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

[JUSTYSMOM]

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.

[USC2001]

I work in L&D and we had one come in the other night via EMS with baby in arms! Swears she wasn't pregnant! She had delivered at work (CVS) in the bathroom. She said she just felt "woozy" all day and then felt contispated and went to the bathroom.... Well it wasn't a BM that came out! Luckily her co-workers called EMS (becuase they heard her screaming). She and baby did fine (baby actually looked overdue) ,but she just kept saying "I can't believe I had a baby!". I think some people live in major denial!

[krickitrn]

I can understand the unintelligent, uneducated and wacked out ones doing this. But had a seasoned OB tech that at 52 found out she was pregnant in her 8th month. Just thought missed periods were menopause and movement was "gas". Came in one day in labor and everyone was dumbfounded because she never told anyone her dx prior to going into labor. They just thought she showed up on her day off by mistake. Only in Southern California!

[mattsmom81]

Ya know my SOL who is an educated woman but built large, had periods through her pregnancies, was on birth control pills and claimed she did not know either...I don't know whether to be jealous or suspect...LOL!

Her Mom had very easy pregnancies and births too. I recall seeing her a month before one of her surprise deliveries and she did NOT show...is very tall and carried the baby everywhere...no protrusion, Strange, eh? Twice she was surprised by back pain, went to the ER and came home with a healthy baby boy...now my brother and she have 3 beautiful boys and immediately after the third she tied her tubes... she tried a few months after the second surprise but was already PG again!

So who knows...probably there's 'some' denial/avoidance at work here but I try to keep an open mind. In my pregnancies there was no doubt...I'm in touch with my body enough to know almost immediately. But not everybody is so in touch are they?

[Snowy]

Isn't a patient coming in not knowing they're pregnant, much like these people who get foreign objects "stuck up there" but have no idea how it happened? I see a lot of similarities in these scenarios

[RNCENCCRNNREMTP]

My fav...

14 female with abdominal pain to ER with her mom.

?LMP

BP 160/110

Linea nigra

FHT @ 140

I tell mom, "I know why you're daughter has abdominal pain"

Went up to OB for stat c-section for pre-eclampsia. baby up for adoption.

[obeyacts2]

I can think of a couple surprise PGs: in high school 15 yr old friend, skinny as a rail, didnt even need a bra, never missed period until very late, went to local clinic and discovered she was 6 weeks from term.

2) Grandaughter of one of my pts thought she was menopusal at 46 or 48. Surprise!! had a baby boy younger than her grankids

3) My mom didnt miss periods with me, then when they stopped delivered 6 weeks later. She didnt show either, and she is a small woman, 5'2 and 130 lbs. (unlike her dtr :rotfl: )

Laura

[rnmi2004]

RNCENCCRNNREMTP's post brings up a good point -- don't these women, especially the multips, notice the linea nigra? :uhoh21: I suppose I can buy a woman brushing off the weight gain, thinking they have gas bubbles, wacky hormones or menopause causing no periods...but at what other point in life does a dark line on your belly show up?

[veetach]

I have seen this happen twice in my career.

First time, a 20 something who had been receiving treatment by an "herbologist" for abdominal discomfort..Her husband had a vasectomy 3 years previous and she came to us in full labor dilated to a 4 and contractions every 5 minutes...

the second time a 45 yr old female came to us complaining of abd pain, denies any problems or missing periods and she was 100% effaced and dilated to 9 when checked!!! She delivered shortly thereafter (thank goodness we got her to the OB floor) this one was very basic, mentally and I really dont know if she even knew how she got pregnant!

[KaroSnowQueen, RN]

My son in law's sister in law had two young children about 3 and 1 1/2 yrs old. We had been discussing amongst ourselves that evening at a family party if she might be pg again, although she denied it. We thought she MIGHT have been four or five months, as she was just starting to get some fullness to her abdomen, altho it COULD have been "just fat" as she said.

You guessed it. Four am, she had never gone to bed after the party, said she had a bellyache. Delivered a healthy six pound baby in her bathtub!!! She and her DH both insisted she had never missed one period.

I myself didn't realize I was pg with second for quite a while. Had first baby, breastfed, cycles did not start up again. First baby about ten or eleven months old, I was lying in bed one morning, felt what I THOUGHT was her little feet pushing against my tummy, and realized SHE was in her crib!!! It was the new baby pushing from inside!!! Talk about shock!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't EVER believe those old wives' tales about not being able to get pg when you're breastfeeding!!!!! DEFINITELY not true!!!!

[Mimi2RN, ASN, RN]

We had a woman come into ER with belly pain. She was in her late 30's, divorced, had never been pregnant. She was sent for a gall bladder US, and the tech asked if her pain was r/t her pregnancy. "I'm not pregnant!"

She was quickly transferred to OB, and delivered a nice little 5lb 34 weeker.

The 60 something year old father was quite surprised, as were his children! She was a big woman, just thought she couldn't have kids.

At least the couple of weeks baby was in our NICU gave the mom time to get used to the idea!

[teeituptom, BSN, RN]

My wife and I had a child 8 years after I got my vasectomy

apparently it grew back together

shocked the hell out of my wife

[CEN35]

well without soundig mean? I have had 6-0 300lb girls in the ER, who were 7 months along and claimed no idea?

At the same time I have pulled little fetus's (12cm in length) out of the ER toilet also.

Ya never know??????????????????