Know What Is Cryptic Pregnancy

Cryptic pregnancy is defined as a pregnancy where the woman is unaware that she is pregnant for many months. It is also  called a stealthy pregnancy. As per experts, aabout 1:475 pregnancies going unnoticed until 20 weeks and 1:2500 until about delivery.

Women with lactational amenorrhea who have delivered recently and are breastfeeding the newborn may not know when they are ovulating and are unaware of the fertile period. Unprotected Intercourse during this time may result in a Cryptic pregnancy. They may be under a false impression that the periods are missed as they are feeding the baby. On the contrary, they could be pregnant unknowingly for almost 12-14 weeks.

Patients with PCOS have irregular and unpredictable cycles, due to which they may not be able to track safe and unsafe periods during the periods and end up getting pregnant.

Perimenopausal age group women can still ovulate and become pregnant, although they feel old with no chance of pregnancy. Missed periods during this period are usually mistaken for perimenopausal irregular cycles, but they can be a sign of pregnancy as well.

Many women may think that oral contraceptive pills are a complete birth control modality. However, there is a very low possibility of failure, which may lead to unintended pregnancy. In such cases, women might not consider the possibility of being pregnant because they assume the pills provide complete protection.

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Usually, all symptoms similar to a normal pregnancy can be seen in a cryptic pregnancy, but they tend to go unnoticed.

Missed periods – generally mistaken for irregular cycles, and the woman thinks very unlikely of an existing pregnancy.

Vaginal spotting or bleeding – this early pregnancy symptom can be mistaken for irregular cycles or a scanty period.

Weight gain – Sometimes, the woman may feel she is gaining weight while being unaware of the pregnancy and baby bump. Many women may not be able to recognise fetal movements for various reasons like the placenta lying anteriorly, being overweight or obese, etc.

Diagnosing cryptic pregnancy follows the same process as that of a normal pregnancy. A simple blood test (serum beta HCG) can provide an accurate result of pregnancy. Furthermore, a routine Ultrasound will be needed to confirm it and related points.