In the summer of 2026, Alysha MacDougall and her fiancé Carl Pina found themselves unexpectedly navigating parenthood. The 33-year-old from Massachusetts experienced pregnancy symptoms leading up to the birth, yet she attributed these to side effects from her GLP-1 medication. There were no obvious signs of pregnancy, leaving them entirely unprepared for their new arrival.
Alysha’s PMOS Masked Pregnancy
Alysha suffers from polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS, formerly PCOS), a well-known hormonal disorder prevalent among women of childbearing age. Women with PMOS typically produce excessive male hormones (androgens), leading to symptoms such as irregular cycles, acne, and difficulties in conceiving. Consequently, Alysha never anticipated becoming pregnant.
Additionally, managing PMOS often involves weight gain, for which Alysha was prescribed a GLP-1 medication aimed at weight control. According to Stanford Medicine, these GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, can cause nausea and vomiting.
“Excruciating Belly Pain” Turned Out to be Labor
In February, when Alysha experienced severe bleeding and described her pain as “excruciating,” neither she nor Carl could have anticipated that they would soon hold their son in their arms. Remarkably, just before reaching the hospital, baby Julian was born in an ambulance during the 22nd week of pregnancy—well before term. It was only then that they were able to take their surprise bundle home.
Do you know parents who were unaware of their pregnancy?
An Extreme Preemie: “A Healthy Baby Overall”
As reported by People Magazine, Julian was initially given only a 15 percent chance of survival. Fortunately, he thrived and was discharged five months later with oxygen support. According to Jaclyn Boulais, the medical director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tufts Medical Center, Julian is now considered “a healthy baby.”
Not All Pregnancies Are Recognized
It is not uncommon for women to remain unaware of their pregnancy until later stages. Pregnancies that go unnoticed until the 20th week are referred to as “cryptic pregnancies” or “Gravitas suppressalis” by medical professionals. Other terms include denied or unrecognized pregnancy, which are often categorized as high-risk—lacking essential medical oversight.
These Women Were Suddenly Mothers
- Shannon experienced a cerebral hemorrhage at 19, without knowing she was pregnant—waking up to find herself a mother.
- Australian Erin Langmaid discovered her pregnancy only when she gave birth to her daughter in a restroom.
- American Kayla Simpson learned she was expecting just 15 minutes before her delivery when her appendix symptoms turned out to be labor.
- During a six-hour flight, Lavinia Mounga went into labor unexpectedly.
- Another woman, S.*, discovered her pregnancy at 36 weeks, caught unaware by the news.
The reasons a pregnancy may go undetected vary from case to case. Generally, experts categorize pregnancies into two main forms that might coincide:
Denied Pregnancy
This occurs when a woman recognizes physical changes but interprets them differently or psychologically represses them—often due to stress, traumatic experiences, social pressure, or fear of the implications of pregnancy.
Unrecognized Pregnancy
This situation arises when physical signs are minimal or too vague to be identified, leading them to be overlooked or attributed to other causes. “All pregnancy signs can be very subtle, especially when a pregnancy isn’t considered,” stated Aline Hohl, a specialist in gynecology and obstetrics, in a 2024 interview.
Reasons Why a Pregnancy Can Go Unnoticed
- If a woman is unaware she is pregnant, her belly may not exhibit typical signs, which experts refer to as the “absent silhouette effect.”
- The baby may be petite or show growth delays.
- A longer torso in the mother can result in the uterus expanding more upwards rather than outward.
- The baby might sit low in the pelvis or deep in the abdominal cavity, sometimes obscured by a forward-turned ribcage.
- When the placenta is situated at the front of the uterus, fetal movements may be less detectable.
- A baby in breech position may move less and remain relatively quiet.
- Pregnancy symptoms can be misinterpreted as signs of other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or hormonal changes.
- Minimal or no visible weight gain can occur; unnoticed pregnancies can affect women of different body types.
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