Patients who come to the ER in labor and do not know they were pregnant?

Katnip, RN · Aug 9, 2004

I wish I had an answer to that.

We had a young woman come in...not well-kempt...and said "I might be pregnant. I have a belly ache and when I put my hand down there, I felt something hard."

Baby was crowning. She had no idea when her last period was, if she was pregnant, or how she got pregnant. She was in her mid-20s, didn't seem developmentally delayed, or not so that she was not able to be educated in at least the basics.

She was a smal person too, and her belly wasn't very large, so it would have been easy enough to ignore a little weight gain, I guess.

RNin92 · Aug 9, 2004

Ahhh...

So many stories...so little time...

30-something who was in for abdominal pain (go figure)

Was there with her significant other...

FEMALE significant other...

Oops...pregnant...

Oh no...she has NEVER been with a man... (???)

20-something in with back pain.

Any possibility you are pregnant?

Noooo...never been sexually active...

Are you sure?

Oooooo..she got ticked off that we "dared" to ask her...

oops...pregnant...nice try.

14 y/o asks if we do pregnnacy testing.

Could you be pregnant?

I dunno. (??)

40-ish female in after fall down stairs

Routine HCG prior to x-ray comes up positive...oops

Her response...How did that happen?

Ummmmm...

webbiedebbie · Aug 10, 2004

I had a pt walk in and say, "My stomach popped out!" Yep, she was pregnant and almost full-term.

I think some are in denial.

missmercy · Aug 10, 2004

12 y.o -- had one period -- then they stopped. ( mom took her to a clinic that said sometimes periods get rather irregular when a girl is very active (sports). If it doesn't start back up in a couple of months come on back". Mom must have forgotten to follow up -- this gal presented to our L&D in preterm labor, BAD baby stuff goin' on and mom trailing behind wondering how this could have happened. When she told our doc on call that "active" diagnosis from the clinic -- his comment was "Oh, she's been an active girl all right." I felt so horrible for the girl -- she would grab my hand a nd say "olease don't tell my dad!" We were a really small hosp. so we had to ship her out asap -- will never forget --

Did get a follow-up reprot: baby survived- some handicaps, grandma raising it while mommy finishes jr high and high school, grandpa -gone. SOOOOO SAD!

NYCRN16 · Aug 11, 2004

We had one come in a few weeks ago. CC: Abdominal pain. The triage nurse (and everyone else standing around) asks her if she is pregnant, since her belly is HUGE, and she says no. Last period? 9 months ago..Husband is standing right there. Doctor goes and gets sono machine since she still insists that she is not pregnant. She was so shocked (and so was the husband!). I guess the baby wasnt his or something..

teeituptom, BSN, RN · Aug 25, 2004

Even in this day and age we still occasionally see it happen.

like a 15 yo girl with weight gain and intermittent abdominal pain. She admitted she had only done it "ONCE"

Shocked the hell out of her parents, As I sent her to L and D

Shocked the triage nurse when I snarled at her for not sending her up to L and D to begin with. She dumped it on me to deal with. As the young girl was crowning on exam.

missmercy · Aug 25, 2004

As the OB nurse -- we were often appalled at how often the "just once", 12-15 year olds were on our doorstep -- wondering why they had such bad cramps -- HMMM! Think it may have had something to do with the little body that was crowning in their crotch?! Often these gals were relatively niave -- operating under the myth that you can't get "caught" on the first time.... OR they came from homes where they did not have good relationships with M&D -- were out late, able to avoid close scrutiny of parents -- but sometimes, they are just totally unaware, or totally sure that it couldn't happen to them -- good kids, stupid mistakes.... little or no open communication about the facts of life............

Parents unfortunately need to realize that the facts of life are necessary topics for discussion LOTS earlier than they used to be!!! While it is awkward for some parents to have "THAT TALK" with their 10 -12 year old, it sure beats having the "it's time to push now" conversation with them!!! It beats having to take your 14 year old in for tx of an STD which will leave him/her sterile for the rest of his life. Or having to address issuse like abortion and adoption of a baby as options with a child who is merely a baby herself!!!

We do some parenting education here and we tell parents of younger kids to: TALK TO YOUR KIDS!!! Tell them the truth is terms that are understandable -- don't let the fact that they are embarrassed or that you are embarrassed keep you from spelling things out for them!!! It will save alot of heartache in the long run! It is a shame that 10 year olds need to hear all this, unfortunately -- they do.

NurseJacqui · Aug 25, 2004

Recently we had a woman who came in with severe abdominal pain who told us she thought she had an ovarian cyst. The " cyst" turned out to be a beautiful 10lb 4 oz baby girl. (I think she may have had a psych hx though)

NurseJacqui · Aug 25, 2004

Also had a 48 year old woman who came in with dizziness, nausea/vomiting and abdominal pain. She had had a tubal ligation several years earlier. She was pregnant. I can understand how she had no idea! She thought when her periods stopped she was going through menopause and because she had her tubes tied the possibility of pregnancy never even crossed her mind!

kristylee · Aug 25, 2004

I know someone who didn't know she was pregnant till she was 7 months, she had irregular periods and was very overweight.

Please share some of your stories.
After going through a pregnancy myself, I just can't imagine how someone would not know. I can see if the person has irregular periods. It it may be tough to pinpoint exactly when they got pregnant. I can even see how some women don't realize they are pregnant for 3-5 months. But to go through an entire pregnancy and NOT know- I just don't get it!
Don't they feel the baby move? My son kept me up many a night kicking me. In addition, my belly was huge! Even if the girl has a small belly, she still must know that she had sex & hasn't gottten a period, right?
(sigh) Maybe it is ignorance on their part? Or could it be plain denial? I just don't get it. Please enlighten me.

CHATSDALE · Aug 26, 2004

we working on floor one evening when an er nurse can in screaming with laughter..ob was on same floor but different wing and she had brought up a woman [mid 20s] who presented with horrible uti [self dx] she was left in waiting rm by triage who thought that the rolling on the floor was "just putting on" in order to be seen by md....she was considerable overweight and baby was small but full term triage nurse lost position,was transferred to floor, husband said it never occured to him that she might be pg because they had decided not to have another...i guess that if you decide to definitely not to have any more you do not have to take any further steps...