That was Samantha’s story. She didn’t even know she was pregnant until she went to the hospital for stomach pains and that’s when the hospital staff told her she was actually in labor. As you can imagine, finding out you are pregnant at the hospital just hours before delivery are shocking and very stressful.

Cryptic Pregnancies happen 1 in every 475 pregnancies. A cryptic pregnancy, sometimes called a stealth pregnancy, is when a person doesn’t know they are pregnant.

Typically, pregnancy symptoms are a giveaway that someone is pregnant and can start between 4-12 weeks of being pregnant. But in cryptic pregnancies, either there are no symptoms or the symptoms are mistaken for other things. Only 1 in about 2,500 pregnancies will go as far as going into labor without ever knowing they are pregnant. This was Samantha’s case but it’s important to know it can happen.

So what then…

Not knowing you are pregnant until you are in actual labor means you miss the whole 9 months of preparing or making a plan for what you want to do. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have options. It might feel like you are on an emotional roller coaster. It’s important to know that you are not alone. The hospital social worker would be able to help walk you through your options. if you aren’t sure if parenting is right for you. You can also call an adoption agency where pregnancy counselors are there to provide you with information about your options without any pressure.

Never feel rushed or pressured to make a decision. You should learn about all your options and consider what is best for you and your baby. Sometimes learning about the different options, you have such as getting resources to help you parent or open adoption where you are able to choose the family for your child and stay in communication and have visits can be helpful for you as you consider your decision.

In the end…

You have to decide what you feel is best, without pressure from family and friends. Here is some advice from other people who have faced an unplanned pregnancy and considered adoption as an option.

It is never too late to explore your options, even if you find out you are pregnant at the hospital when they tell you that you are in active labor. You are not alone, and you have options.