Bryony Mills-Evans, a 28-year-old beautician from Caersws, Powys, was dealing with what she thought were period pains. Throughout her workday, she dismissed the cramps, but things took an unexpected turn that night. As she was closing the shop, the pain worsened, and she felt a tightness around her middle. It felt as if my leggings were too small, she recalls. She lay down hoping the pain would pass, but the cramps grew stronger.
After about 20 minutes, she felt something unexpected. A head popped out between my legs. She was in shock, realizing she was actually in labor, even though she had no idea she was pregnant. She had no symptoms—no morning sickness, no bump, and no cravings. She’d even had periods every month.
Bryony thought about how this could have happened. She was 23, not planning to be a mom yet, and was no longer in a relationship with the father. It was all so overwhelming. She didn’t know what to do at first, so she froze, with the baby still attached to the umbilical cord. After some time, she was able to wrap her daughter in towels and call for an ambulance.
Her experience is not as rare as it sounds. This is known as a cryptic pregnancy, where a woman doesn’t realize she’s pregnant until much later. A study from 2023 found this can happen in about 1 in 475 pregnancies at 20 weeks and 1 in 2,500 at full term.
In Bryony’s case, she had no obvious signs of pregnancy. Some women don’t gain weight, have sickness, or even a visible bump. Irregular periods may make it harder to notice. In Bryony’s case, she hadn’t been with anyone since her breakup with Rob, the father.
Bryony had no time to prepare for motherhood, but she eventually reached out to Rob, who was supportive. They reconnected and started raising their daughter Willow together. Now, with a second child, Parker, life is very different, and Bryony couldn’t imagine life without Willow.
