Have you ever heard or read about cryptic pregnancies? Or women who didn't know they're pregnant until they've given birth? Well, experts said this pregnancy case is more common that people think, noting a television show titled, "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant," has been dedicated to women who experience cryptic pregnancies.
What Is Cryptic Pregnancy?
Cryptic pregnancy aka pregnancy denial is a type of gestation where there is little or no detectable hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), a hormone produced by the embryo during pregnancy, in the mother's system. In this case, the fetus may go undetected by mother and doctors, up until childbirth.
Despite the fact the medical community has refused to recognize the existence of cryptic pregnancies, these cases are reportedly not rare. According to Stuff, cryptic pregnancies are estimated to occur in roughly one in 2,500 cases, suggesting almost 320 cases in the United Kingdom every year.
Characteristics Of Cryptic Pregnancy
In cryptic pregnancies, women lack all awareness of being pregnant and signs and symptoms were described as "probable and presumptive" instead of diagnostic. But cryptic pregnancy is typically characterized by negative urine and blood pregnancy test, continued "period-like" bleeding, typical pregnancy symptoms and sometimes, negative ultrasounds.
A cryptically pregnant woman also continues to experience pregnancy symptoms like the sensation of fetal movement. Unfortunately, due to negative tests, continued periods, little or no symptoms and the fact that they were told they could not have children since they're on birth control or have had their tubes tied, women go through an entire pregnancy without prenatal care and without medical confirmation that they're pregnant, Cryptic Pregnancy Support Group & The Gilmour Foundation reveals.
What Causes Cryptic Pregnancy?
Cryptic pregnancies often occur in women who have hormonal imbalance like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) or perimenopause aka menopausal transition, a condition when a woman's body is natural transitioning toward permanent infertility (menopause) and can start as early as age 90 and can go undetected. Cryptic pregnancies can also occur in women who have been recently pregnant.
In addition, female athletes are also vulnerable to cryptic pregnancies since they have very low body fat percentage, which causes a hormonal imbalance. Women who have recently used or currently using a birth control method that continually releases hormones into the body including Norplant, Deprovera Injection or the Mirena Coil, are also prone to cryptic pregnancies.
Are Cryptic Pregnancies Really Possible?
University of Sterling Midwifery Research professor Helen Cheyne recently explained how cryptic pregnancies are actually very possible. As per Cheyne, cryptic pregnancies are common but go undetectable since the signs of being pregnant can easily be dismissed as being a side effect of something else, Cosmopolitan reports.
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