A woman has told how she gave birth without even realising she was pregnant, despite being on the contraceptive pill.
Waitress Jodi-Marie Ash from Basildon, Essex, had a stomach ache and thought nothing more of it, but next thing she knew she was giving birth at the end of her eight-hour shift.
Jodi-Marie started feeling excruciating pain and was rushed to hospital. However when the 20-year-old arrived she was not only told that she was pregnant but discovered she was already in labour.
The new mum was on the contraceptive pill throughout her pregnancy though admits that she had sometimes forgotten to take it - but as a size 10 with no bump and no other symptoms, she had no idea she was pregnant.
Jodi-Marie said: "I went to hospital with a stomach ache and came out with a baby.
"I thought the pain was appendicitis, stomach ache or I'd eaten something wrong - I was thinking of all these sorts of things but didn't think for a second that I was in labour.
"I didn't have any symptoms - I was on my period the whole time and wasn't sick or nauseous at all."
Advert
While her situation is extremely rare, the young mum also claims she had a negative pregnancy test just five months before giving birth, as her friend had been too scared to do one on her own so Jodi had taken one, too, for moral support.
She even went clubbing for her 18th birthday and climbed the 02 Arena while blissfully unaware that she was carrying her baby - as images show Jodi posing with her birthday balloons with no signs of a bump.
Jodi-Marie said she woke up on May 12th 2019 and, despite having a few stomach problems, went to work. But when she was picked up that evening she couldn't sit still as she was in so much pain.
When she arrived home she tried painkillers and a Tens machine but by 11:30pm her daughter's father called 111 and shortly afterwards an ambulance arrived to whisk her to hospital.
Advert
Jodi-Marie said: "The doctor said to me 'oh, we're going to do a pregnancy test on you' and I was like 'right ok' and it came back positive.
"After he said I was pregnant I said straight away 'why am I in so much pain though?' Because being pregnant doesn't mean you should be in that much pain.
"He said that they had to send me for some more tests and I was on the wheelchair going to the delivery room not knowing I was going there and the porter told me I was about to give birth.
"I think I was shocked and surprised more than anything - it was all a bit surreal.
"The whole night was a blur and did go really quickly but at the time I just remember thinking that I just had to get the baby out."
After under an hour of active labour, her baby girl Skyla was born at 1:57am weighing 6lbs 12oz.
The young mum said that both her family and Skyla's father's family were on hand throughout the whole process and helped to provide supplies for their newborn baby at such short notice.
Jodi-Marie said: "Everyone was really supportive so we didn't have to run around and do much to be honest.
"I rang my mum and dad and just put it on Facebook for everyone else to see - I didn't want to have to ring up everyone and be like 'this has happened'.
"My friends were just as shocked as I was - my colleagues said 'you were pregnant? You would never have known'.
"What they say about a mother's instinct is true because I sort of just knew I had to do it.
"At the time I was like 'wow' as anyone would be in their right mind but after all of that died down - I wouldn't have it any other way."
Advert
It's important to note that the contraceptive pill is 99.7 per cent effective, when taken properly, so the chances of such a situation happening to you are incredibly slim.
While little Skyla came as a surprise, it's safe to say Jodi-Marie now feels blessed to have the surprise arrival in her life.
Featured Image Credit: Kennedy