Shock to the system ... Emma Hobday with her son Jamie
EMMA WAS HORRIFIED WHEN SHE WENT INTO LABOUR AT 16, HAVING NO IDEA SHE WAS PREGNANT
WHEN a British soldier gave birth on the front line in Afghanistan last week the nation was
shocked.
Lance Bombardier Lynette Pearce was unaware she was pregnant. It was only when she had
stomach cramps she found out she was about to give birth.
Her son was born five weeks prematurely at Camp Bastion – and the MoD says both mother
and baby are doing fine.
Many were amazed that the woman had no idea she was carrying a child.
But she is not alone. Here, JENNY FRANCIS and JENNIFER TIPPETT meet three woman who
found out they were pregnant only when they went into labour.
EMMA HOBDAY, 19
EMMA was horrified when she went into labour at 16, having no idea she was pregnant.
The student was still fitting into size 10 skinny jeans when she began suffering from bad
tummy pain on her way home from college in 2010.
It was only when she was rushed to hospital that a doctor said she was pregnant.
Twenty minutes later her son Jamie was born.
Emma says: “When I first held him in my arms I was terrified. I wasn’t ready to be a mum and it had
all happened so quickly.”
Doctors at St Mary’s Hospital in the Isle of Wight told her Jamie was a perfectly healthy 6lb 12oz.
She says: “I couldn’t believe I was a mum and I panicked I wouldn’t be able to take care of him.
“But when I took him home I realised I was a natural. I had lost my virginity nine months earlier.
“I didn’t think you could fall pregnant the first time you have sex.
After a tummy ache turned into agonising cramps, Emma’s mum Wendy, 43, called an ambulance
believing her daughter had appendicitis.
Emma says: “When the ambulance arrived I was in agony. It was only when I was being wheeled into
the hospital ward that the paramedic asked if I could be pregnant.
“I was mortified and told them there was no way as I had no bump and was still having periods.”
Minutes later she was giving birth to her son on January 15, 2010.
She says: “I was on my own because it happened so quickly. Mum and Dad were still parking the car.
“The dad of my son was only 17 and I worried what he’d think.
Emma’s father Steve, 47, a maintenance manager, broke the news to her boyfriend over the phone
and, in a state of shock, he went straight to the hospital.
Emma knew he wasn’t ready to be a dad and the couple are no longer in touch.
She says: “Being a single mum at 19 is still difficult but my parents have been so supportive.
“Mum and Dad had to run out and buy a cot, clothes, nappies and food so we could bring him home.
“I had no idea how much I needed.
“A friend texted me while I was at the hospital to ask if I wanted to go to the cinema.
“She thought I was joking when I replied, ‘I’ve just given birth.’
“If I fall pregnant again, I hope it’s not so much of a shock.
“Next time I want to enjoy my pregnancy instead of missing out.”
STACIE SPEAK, 21
STACIE was halfway through her waitressing shift when she got a terrible stabbing pain in her
stomach followed by a very unexpected arrival — baby Jack.
She and her boyfriend, Steven Willemars, 22, a chef, work and live in staff accommodation at
posh Knock Castle in Crieff, Scotland.
Unaware that she was even pregnant, Stacie had carried her baby boy full-term without
putting on any weight, and while taking the pill and still having periods.
Stacie says: “On the day I gave birth — December 16, 2011 — I got ready and went to work as
normal.
“As I headed to the restaurant, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.
“I thought it was just cramp and tried to carry on but the pain got worse so I went back to our room to
take a bath.
“Before I got in it, I suddenly felt the urge to go to the loo. All of a sudden the pain got sharper.
“Within minutes I was lying on the bathroom floor, scared of what was happening to me.
“I was screaming, and then I looked down at a newborn baby boy.
Steven could hear the commotion and smashed down the bathroom door to see his girlfriend holding
their baby.
But it was only when the ambulance arrived to take her to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital that Stacie
realised she was a mum.
She says: “As everyone was rushing around me, it suddenly hit me what had happened — I was a
mother.
“I had given birth to a little boy, born weighing 6lb 3oz and I’d had no idea I’d been pregnant. All I
could think was that my parents were going to kill me.
“We were taken to hospital, where everything seemed like a blur.
“Looking at our baby boy, we decided to call him Jack, after Steven’s grandad.
“Despite my fear of what my parents would say, they arrived at the hospital full of concern for me and
beamed when they saw their grandson.
“Steven and I quickly adjusted to our new roles as a mum and dad.
“He may have arrived as a complete surprise — but Jack couldn’t have a more loving home.”
MARGOT BLOOM, 42
WHEN she started getting strange tummy cramps when she was in the supermarket, Margot
immediately recognised them as labour pains.
