"Oh my God, oh my God, she's having a... baby. Please help... please help... please help."

[PSPS]

Baby born in Vancouver, Wash. McDonald's restaurant

12:25 PM PST on Tuesday, January 1, 2008

JACK PENNING / KGW

VANCOUVER, Wash. - A McDonald's bathroom was turned into a delivery room in Vancouver, as a woman gave birth in one the the stalls, with a 16-year old McDonald's employee acting as her nurse. What's more, the woman didn't even know she was pregnant. She just thought she was sick. She had cramps. But it turns out, she was 7 months pregnant, and now she's a mom to a little boy who survived an incredible birth.

Jaynae Herrera was working on her normal shift on Dec. 21, when a 27-year old woman said she needed help. Herrera said the woman, "Said that her stomach hurt and she was bleeding. That's all she said. She didn't go into detail."

Herrera quickly called 911 for help. On a copy of the 911 tape from that night, she can be heard telling the operator, "One of the ladies - she says she's having cramps and gushing blood."

(snip)

Doctors say the baby was carried to about seven months. They say the mother didn't know she was pregnant because the baby had a problem that caused him to be especially "quiet" in the womb. He's been named "Austin Allen," and he's expected to be just fine.

A little more, including the 911 call here:
http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_010108WAB_mcdonalds_baby_SW.734d43fd.html?npc

[ingac70]

1. Anybody here carry a baby to term (or near term)....

without clue one you were preggers?

[MichaelHarris]

3. Why do you hate

McJesus?

[orleans]

12. yes. a friend's sister. the baby was fine and no one had a fucking

clue until she was in labor. even then--it took her older brother (who was already a father of two) to go into the bedroom and inform the girl & their mom that she was having a baby

i never realized people/things could be so weird

(it's still hard to believe)

[madokie]

17. one of our dear friends didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth

she and her sister were shopping when Janie said to her sister my stomach hurts something fierce so her sis took her to the emergency room where she gave birth to her first baby, a boy. we laugh about the shortest pregnancy ever of a whole sum total of about an hour.

It happens

[OzarkDem]

20. Was she already overweight?

I've never been able to understand how the growth of a woman's stomach during pregnancy could go unnoticed for several months.

How does that happen?

[madokie]

30. Yes and the doc told her she carried the baby in her hips

or something like that. She honestly did not know she was pregnant and she was not a dumbass either, in fact a successful person in the work world.

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

41. Depends

The first pregnancy will have much less growth than subsequent pregnancies so if you deliver early enough (6-7 mos) you may have a 'bump' but unless you're a stick it could just seem like you've put on a few pounds.. What I dont get is how a woman can miss upwards of 4 or five periods without knowing ( I can see missing one or two) But I did have a friend who continued to have her period for the first two months..

[alcibiades_mystery]

46. Yowza

Here's the wife at 8 months of first pregnancy. She usually weighs about 110!

[DadOf2LittleAngels]

47. My wife was pretty pgernant as well but Ive know people who barely show

at 7 mos... They were a bit on the heavy side (not fat but full figured) and it was their first..

[JuniperLea]

70. With my first...

I didn't show at all until I was seven months along... then, BOOM! He weighed 9 lbs.

[knitter4democracy]

63. If a woman doesn't get her period often, she's used to going months without it.

That's what happened to my high school friend's wife. It wasn't unusual for her to go over a year between periods, which was why she was on the pill. She still got preggers, against all the odds, and didn't know it until she was in labor at the hospital.

[Maine-ah]

23. yep, Had the girl in the toilet and baby ended up with pneumonia

beautiful little girl too, perfectly normal. She's my niece's cousin. Though most of us think she knew.

[donsu]

33. agree - your whole body gets pregnant. how sore, swollen breasts

and nipples can be ignored is beyond me.

[AlCzervik]

38. i carried a baby to term, for the first 2 months i thought i had the flu---duh.

the really sore and newly HUGH!!!??? boobies should have clued me in sooner that i was pregnant. I cannot imagine how a person can be almost ready to give birth and not know, i think maybe it's some deep down denial.

[TwilightGardener]

50. I don't get it either. I will never understand it--my first clue was also

my boobies. My bras suddenly didn't fit and there was unbearable tenderness, all in the course of a couple days--I couldn't wear them at all. I thought it was just a crazier-than-normal hormone swing before my period...and then it didn't show up. But I'm very short, and I looked positively ridiculous by month 7, like I swallowed a beach ball. Couldn't even tie my own shoes.

[raccoon]

55. Exactly. Wouldn't she wonder why her periods stopped? nt

[Beaverhausen]

60. I knew someone who kept having periods - so she didn't know until 6 months

it's rare but not impossible.

[knitter4democracy]

39. The wife of a high school friend did.

I saw her when she was about five months along and never would've guessed she was preggers at all. She only gained 15 pounds and thought she was having GI trouble her frosh year of college. When the pain got really bad, she went to the ER. When the nurse asked her the due date, she got upset, saying there was no way she'd be preggers and not know.

