Oh, Baby: Woman Gets 14-Pound 'Surprise' — But How?

Oh, Baby: Woman Gets 14-Pound 'Surprise' — But How?

Jennifer Gerson UffalussyFebruary 8,2015

If you’ve always wondered how it’s possible to be pregnant without knowing it, we’ve got the answers.

A woman in Tampa, Florida made news this weekend after giving birth to a 14.1 pound baby — which is a remarkable accomplishment in its own right. But even more amazing? She did so shortly after learning she was pregnant.

Maxxzandra Ford didn't find out she was with child until she was already 35-weeks into her pregnancy, well into her third and final trimester.

She joins a ratified club of mothers with babies that came as a near — or total — surprise. Katie Kropas of Massachusettsdidn’t realize she was pregnant until she went into labor with her daughter Ellie, who was born in early January weighing over 10 pounds. And just last week, Nicole Harris of Tennessee gave birth to her 6.7 pound son in her bathtub. She thought she wasn't feeling well but quickly realized she was actually having a baby — which she safely delivered by herself, while her boyfriend was sleeping in their bedroom.Harris told her local ABC station she was shocked by the birth because she had not experienced any pregnancy signs or symptoms.

Maxxzandra Ford’s baby boy, Avery, shortly after birth. 

While many people find themselves dully horrified and fascinated by tales like these — enough so to form a legion of fans for the show I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant — about one in every 475 women may not know she is pregnant until she is 20 weeks along, about a month and a half into her second trimester. One in every 2445 women will not know she is pregnant after 20 weeks, and one in every 7225 women will not realize she is pregnant until the moment of delivery.

How is it possible to be pregnant and not realize it?  

Holly Sternberg, MD, an obstetrician and gynecologist with Atlanta Women’s Obstetrics and Gynecology in Atlanta, Georgia tells Yahoo Health that “the power of denial” can be very strong in some women, leading them to fail to recognize a pregnancy despite a changing body and other pregnancy symptoms.

She does note, however, that obese women or women with irregular periods may take longer to detect a pregnancy as a result of having a harder time noticing the physical changes that initially denote pregnancy.