A Massachusetts woman thought she was in menopause and suffering from a gall bladder attack when she went to the Beverly Hospital emergency room, but after receiving the diagnosis that she was pregnant, she delivered a bouncing baby girl an hour later, according to The Boston Globe.
Judy Brown, 47, and her husband Jason have been married for 22 years, and baby Carolyn Rose is the first baby for the stunned couple.
"It was a little bit scary getting into the hospital thinking something was really bad was going on," Judy said. "To understand and take in that was I pregnant and was about to go into labor ... it was very overwhelming."
Judy never even fathomed being pregnant, as she just attributed her weight gain with normal aging.
"I felt like I was turning into my mother," Judy said, WCVB reported.
"After being married for 22 years, it really wasn't coming up being pregnant," she added. "It was not really there in my mind."
Dr. Kimberly Gecsi, an obstetrician and gynecologist at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, said that it is not that far-fetched for women to not know they are pregnant, according to ABC News. Rare, yes, but it definitely happens.
"People don't know sometimes or they're in denial about it and denial can be pretty strong," Gecsi said.
Gecsi added that women even in their late 40s often think they are menopausal and do not even believe they can get pregnant.
"Most physicians who see women in their 40s should be counseling them on [contraception,]" said Gecsi.
The Browns are borrowing a bassinet and a car seat to leave the hospital and bring home baby Carolyn. Friends and family are excited about the baby, running around getting things needed for the new family.