But at first she couldn’t believe she was pregnant, so she finished her shopping, drove home
and even cooked a roast dinner — before finally coming to terms with the fact she was about
to give birth to her sixth child.
Making it to hospital just in the nick of time, the new mum was in a state of shock.
Margot, a life coach from Southampton, says: “I was already a mum of five and, after divorcing my
husband, thought my childbearing days were over.
“I had put on a bit of weight but I put it down to my stressful job and eating the wrong foods.
“When my waters broke one morning, I thought I’d wet the bed and was really embarrassed.
“But when I got stomach pains it dawned on me that I was pregnant.”
Unable to come to terms with not only being pregnant but about to go into labour, she tried to ignore
the pains and went to the supermarket.
She says: “It was such a shock I needed time to process what was happening so I tried to continue my
day as I’d planned.
“I shopped, cleaned the house and cooked a roast dinner — but when the contractions started I knew I
had to face reality so called my parents and broke the news.
“There was silence at the end of the line and Dad came straight over to take me to the hospital.
“I knew the father was someone I’d had a very short relationship with nine months before. I panicked
about telling him.
“He was shocked at first but it turned into a happy surprise.”
Two hours after arriving at the Princess Anne Hospital on February 20, 2006, Margot’s son, Sam, was
born.
She says: “My older children are now 22, 20, 19, 17 and 15 and their reaction was pure shock. After
that, they really helped out.”
The first week was very strange but I got back in the routine of being a mum and remembered how
much I loved having children.
“Sam’s now six and I couldn’t be happier to have such a wonderful surprise.”
myView
By DR CAROL COOPER, Sun Doctor
SO-CALLED concealed pregnancies aren’t rare. I think every doctor has seen at least one.
In some cases the woman, often young, has some inkling but is in denial – or cannot believe she’s
expecting because she was using contraception.
Some still believe that you can’t get pregnant from your “first time”. Unfortunately, biology doesn’t
work like that.
Concealed pregnancy is more common when there are fears of what family will say. Some pregnancies
are far less obvious than others.
Periods don’t always stop completely. Bleeding can continue, especially if the woman is on the Pill.
And other pregnancy symptoms like nausea and sickness can be mild.
Younger women, particularly if they’re fit, may hardly show at all because their tummy muscles are
strong enough to keep in their growing bump.
shocked.
Lance Bombardier Lynette Pearce was unaware she was pregnant. It was only when she had
stomach cramps she found out she was about to give birth.
Her son was born five weeks prematurely at Camp Bastion – and the MoD says both mother
and baby are doing fine.
Many were amazed that the woman had no idea she was carrying a child.
But she is not alone. Here, JENNY FRANCIS and JENNIFER TIPPETT meet three woman who
found out they were pregnant only when they went into labour.
EMMA HOBDAY, 19
EMMA was horrified when she went into labour at 16, having no idea she was pregnant.
The student was still fitting into size 10 skinny jeans when she began suffering from bad
tummy pain on her way home from college in 2010.
It was only when she was rushed to hospital that a doctor said she was pregnant.
Twenty minutes later her son Jamie was born.
Emma says: “When I first held him in my arms I was terrified. I wasn’t ready to be a mum and it had
all happened so quickly.”
Doctors at St Mary’s Hospital in the Isle of Wight told her Jamie was a perfectly healthy 6lb 12oz.
She says: “I couldn’t believe I was a mum and I panicked I wouldn’t be able to take care of him.
“But when I took him home I realised I was a natural. I had lost my virginity nine months earlier.
“I didn’t think you could fall pregnant the first time you have sex.
After a tummy ache turned into agonising cramps, Emma’s mum Wendy, 43, called an ambulance
believing her daughter had appendicitis.
Emma says: “When the ambulance arrived I was in agony. It was only when I was being wheeled into
the hospital ward that the paramedic asked if I could be pregnant.
“I was mortified and told them there was no way as I had no bump and was still having periods.”
Minutes later she was giving birth to her son on January 15, 2010.
She says: “I was on my own because it happened so quickly. Mum and Dad were still parking the car.
“The dad of my son was only 17 and I worried what he’d think.
Emma’s father Steve, 47, a maintenance manager, broke the news to her boyfriend over the phone
and, in a state of shock, he went straight to the hospital.
Emma knew he wasn’t ready to be a dad and the couple are no longer in touch.
She says: “Being a single mum at 19 is still difficult but my parents have been so supportive.
“Mum and Dad had to run out and buy a cot, clothes, nappies and food so we could bring him home.
“I had no idea how much I needed.
