Are You Pregnant? Signs & Symptoms Reasons for a Hidden and Denied Pregnancy By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH LinkedIn Twitter Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor. Learn about our editorial process Updated on October 31, 2022 Medically reviewed by Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG Medically reviewed by Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). He is the director and founding partner of CCRM New York and was named a rising star by Super Doctors from 2017 to 2019. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print andy bennett photographer / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Overview Hidden Pregnancy Signs Reasons for Denied Pregnancy Frequency of Denied Pregnancy Frequency of Denied Labor We’ve all seen the news stories and TV shows. A proud mother is cradling her newborn, but looking baffled: She didn’t know she was pregnant until she was in labor. For those who have been pregnant before, this may seem impossible. After all, how can you miss all of the signs and symptoms of pregnancy? Most women are very anxious to take a pregnancy test the minute their period is late. Overview There are two situations in which a woman wouldn't be aware of her pregnancy. Both suggest that there are significant psychological issues at work. Hidden pregnancies are those that are intentionally hidden: The mom knows she's pregnant but doesn't admit it. Denied, or negated, pregnancies occur when the mother does not notice the symptoms of pregnancy. Hidden Pregnancy Signs Signs of a hidden pregnancy are the same as regular pregnancy signs, though they may sometimes be less pronounced. Abdominal swelling (a baby bump)FatigueLack of menstruationLower back painNauseaIncreased appetiteUnexpected weight gain Reasons for Denied Pregnancy Why would a mother choose to ignore a pregnancy—or deny that she is pregnant? There can be many medical reasons. Symptoms of pregnancy, such as morning sickness, do not appear—or appear in unexpected ways (morning sickness at night, for example). The pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, and the mother does not acknowledge that she is pregnant due to the trauma of the event. The mother is an athlete who is training hard enough that early pregnancy is not physically obvious. The mother has taken a pregnancy test which gave incorrect negative results. The mother has an irregular menstrual cycle and, thus, does not miss her period until she is several weeks or even months pregnant. The mother is obese and thus is unaware of the additional weight or pressure she might otherwise feel. How Medications Can Affect Pregnancy Test Results While some hidden pregnancies make sense, some are the result of psychosis. The mother has literally hidden her own physical state from herself until the baby is actually born. Frequency of Denied Pregnancy According to medical research, the state of denied pregnancy is not uncommon. In about 1 in 475 pregnancies, women are unaware of pregnancy until 20 weeks gestation or longer. This means that this occurs more often than Rh disease and some other conditions we think of as fairly rare. Frequency of Denied Labor While it is a bit more rare to not know of a pregnancy until you’re in labor, about one in 2,455 births happen under this circumstance (according to the same study that found the 1 in 475 figure). To that into perspective, it means that a woman is three times more likely to give birth without knowing she was pregnant as to give birth to triplets (1 in 7,225 pregnancies). In a country the size of Germany, where the research was conducted, this means that about 300 mothers a year would not know they were pregnant until they started labor. The researchers proposed that a specific category of medical classification be added under reproductive dysfunction for negated pregnancies. This would include denied or concealed pregnancies. It may also include false pregnancy (pseudocyesis), obsessive desire to have children and other pathological behavior of a mother towards her offspring. 15 Early Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs A Word From Verywell This is not something that happens only in a certain subset of women. Hidden or denied pregnancy can happen in every socioeconomic group, race, religion, etc. Being unaware of pregnancy, even for only the first 20 weeks, has the potential to risk the health of both mother and baby. If you are sexually active and you experience persistent, unexplained weight gain, missed periods, or any other symptom that could be associated with pregnancy, seek medical attention. 2 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Stammers K, Long N. Not your average birth: considering the possibility of denied or concealed pregnancy. Case Reports. 2014;2014(may29 1):bcr2014204800-bcr2014204800. doi: 10.1136/bcr-2014-204800. Wessel J, Buscher U. Denial of pregnancy: population based study. BMJ. 2002;324(7335):458. doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7335.458 Additional Reading Jenkins A, Millar S, Robins J. Denial of pregnancy: A literature review and discussion of ethical and legal issues. J R Soc Med. 2011;104(7):286-91. doi:10.1258/jrsm.2011.100376 Stammers K, Long N. Not your average birth: Considering the possibility of denied or concealed pregnancy. BMJ Case Rep. 2014;2014. doi:10.1136/bcr-2014-204800 By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit