Allyson Opfer first thought her stomach cramps were because of kidney stones. The last thing she was expecting when she headed to the hospital was a surprise baby birth. But, as it turns out, she was indeed in labour with her first child!
Just 30 minutes before giving birth, a doctor gave her the happy but shocking news after a routine ultrasound confirmed she was 38 weeks pregnant and in labour!
The surprise baby birth might have been unplanned, but the first time mum happily welcomed her baby boy!
The 23-year-old college student had been in a relationship for nine months prior to the surprise baby birth.
Because she has always had irregular periods, she didn't notice anything was amiss. She even took a few pregnancy tests, all of which were negative.
"I felt fine. I never started showing. Everything was normal," Opfer explained to Inside Edition.
"I was shocked and I didn't really believe it," she added, explaining that she always wanted to be a mum someday.
"I didn't realise how much I needed him until I had him..."
"I didn't realise how much I needed him until I had him," marveled the first time mum.
It's been over a year since the surprise baby birth, and Opfer is loving being a mum to her healthy baby boy, Oliver, who she considers to be her "very best friend."
How does a surprise baby birth happen?
Though rare, Opfer isn't the first mum to experience a surprise baby birth. On March 2, 2018, a UK woman gave birth after enduring severe stomach pain.
BBC reports the mum had no idea she was pregnant when she started going into labour. She gave birth to a baby boy just as her partner was calling for an ambulance.
It's unclear exactly how many women deliver babies unexpectedly. But one study claims that one out of every 7,225 pregnancies are not discovered until the time of labour and delivery.
Of course, there are certain risks with unknown pregnancies. Opfer confessed in another interview with FOX News that she had not been eating healthy. Thankfully, however, she never had any vices like drinking or smoking.
Dr. Patricia Devine, director of labour and delivery at Columbia University Medical Center tells CNN that surprise births are extreme and very rare situations. Why? Because pregnancy symptoms aren't difficult to miss.
However, it is still possible. The most common risk factors for unknown pregnancies are:
- Obesity, which can cause irregular menstrual cycles and cause minimal weight gain to be overlooked
- Teenage mums who may be in denial of the pregnancy
- Even adult mums who are emotionally or mentally unprepared for a baby can be in denial of even the most familiar symptoms.
- Those uneducated when it comes to common symptoms, such as missed periods, bloating, weight gain, nausea, breast tenderness
- Limited foetal movement, which is common in mums-to-be whose placenta lies on the front portion of the uterus
If pregnancy is suspected, always consult a trusted doctor so you can best prepare for the arrival of your little one. As Opfer's experience proves, store-bought pregnancy tests aren't always 100% accurate.
Sources: Inside Edition, CNN, FOX News
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