A woman who was unaware of her pregnancy recounted giving birth solo at the salon where she worked. She then cut the newborn’s umbilical cord using eyebrow scissors.
Bryony Mills-Evans stated that she initially believed she didn’t want children, yet found herself unexpectedly becoming a mother at 23 years old without experiencing any signs of pregnancy.
Mysterious pregnancies, wherein a woman remains oblivious of her pregnancy until much later stages, or as in Bryony’s situation, during labor itself, have been characterized as “uncommon, yet not extraordinarily so” by an esteemed professor of midwifery.
Following her recent realization that limited information exists regarding these types of pregnancies, Bryony has chosen to increase public knowledge. This way, those who have had comparable experiences can feel less isolated.
Research indicates that approximately 325 unexpected deliveries occur annually in the UK.
The cosmetologist was at work in Newtown, Powys, on the day she went into labor. After completing her final appointment, she experienced what she believed to be merely menstrual cramps.
“I was wearing tight leggings, so I moved to the relaxation chair at the rear to remove them, thinking it might help alleviate the discomfort,” she explained.
In less than 10 minutes after she lay down, her head was already out.
I assumed I was just going to the bathroom when I glanced down and saw her head.
Bryony instinctively started to push and gave birth to her 6lb 14 oz (3.1kg) baby girl, Willow.
"I didn't really know what to do. My phone had died and was in another room, so I just lay on the bed for a bit," she said.
After some time, I observed that her umbilical cord had turned white. Despite my lack of knowledge about infants, I used the pair of brow scissors nearby and clipped it before wrapping her tightly in numerous towels.
After having her second child, Bryony hurried to recharge her phone before making her way to the bathroom.
“I wasn’t aware that the placenta also had to be delivered. Maybe I got more anxious about it because I mistakenly believed it was another baby,” she remembered.
Following her call to 999, Bryony was admitted to the hospital.
As the paramedics questioned her during transit, she mentioned that she sent her mother a message saying, "I just gave birth; don’t worry, everything’s okay," before inquiring if she could join them at the location.
She mentioned, 'I believe I didn’t hold onto her until the following morning.'
I was certainly alarmed because I was just 23 and never imagined wanting children at all.
Bryony mentioned that she started to feel more relaxed only after her mom proposed that she should name her newborn.
I was stunned. People often tell me, 'surely you were terrified'.
I can hardly recall feeling terrified; it was more like one of those instances when you simply move forward since you kind of lack any other option.
Bryony mentioned that she didn't have any typical signs one might anticipate with pregnancy, such as a protruding belly.
“When people inquire ‘how could you not be aware?’ I usually respond ‘if your cycle occurs every month… why would you constantly check for pregnancy?’” she explained.
During her pregnancy, Bryony visited Alton Towers amusement park, riding all the attractions there. She also attended several music festivals and took a trip to Poland, which she thinks might have been on her actual due date.
Interestingly, she mentioned that her daughter Willow might have been up to two weeks late because of her "shrivelled old man" appearance.
"I've always dealt with back issues due to being 5'11" and hunching over during work, so this wasn’t anything out of the ordinary," she explained.
As stated by Helen Cheyne, a professor specializing in maternal and infant health research at the University of Stirling, the occurrence of a cryptic pregnancy similar to Bryony’s remains unexplained.
She stated, "This is actually one of those poorly understood phenomena, and I believe it’s quite challenging for individuals to grasp—how can a woman be unaware of her pregnancy?"
We often assume intuitively that 'naturally, a woman would realize she’s pregnant right away,' but historically, this wasn’t always true.
Professor Cheyne mentioned that prior to contemporary pregnancy tests, women depended on less obvious indications such as sensing fetal movement, an experience that usually occurs around 20 weeks for those who are pregnant for the first time.
She mentioned that there isn’t a specific medical definition for a cryptic pregnancy and noted that there’s also a lack of gathered information about these cases.
"They are uncommon, yet not extremely so," she stated.
A majority of my midwife associates have encountered it or at least heard about it within their clinical practice.
In the early 1980s, when Prof Cheyne was serving as a midwife, she encountered a 40-something-year-old woman who already had children. This woman asserted that she had experienced a concealed pregnancy.
The woman believed that she was going through menopause, which explained her perception of gaining weight and experiencing the cessation of her menstrual cycle.
Professor Cheyne stated that since very few pregnancies are cryptic, women do not need to worry about this issue.
When Bryony was born, she had already been apart from Willow's father, Robert Evans, for several months.
Since he was out of town for the weekend when she went into labor, the new mother informed him about their daughter's sudden birth a couple of days later.
"I was thrilled when he immediately called me back and came over to see her just the following morning," she shared.
We spent the entire day inside the house, soaking everything up...it was certainly necessary before venturing into the actual world.
After six months as parents, the couple reignited their love affair.
Four years following Willow's arrival into the world, the family was blessed with their second offspring, Parker Mills-Evans.
Bryony mentioned that her second pregnancy was a totally different experience.
All that I shared with Parker was absent in my relationship with [Willow].
Willow has just turned five, and Bryony admitted that she can’t picture her life without the little one whom she didn’t even realize she was expecting.
“I chose to recently share my experience because I’ve come to understand just how little support and information exists regarding cryptic pregnancies,” she stated.
I wish for the other women who have experienced similar situations to understand that they are not alone; there are others going through the same thing.
- Mysterious pregnancy: 'I had 4 weeks to set everything right'
- 'I had only two seconds to get ready for childbirth.'
- After emerging from a coma, I discovered that my baby had arrived.
- Mom feels she has 'nothing to lose' by storing her infant's stem cells.