cryptic pregnancy symptoms?

The symptoms of cryptic pregnancy are the same as symptoms of a regular pregnancy. The symptoms vary depending on the woman but it is the usual nausea, fatigue, heartburn, headaches, cramps, backache and a metallic taste in the mouth.

How are cryptic pregnancies different from regular pregnancies?

During a cryptic pregnancy, the development of the fetus is slower. But not to worry, the slow process doesn’t always affect the fetus’ health. Because of the slower pace, a cryptic pregnancy can last up to five years.

This happens because hCG doesn’t pass through the maternal system during a cryptic pregnancy. Therefore, the body isn’t able to generate signals to help the fetus develop. What does affect the fetus’ health is what you put into your body, such as drugs and alcohol.

In addition, labor pains are much longer in cryptic pregnancies. Women can feel labor pains for months before the actual delivery, making them believe the pain is caused by something else. Of course, there are a lot of complications of child birth in cryptic pregnancies as the mother had not received the appropriate prenatal care.

What do I need to know?

Cryptic pregnancies are more common among menopausal women and younger, busy women because they aren’t looking for signs of pregnancy. Some women even mistake fetal movements for gas and bloating, so see a doctor if you feel there is a problem.

Since cryptic pregnancy cannot be revealed through traditional pregnancy checking methods, ask your doctor to use a Doppler, which monitors fetal heart rates. This can verify whether you are pregnant or not.

There are a lot more women than you may know who don’t know they are pregnant until they actually give birth. Just because you didn’t know you were pregnant, doesn’t mean there are going to be complications in the pregnancy. Children who go through cryptic pregnancies can turn out completely healthy, just like a baby who is born the traditional way.

There are many support groups for cryptic pregnant women, and a lot of awareness toward it, including a TLC show, “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.”

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