A cryptic pregnancy, also commonly called a covert pregnancy, is a very unique kind of pregnancy in which a pregnant woman carries the weight of her pregnancy period without quite being aware of it until way too long-sometimes, even until she’s about to give birth. This pregnancy is likely to baffle many, if not most, women who experience it and oftentimes goes is not diagnosed, causing women to remain ignorant of their pregnancies until the moment of delivery.
This time, we will analyze its essence, compare with the ordinary pregnancy, mention the characteristics, and present how it is managed.
What Is a Cryptic Pregnancy?
In a cryptic pregnancy, a woman is said to be expectant but fails to appreciate the usually prevalent signs and symptoms of pregnancy. For some women, the pregnancy can remains hidden for months and even labour might be the period when some are surprised to find that they are pregnant. As much as it sounds elusive, a cryptic pregnancy should be differentiated from a concealed pregnancy – where all the signs are purposefully ignored. In a cryptic pregnancy, the woman produces no signs or symptoms that she herself however interprets as pregnancy.
This certain condition of pregnancy happens in very rare cases, but it is still more frequent than what most people assume. Recent estimates have proposed that 1 in 475 pregnancies can be cryptic, although this figure can differ with respect to the demographic studied.
That cannot be said that they never had one. Why Would Someone Adventitious Pregnancy Occur? In such a scenario, different reasons are responsible. In particular, following issues might contribute to the problem of concealing the pregnancy more than it zanths: I: Unusual signs of Pregnancy: Of such women, some demonstrate very mild signs of predisposition to pregnant condition or their signs are confused with something more reasonable such as tensions or weight gains and so on.
Those with a history of Irregular Cycles: For vacuum conception, women with polysystic ovary females will have distinct cycles; hence the steplike alteration of the tipped end will not be valuated through the foetal growth development scan as timed when there ate no cases.
Rejection or Mistaken Evaluation: It may be seen that for some women learning that they are pregnant is not as easy due to certain life situations for instance because they were unaware that the man has issues with conceiving. This in some instance may also be combined with a psychological barrier preventing the woman from becoming aware of her pregnancy.
Absence of Movements of the Fetus: Women experiencing a covered pregnancy may deny feeling from any movement within their womb or they tend to avoid misinterpret any body movements to be gas keeping or digestion taking place inside.
Little or No Growth of the Abdomen: Thank s but I enlarged due to the pregnancy or thanks but I have a naturally big belly – that is how it goes, In some situations, the patient’s abdomen may not enlarge much or didn’t enlarge due variable reasons such as the attitude of the fetus or body structure of the patient.
Hormones: There are such women who may present normal hormone profiles but these features do not occur; for instance, they do not have the urge to vomit or tenderness in their breasts.
Cryptic Pregnancy Symptoms And Signs
The signs of cryptic pregnancy in women cannot be generalized as they are bound to differ. Some women may get a few mild signs while others none at all. There are some common signs and symptoms that may suggest a cryptic pregnancy:
Absence of Menses: Most women, upon missing their menses, will take it as the earliest sign of pregnancy. In cases where the cycles are erratic however, this may be overlooked. While some women may still experience a small amount of bleeding which would be interpreted as a period.
No Weight Gain: Most women carrying a pregnancy that is concealed will carry on with their wallets regarding weight gain such that making the pregnancy difficult to ascertain especially when they are in clothes.
No Obvious Pregnancy Symptoms: A number of women may not show normal signs of pregnancy such as food aversion, breast engorgement pain or lethargy which makes it possible for her to go on the full term without anyone noticing that she is pregnant.
Minimal To No Belly Bump: The pregnancy may still remain a secret to both the woman and other people because there has been minimal or no growth of the abdomen. In some instances, when the uterus is enlarged, it may be situated behind other reproductive organs and not be visible or may be tucked inside the pelvis.
Normal To Lower Pregnancy Symptoms: There are instances where one may not even know that she is pregnant until the baby is a few months old. A woman may have mild nausea, slight hunger, or increased appetite but she will not link it with pregnancy.
False Negative Pregnancy Tests: For instance, a situation where a woman may have taken several home tests and all of them are negative may happen. This is most likely where the test is conducted before the right time or when the hormone level is low.
Lower Abdominal Pain and Backpain: These symptoms might be confused with other ones, but sometimes they are connected with the preparation of the body to give birth.
Signs of Labor: The most prominent manifestation of the occurrence of a hidden pregnancy is labor. Women labor even when they have no prior warning or indication.
The Recognition of Cryptic Pregnancy
The identification of cryptic pregnancy remains complicated as the normal manifestations of pregnancy may be absent or very minimal. In cases where a woman goes into labor without knowing she was pregnant before, doctors would most likely perform ultrasound first to rule out any foreign entity.
The following are the standard principles adopted when confirming a diagnosis of cryptic pregnancy:
Pregnancy Tests. Initially, the results of pregnancy tests may be negative due to the tendency to perform the test before the hormones have kicked in or when the levels are already quite low.
Blood Tests. Bloods taken are especially useful in those cases where a home test has been inconclusive since they measure the levels of the hormone hCG in the blood thus can aide in proving the existence of pregnancy.
Ultrasound: In cases of cryptic pregnancies, an ultrasound is the most reliable technique for diagnosis since it can identify the presence of the growing fetus and approximate the length of gestation.
What distinguishes a cryptic pregnancy from other types of pregnancies?
Cryptic pregnancies are commonly mistaken for hidden pregnancies whereby a female might intentionally refrain from making her condition known to others despite the fact that she knows she is pregnant. A hidden pregnancy may arise due to mental or sociocultural issues, while in the case of a cryptic pregnancy, there are actual physiological reasons as to why a woman would not known she is already pregnant.
Another distinction is that the incidence of cryptic pregnancy is more often observed when the pregnancy is at an advanced stage, sometimes when labor starts, while in cases of concealed or hidden pregnancy, subjects may be aware of their condition but choose to hide it.
We recommend that you visit a doctor or health care provider if you have got reasons to suspect a cryptic pregnancy due to missed periods, non-specific complaints or sensations. He or she will be able to make diagnosis of pregnancy and assist you in all the aspects of your health management in the future.
A specialist will also help exlcude differential diagnoses like ovarian cysts or tumors which may your become pregnancy-like symptoms.
Conclusion:
A cryptic pregnancy is an unusual phenomenon where a woman remains unaware of her gestation until quite far in the term; this can even extend to the time of actual delivery. While it can be shocking, and often hard to spot, such a condition when properly diagnosed and treated, poses no threat to the maternal or fetal well-being. In any case, if you are in doubt because of any uncommon features, or if you simply suspect you are pregnant without knowing, it will be beneficial to seek help from a health care practitioner for answers and appropriate management for you and the baby.
