A first-time mother from Costa Rica has given birth to a baby girl while visiting her relatives in without even realising she was pregnant.
Andrea Ramirez Soto said her cousin Gaby, 24, was staying at her Port Stephens home for three months on her first trip abroad and on the evening of September 13 – four days before she was due to go home – she went into labour.
Ms Ramirez Soto said Gaby’s pregnancy had resulted from a night out in Costa Rica where she had her drink spiked and was raped while intoxicated.
‘It’s been an up and down week for everyone,’ she told Daily Mail .
Gaby’s mother is flying to to help with the baby – who has been named Anya Victoria – and Ms Soto has launched a GoFundMe to support the new mum.
‘The donations will be used for travel expenses, baby essentials and support services for Gaby and the baby while they wait for documents to be finalised,’ she wrote.
‘The circumstances surrounding her pregnancy are, tragically, a story shared by many women around the world.
‘Nine months ago, Gaby was invited out for drinks with friends, expecting a fun, carefree evening. Hours later, she awoke with no memory of the night, only to discover that she had been drugged and assaulted.
‘This traumatic event left her with emotional and physical scars. In the months that followed, she tried to piece her life back together unaware that the assault had resulted in a pregnancy.’
Ms Ramirez Soto said Gaby had never looked pregnant but was always complaining about being tired and wanting to stay home.
‘On that day Gaby was having cramps and kept calling me,’ she said.
‘I told her I’d be home soon. She later thought she’d peed herself which turned out to be her water breaking.
‘She was reading online while I was having a drink with my husband then she said ”I think I’m pregnant” so we called an ambulance.’
Ms Ramirez Soto said a urine test confirmed the pregnancy.
‘She was already dilated six centimetres so I was acting as the doula and the interpreter as Gaby’s English isn’t great.’
Gaby arrived at John Hunter Hospital in New Lambton Heights at 8pm on Friday and the baby girl was born at 12pm the following day.
‘At first she didn’t want anything to do with the baby so I held it so it had skin to skin contact and she gradually warmed up over the next few days,’ Ms Ramirez Soto said.
‘She went from holding the baby to now breastfeeding.’
Ms Ramirez Soto said despite the extremely difficult circumstances Gaby wants to keep the baby, who is ‘very healthy’ according to doctors.
‘Some people have said to me horrible comments like ‘are you sure it really happened like that’ or ‘are you sure she didn’t know’. It’s shocking to me that in 2024 there can be victim blaming,’ she said.
Ms Ramirez Soto implored the community both in and her native Costa Rica to support her cousin.
‘No one should have to go through what Gaby has endured… We can help her take the next step toward a brighter future,’ she said.
‘From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your generosity, compassion, and support. Every little bit helps, we can give Gaby the chance to start anew surrounded by the love of her family.’
A cryptic pregnancy (or stealth pregnancy) is when a pregnant person doesn’t know they’re pregnant. In some cases, a person may only realise they’re pregnant because labor begins.
Most people realize they’re pregnant somewhere between four and 12 weeks of pregnancy. This could be because they have symptoms of pregnancy or because they missed their period. A positive result on a pregnancy test can confirm pregnancy. With a cryptic pregnancy, nothing triggers a person to believe they’re pregnant. This could be because they don’t have symptoms of pregnancy or mistake symptoms of pregnancy as a virus, or their pregnancy test result was wrong.
How common is a cryptic pregnancy?
Cryptic pregnancies are uncommon. Studies suggest about 1 in 475 pregnancies go unnoticed until about 20 weeks gestation. About 1 in 2,500 pregnancies go unnoticed until delivery.
Will a cryptic pregnancy show on a pregnancy test?
You should still get a positive pregnancy test with a cryptic pregnancy. However, using an at-home pregnancy test correctly is the only way to get an accurate result. If you don’t use it correctly, you may get a false negative (meaning you’re pregnant but the test says you aren’t). Be sure to follow the instructions on the package and wait several days after your missed period to take an at-home test.
If your symptoms don’t agree with your home pregnancy test result, it’s always best to have a healthcare provider confirm with a blood test.
What are the signs of cryptic pregnancy?
People with a cryptic pregnancy have the same symptoms as a normal pregnancy. The key difference is that the pregnant person doesn’t realize pregnancy is causing their symptoms. For example, they may think they’re nauseous from eating a certain food or that they’re tired because they need to sleep more.
Other symptoms include:
Missed period: While most people know they’re pregnant because they don’t get their period, this isn’t always the case. If your periods are always irregular, you may not realise you’ve missed your period due to pregnancy.
Spotting or light bleeding: Some people experience light spotting in early pregnancy and mistake it for a period.
False negative pregnancy test result: This means someone is actually pregnant, but their test says they aren’t pregnant. If you don’t use an at-home pregnancy test correctly, you may get an inaccurate result. To be sure, it’s always best to contact a healthcare provider to confirm a pregnancy.
Weight gain or swollen belly: Some people may not notice they’ve gained weight due to being pregnant, or they might attribute an unusually bloated belly to eating a certain food.
Fetal movement: Most people don’t feel the fetus move until about halfway through pregnancy. If you have an anterior placenta, the placenta’s in the front of your belly. This can make it harder to feel kicks. In the case of a cryptic pregnancy, this could be why you don’t realise you’re pregnant.
Not knowing symptoms of pregnancy: If you’re very young or have developmental disabilities, you may be unaware of common signs of pregnancy like a missed period, tender breasts or nausea.
Source: Cleveland Clinic