When 19-year-old Nadia Rhoads began to experience severe cramps in her side and back, she assumed it was appendicitis. After all, intense pain on one side is quite common for appendicitis.
However, it turned out it wasn’t her appendix. It was a baby.
‘I didn’t really have much of a reaction. I was just so shocked.’
The unsuspecting mum only discovered she was not only pregnant, but also in labour, after arriving at the hospital. Because she was taking birth control and still getting periods, she didn’t even think pregnancy was a possibility. She also remained at a size 14 throughout the pregnancy.
I texted my mum and I sent her a picture of the monitors and I was like ‘Um I’m in labour, just thought you should know!” Nadia said.
Guess what, you’re gonna be a dad.
It wasn’t just Nadia who got the shock of her life. Nadia’s boyfriend, Brad O’Donnell rushed his girlfriend to the hospital hoping she didn’t need her appendix out.
While he was waiting in his car, a nurse came out to inform him that he was about to become a dad and escort him to the delivery room.
Nadia gave birth to her daughter, Delaney Mae O’Donnell after 14 hours of labour. She was born weighing a healthy 3kg.
‘Always super tired’
Looking back, there were some signs of pregnancy but Nadia just passed them off as nothing. She continued to get her period around the same time each month and said she felt normal most of the time.
I had really bad back pain and I was always super tired. I didn’t think much of it because I was working full time on my feet for nine hours a day. I also started really liking spicy foods but I figured that I just started to like it.”
‘This isn’t fake’
Nadia admits that becoming a mum so unexpectedly threw her off at first and it took some time to adjust to life with a baby.
When we got home I was like ‘oh God, I have to do all this, this is all me now’.
This isn’t fake, this is real.
It was really crazy. Thankfully I had a lot of friends and family who helped us out to get us stuff. Everyone loves Delaney and she’s brought so much joy to all of our lives.”
Dinner, drinks, and baby
This isn’t the first time a new mum has unexpectedly given birth. It actually happens a lot more than you may think! Last month we shared a story of a mum who went out for dinner with her girlfriends, only to give birth a few hours later. Again, she had no idea she could possibly be pregnant. She did gain a bit of weight but blamed lockdown. #AsYouDo.
Sky-high delivery
Then there was a US woman who gave birth on an airplane. Again, she didn’t realise she was pregnant. Her baby was born slightly premature but is doing well now. Luckily for the new mum and bub there were several nurses on the flight that coached her through the unexpected birth.
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