I’m a mum-of-three and my twins were born 11 months apart – being ‘shocked’ when my baby turned up is an understatement
HAVING two children – one of which is a newborn – can be challenging enough as it is.
So spare a thought for a woman named Ashley, who was in for the shock of her life after experiencing a cryptic pregnancy…and welcoming another child just 11 months after her last.
The mum-of-three explained how her son was born on the 4th February, while her surprise baby arrived on 27th December, meaning they’re Irish twins – a pair of siblings born less than 12 months apart.
Ashley experienced no symptoms and had what is known as a cryptic pregnancy – when medical testing methods fail to detect a pregnancy and usual symptoms like vomiting, periods and showing a bump do not occur.
In a clip shared to TikTok, she penned: “When you have a cryptic pregnancy and have your baby in the bathroom on Christmas vacation in Florida so you call your sister to tell her she has a new piece.”
Ashley can then be seen FaceTiming her sister and pointing the camera at her surprise baby.
Confused when the newborn baby appears, her sister asks: “Who the f*** is that? Hello?”
An amused Ashley can be heard laughing as she announces: “That’s your new niece!”
In disbelief, her sister asks: “I’m sorry, what? What did you just say to me? You’re lying.”
The mum-of-three replies: “I swear to God!”
What is a cryptic pregnancy?
A cryptic pregnancy is where conventional medical testing methods fail to detect when a person is expecting, according to Healthline.
Known as a stealth pregnancy, cryptic pregnancies are considered rare and women who experience a pregnancy of this kind tend not to show typical symptoms of pregnancy, including vomiting, fatigue, nausea or abdominal swelling resembling a bump.
Women can appear to have regular periods too, as fluctuating hormones can lead to slight bleeding that resembles menstruation.
Ashley captioned the post: “Shocked is an understatement (for everyone).”
The post quickly went viral, garnering a whopping 26.3 million views and several comments from very intrigued social media users.
“Was it stressful to have to get everything you needed on such short notice?” asked one.
Ashley replied: “Luckily friends and family have really jumped in to help .”
A second questioned: “Was the baby not full term??? or prematurely.”
Ashley responded: “We aren’t sure. They think she was full term based on her size but there’s no telling without ultrasounds”
A third commented: “But, you and baby are all ok though? That must have been an experience for you! Make sure you take the time to do some self care. Trauma comes in all forms and you’ll need to process.”
The mum-of-three replied: “Thank you! It’s definitely been a shock and an adjustment. Getting used to our new “normal” and learning to bond.”
Meanwhile, a fourth noted: “I was today years old when I found out cryptic pregnancies existed! Also…congrats!”
Another penned: “This is why I take random pregnancy tests for no reason.”
And a further added: “Had an 8th grade English teacher who had a cryptic pregnancy. She had the baby in the teachers lounge bathroom.”