Woman who didn’t know she was pregnant gives birth 20 MINUTES after being rushed to hospital with back pain
A MAN has told how he drove his wife to hospital after she complained of back pain — only to be told 20 minutes later: “Congratulations on your new baby.”
Mateusz Kotlarek, 27, and his wife Karolina, 25, say they had no idea she was pregnant before she gave birth last Wednesday night.
The couple were heading back to their home in Swords when Karolina began to feel increasingly unwell. When they pulled in to get petrol, she went to the bathroom and noticed she was bleeding.
They immediately headed for Beaumont Hospital and went to the ED, where Karolina was whisked away by staff.
Around 20 minutes later, a stunned Mateusz was informed he had a new baby son, whom they have since named Aleksander.
A 2002 study published in the British Medical Journal estimated the rate of such pregnancies at just one in every 2,500 births.
Pat O’Brien, consultant obstetrician and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “There are a number of reasons why women may not experience or notice typical pregnancy symptoms.
“Many women don’t experience sickness during pregnancy and others, particularly those who may be overweight, might not recognise that they have put on weight or feel the baby moving.
“It is possible for women to not be aware of their pregnancy, but it is still fairly rare.”