An 18-year-old woman in the US was left stunned after she walked into a hospital with stomach pain, and then learned she was having a rare pregnancy, Metro reported. Notably, Laren Dawn Nelson was suffering from stomach pains, which she assumed were related to a virus she had suffered from a year before. However, doctors told her she was pregnant and about to become a mother.
After being in labour, she gave birth to her baby boy Silas just hours later.
Ms Nelson said, ''The next thing I know the nurse looks at me and says you're pregnant – and you're also in labour. I was in complete shock – I did not know what to think – I started laughing and crying at the same time.''
Before the shocking revelation, Ms Nelson had been living a normal teenage life. She graduated from high school, attended her senior prom, and celebrated her birthday, unaware of her pregnancy.
Ms Nelson recounted how her friend took her to the hospital when she suspected something was wrong with her health. At the hospital, a nurse suggested she take a pregnancy test as a precaution.
She said, ''I took the pregnancy test that the nurse asked me to and I made my friend wait in the waiting room. This nurse came out she has a look of shock on her face, she told my friend to get a wheelchair and told me to sit down. I sat down and I was like, oh, no, what is happening – because I was having these pains every couple minutes, which I didn't know at the time that they were contractions.''
Later that day, she gave birth to a baby boy. She added, Next thing I knew, I was pushing and then I had a baby – it was crazy. I heard the cry and I started crying and then I looked over at him and he looked perfect. His name is Silas, and he is the sweetest baby in the whole world, he's perfectly healthy and he is living his best life.''
She has now embraced motherhood with the support of her family and friends.
Notably, such a pregnancy is called a cryptic pregnancy wherein a person doesn't realise they are expecting until a late trimester or as they go into labour. Cryptic pregnancies, such as Laren's, are relatively rare.
According to research, one in 475 pregnancies remains undetected until around 20 weeks, and one in 2,500 cases goes unrecognized until labor begins.
