Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: annie123 on 13/05/2015 05:58:07

Title: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: annie123 on 13/05/2015 05:58:07

recently a woman gave birth on a plane and said she didn't know she was pregnant. there have been other cases like this. How could she possibly not know she was pregnant and how could people believe she didn't know?Even something as simple as cessation of periods would have been something to be investigated and so a fetus discovered. And what about weight change? Sickness? etc etc.

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: syhprum on 13/05/2015 09:23:03

I think the women that report this are usually pretty fat and attribute the normal signs of pregnancy to other things, often they are taking birth control pills and are convinced they could not possibly be pregnant and think this is why they have no periods

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: evan_au on 13/05/2015 11:11:21

Some women have irregular periods (especially near menopause), and maybe don't notice a particularly irregular one.

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: alancalverd on 13/05/2015 18:25:02

A friend continued to menstruate (a bit) for the first 5 or 6 months of two pregnancies.

A casualty officer assured a radiographer colleague of mine that the patient couldn't be pregnant as her husband had had a vasectomy. Radiographer said "I know twenty million men who haven't". She denied it, but definitely was, by about 5 months.

I also got involved in a case where a GP referred a woman for abdominal x-ray with symptoms of nausea, weight gain, back pain and fluid retention. And a 6 month fetus. Turned out that the same woman had previously given birth in his waiting room.

Apparently at least one religion has been founded on such miraculous births.   

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: annie123 on 13/05/2015 18:35:44

Yes to all of you but this woman wasn't fat. And babies move . . .I know  having had a couple . . .and I don't see how someone wouldn't wonder about that feeling unless she were ga ga. And how could a GP not think of the possibility with those symptoms . . .pretty irresponsible to refer for an X ray- why not an ultra sound?

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: annie123 on 13/05/2015 18:39:17

PS. Just read in this morning's paper that the woman took a pregnancy test and it was negative! That must send a shiver up thge spines of many women . . .?!

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: cheryl j on 14/05/2015 00:23:29

Still, I would wonder how they would not suspect something once the baby started moving and kicking. There is no sensation I've ever felt quite like it.

Title: Re: How can a woman not know she is pregnant?
Post by: alancalverd on 14/05/2015 13:22:50

I suspect something deeper. Airlines and travel insurers are generally wary of passengers in late pregnancy for the obvious reason - there's nothing like a bit of reduced pressure to accelerate delivery! So if you are naturally well padded and wearing a coat, just deny it.

In the more strident days of feminism, a fellow glider pilot was annoyed when the chief instructor refused to let her compete in the 8th month. She rattled on about second class citizenship and full mental capacity until he said "I know you are a good pilot, but see if you can pull the stick back far enough to land the aircraft." We ignore the obvious at our peril.   

Quote

.pretty irresponsible to refer for an X ray- why not an ultra sound?

because (a) it was in the early days of ultrasound and (b) the doctor clearly didn't know much about human reproduction. A pessimist, I rather think he was hoping for a liver tumor or suchlike. When lecturing to physiotherapists, chiropractors, osteopaths and their ilk, I always ask "what is the commonest cause of diffuse non-trauma back pain in fit young women?" You'd be surprised how few think of pregnancy - and these are refresher lectures.