“A friend texted me while I was at the hospital to ask if I wanted to go to the cinema.
“She thought I was joking when I replied, ‘I’ve just given birth.’
“If I fall pregnant again, I hope it’s not so much of a shock.
“Next time I want to enjoy my pregnancy instead of missing out.”
STACIE SPEAK, 21
STACIE was halfway through her waitressing shift when she got a terrible stabbing pain in her
stomach followed by a very unexpected arrival — baby Jack.
She and her boyfriend, Steven Willemars, 22, a chef, work and live in staff accommodation at
posh Knock Castle in Crieff, Scotland.
Unaware that she was even pregnant, Stacie had carried her baby boy full-term without
putting on any weight, and while taking the pill and still having periods.
Stacie says: “On the day I gave birth — December 16, 2011 — I got ready and went to work as
normal.
“As I headed to the restaurant, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach.
“I thought it was just cramp and tried to carry on but the pain got worse so I went back to our room to
take a bath.
“Before I got in it, I suddenly felt the urge to go to the loo. All of a sudden the pain got sharper.
“Within minutes I was lying on the bathroom floor, scared of what was happening to me.
“I was screaming, and then I looked down at a newborn baby boy.
Steven could hear the commotion and smashed down the bathroom door to see his girlfriend holding
their baby.
But it was only when the ambulance arrived to take her to Dundee’s Ninewells Hospital that Stacie
realised she was a mum.
She says: “As everyone was rushing around me, it suddenly hit me what had happened — I was a
mother.
“I had given birth to a little boy, born weighing 6lb 3oz and I’d had no idea I’d been pregnant. All I
could think was that my parents were going to kill me.
“We were taken to hospital, where everything seemed like a blur.
“Looking at our baby boy, we decided to call him Jack, after Steven’s grandad.
“Despite my fear of what my parents would say, they arrived at the hospital full of concern for me and
beamed when they saw their grandson.
“Steven and I quickly adjusted to our new roles as a mum and dad.
“He may have arrived as a complete surprise — but Jack couldn’t have a more loving home.”
MARGOT BLOOM, 42
WHEN she started getting strange tummy cramps when she was in the supermarket, Margot
immediately recognised them as labour pains.
But at first she couldn’t believe she was pregnant, so she finished her shopping, drove home
and even cooked a roast dinner — before finally coming to terms with the fact she was about
to give birth to her sixth child.
Making it to hospital just in the nick of time, the new mum was in a state of shock.
Margot, a life coach from Southampton, says: “I was already a mum of five and, after divorcing my
husband, thought my childbearing days were over.
“I had put on a bit of weight but I put it down to my stressful job and eating the wrong foods.
“When my waters broke one morning, I thought I’d wet the bed and was really embarrassed.
“But when I got stomach pains it dawned on me that I was pregnant.”
Unable to come to terms with not only being pregnant but about to go into labour, she tried to ignore
the pains and went to the supermarket.
She says: “It was such a shock I needed time to process what was happening so I tried to continue my
day as I’d planned.
“I shopped, cleaned the house and cooked a roast dinner — but when the contractions started I knew I
had to face reality so called my parents and broke the news.
“There was silence at the end of the line and Dad came straight over to take me to the hospital.
“I knew the father was someone I’d had a very short relationship with nine months before. I panicked
about telling him.
“He was shocked at first but it turned into a happy surprise.”
Two hours after arriving at the Princess Anne Hospital on February 20, 2006, Margot’s son, Sam, was
born.
She says: “My older children are now 22, 20, 19, 17 and 15 and their reaction was pure shock. After
that, they really helped out.”
The first week was very strange but I got back in the routine of being a mum and remembered how
much I loved having children.
“Sam’s now six and I couldn’t be happier to have such a wonderful surprise.”
myView
By DR CAROL COOPER, Sun Doctor
SO-CALLED concealed pregnancies aren’t rare. I think every doctor has seen at least one.
In some cases the woman, often young, has some inkling but is in denial – or cannot believe she’s
expecting because she was using contraception.
Some still believe that you can’t get pregnant from your “first time”. Unfortunately, biology doesn’t
work like that.
Concealed pregnancy is more common when there are fears of what family will say. Some pregnancies
are far less obvious than others.
Periods don’t always stop completely. Bleeding can continue, especially if the woman is on the Pill.
And other pregnancy symptoms like nausea and sickness can be mild.
Younger women, particularly if they’re fit, may hardly show at all because their tummy muscles are
strong enough to keep in their growing bump.
Read more at http://facenaija.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-gave-birth-to-my-son-just-20mins.html#Ukom3hqCgwB6uZDR.99
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