With pregnancy comes those unmistakable symptoms such as morning sickness, fatigue, backache and oedema. A pregnant woman might also gain some weight and feel those adorable little kicks. But, for some, pregnancy might seem to be an unnoticed phenomenon. Something, which is known as cryptic pregnancy. 

Cryptic pregnancy or “stealth” or “denied” pregnancy, is a kind of pregnancy, which conventional medical methods fail to detect. TV shows like “I didn’t know I was Pregnant” is an example of cryptic pregnancy.

Basically, in this kind of pregnancy a woman might think that she’s pregnant at first, but only to be told by the doctor earlier on from her urine tests that, her pregnancy is not possible. However, on the flip side, it can be far more depressing and equally confusing for a woman to find out about her pregnancy when she might be in her third trimester. Sometimes, pregnancy gets denied until labour begins.   

So, what Are The Symptoms of Cryptic Pregnancy?

A home pregnancy test normally affirms a “positive” result, after a woman skips her periods. Adding on to this, are some of the noticeable symptoms of pregnancy like swollen breasts, mood swings, fatigue, and nausea. But, that’s not all. A urine test, a blood test, even an ultrasound under the supervision of a gynae might further confirm her pregnancy. 

In cryptic pregnancy conditions, there is either no match with the above pregnancy symptoms or the symptoms might be present, but that would be so mild that, it would almost go unnoticed. In fact, in this case, the pregnancy reports may turn out to be negative, even after a woman has missed her periods. 

What Is The Reason Behind Cryptic Pregnancy? 

Cryptic pregnancy is common in 1 out of every 475 women, across the world and the conditions are:

• Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), creates hormonal disbalance and dismisses ovulation, thus giving rise to denied pregnancy.
  
  
• Methods of preventing pregnancy, such as taking birth control pills or getting an intrauterine device (IUD) done is to be blamed,
  
  
• Irregular menstrual cycle: A woman may not experience many periods in a year, but when she’s bleeding her cycle is more than the average 28 days. Therefore, her absence of periods after sexual intercourse may not be signaling towards her pregnancy every time,
  
  
• Spotting: which usually occurs during pregnancy, might be a sign in a cryptic pregnant condition also. But it occurs as light bleeding, which is surely not a pregnancy sign.
  
  
• Age: reduces the chances of fertility. And infertility diagnosis might increase the chances of denied pregnancy.
  
  
• Overweight: Being plus-size, the belly can be camouflaged as pregnancy.
  
  
• Involving in high-impact sports, during the pre-pregnancy days, may give rise to low levels of some hormones, signaling denial in pregnancy. 

Is Cryptic Pregnancy Harmful for the Baby?

In cryptic pregnancy, a woman doesn’t realise that she’s pregnant and therefore she’s not even in a position to get prenatal care. That means, she may not eat as much as required for a healthy pregnancy and might engage in some unhealthy habits such as consuming alcohol, or smoking. That not be safe for the developing baby, in the womb. Moreover, a cryptic pregnant, due to anterior placental placement, the foetal movements are not properly felt.  In fact, sometimes it seems to be similar to gastritis. Since a cryptic pregnant mother does not even realise that her labour has begun, therefore, there are chances of her giving birth to babies prematurely. Plus, some babies are born with low birth weights. Doctors examine the size and condition of the baby after-birth to determine, whether the baby needs special treatment.  

To Conclude

Cryptic pregnancy is a real condition. So, if you are getting pregnancy symptoms and are getting a negative home pregnancy test, consult with your doctor.

Waiting for about a week or so may not hurt the baby, but delaying might give you adverse results. 

Hence the sooner you consult, the better it is. Don’t forget the common first-trimester pregnancy tests to assure yourself.