Pregnancies in which soon-to-be mothers don’t know they are having a baby are rare, but one Weymouth woman who gave birth this week is a definite believer. Katie Kropas of Massachusetts brought a 10-pound bundle of joy into the world recently, but the point of interest is that she had no idea she was about to have a daughter in the first place. An hour after she arrived at a local hospital complaining of lower back pain and cramps, she had successfully delivered her child.
Early on Tuesday morning, the mom-to-be said that she had woken up with something described as “crazy lower back pain.” CBS Local adds that the aching sensation did not lessen when she went to the bathroom, so she soon decided to go to the hospital and understand what was happening. As it turns out, doctors at a South Shore Weymouth medical center told her she was in fact about to deliver a full-term baby. The news was electrifying as it was unbelievable for Kropas.
"They told me that I had a full-term baby, ready to come, now. So I found out at 10:15 and I had her at 11:06," said the woman afterwards.
Without any prior planning (let alone any real warning) in this Weymouth woman gives birth case, it appears that Dan O’Keefe — boyfriend to Katie — was the first to learn the exciting confirmation. He quickly called both of her parents to inform them he was about to become a father and that there daughter had apparently been pregnant for almost nine months. The couple’s grandparents were also able to arrive at the hospital shortly before the 10-pound daughter’s entry into the world.
"I almost fell out of the chair,” said patriarch Richard Kropas in honest surprise. There was apparently nothing for it and no real warning at all. Thankfully, the newborn child was said to be born very healthy and without any complications, despite its unusual incubation time and altogether mysterious pregnancy for Katie. These exceedingly rare instances, those in which an expectant mother does not realize she was even pregnant in the first place until the moment she is about to give birth (often signified by lower back pain), are cited by medical professionals as “cryptic pregnancies.”
Out of roughly 3,500 births, an incident like this will probably only occur two to three times. One British study discovered that according to their research, s single pregnancy in 2,500 occurs in this unique manner. Most times, it will take place in woman that are overweight or are prone to inconsistent period cycles. The baby may also not be felt in the womb due to the placenta being placed in a more stable position.
"Very often, especially in your first pregnancy, you’re really not aware of what you’re feeling and we often have women joke and say they’re feeling gas pains or they can attribute it to other natural conditions," one doctor shared with CBS. It is unusual, but not unheard of; nonetheless, Katie Cropas considers herself very fortunate.
In addition to this interesting Weymouth woman gives birth to a 10-pound baby news, another cute little girl from Missouri made headlines this week for being born with two front teeth already in place. Called natal teeth, this equally rare condition occurs when a “third” set of pearly whites arrives before the baby teeth. They are cute, but may need to be removed in order to prevent being a choking hazard.