She'd been told she was infertile, she was on the pill, they used condoms, and she still got pregnant. She had to call her fiance, now hubby, from the ER and tell him she was in labor with the baby they didn't know they were having. Beautiful baby girl and totally healthy (just a quiet one in the womb, apparently).

[madamesilverspurs]

59. It does happen.

Many years ago, I was visiting a friend who'd just had her baby in Albuquerque. I'd stepped down the hall to view the babies in the nursery and got to chatting with an older woman there. She had a rather bemused expression, which was explained when she told me that after six children and numerous grandchildren she'd thought she was done when her periods stopped nine months previous...

[helderheid]

54. My stepfather's niece did.

[RoadRage]

61. Happened to a Friend of mine..

She didn't find out until she was 6 & 1/2 months pregnant. She had endimitriosis.. and had been trying for a few years. Decided to do fertility drugs, so they actually put you on the pill to NOT get pregnant for 6 months before you try again. She took a pregnancy test (just to be sure) the day before she started the drugs and it was negative. She was already a bit over weight (5'8 - 190 lbs) so she didn't notice when she put on 10 lbs. Also.. the drugs and Endimitriosis cause missed periods, so she didn't really didn't think much about it.

Six months later she goes into her OB to get off the drugs and start "trying" again.. only to find out she's due in 9 weeks.. not 9 months. She had a cute little guy named Jacob.. totally healthy.

Crazy story, but true!

[JuniperLea]

69. My mom did...

And the doctor told her she had an ovarian cyst... that's why I call my sister, my cyster:)

[ingac70]

72. .....

:rofl:

[MadAnne]

73. Yep, had a friend who had no idea she was

pregnant. She was a pharmacist and probably a size 6 or 8. With me there was absolutely no doubt. I totally don't understand this either.

[Matariki]

78. yes. close to 6 month. periods every month.

[lvx35]

2. "My name is Austin Allen, and I was born in the bathroom of a McDonalds restaraunt"

poor kid is in for an interesting life!

[aquart]

6. I'm thinking junk food comped for life.

[Ilsa]

28. I hope the Newman salad is part of that comped food. nt

[liberalnurse]

13. My money was on her calling

him Ronald. :evilgrin:

[Swamp Rat]

14. LOLOLOL!!!!!

:rofl:

[A HERETIC I AM]

16. Or maybe "Mac"

and he could be "Little Mac" until he got bigger.

[EstimatedProphet]

32. Beats callimg him "Quarter Pounder with Cheese"

[DemReadingDU]

45. then he'd be 'Big Mac'

:rofl:


poor baby!

[TahitiNut]

35. "Do you want fries with that baby?"

:rofl:

[Bolo Boffin]

52. Just don't Supersize it. n/t

[Sultana]

4. How can one not know?

The morning sickness, bathroom visits, the baby kicking etc....

:wtf:

[Demeter]

5. Deeply Cultivated Ignorance

Could be Fundie upbringing....or a massive case of denial.

[Quantess]

82. Denial, or just not wanting to tell anyone.

She kept it a surprise until the very end. It's possible that deep down she knew or suspected she was pregnant, but felt ashamed or embarrased or something, and just couldn't tell anyone.

[Book Lover]

8. Oh, maybe the medical condition mentioned in the article?

The baby wasn't kicking, and not all women completely cease menstruation when pregnant, have morning sickness, etc, etc.

[ingac70]

10. so many other symptoms....

like being tired as hell, swollen boobs, increase in basal body temp, peeing alot. I find it odd one could go through a pregnancy without a single symptom.

[Book Lover]

15. Every being exhibits biochemical individuality

For instance, I only had one day of morning sickness, two days of sciatica, and my boobs really didn't enlarge. Early fetal movement felt like gas to me. My labor lasted only 8 hours. I'm sure your story is different. And this woman's story is different than ours. *shrug* So what?

[OzarkDem]

21. but your stomach grew large, right?

I know mine did. How does someone not notice this?

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Marrah_G]

25. WTF?

I think you are on the wrong website. The Asshat Underground is over there ------>>>>

[Ilsa]

29. I know women who gained only 11 pounds and had 7 pound babies.

Not everyone gains weight the same way. Some women, especially if they have PCOS, have no breast size change.

Yeah, getting a pregnancy test because something feels a little different would be the smart thing to do, but the home tests are more likely to be wrong at certain times of the year, too. Maybe she couldn't afford to go see a doc for a better preg. test.

[Horse with no Name]

34. I gained 8 lbs with my first pregnancy and 10 with my 2nd.

But, I knew I was pregnant.:D

[Hoof Hearted]

48. I didn't see a photo of this woman but this scenario is not difficult to explain

If the woman was overweight and suffered from PCOS, as many overweight women do, the combination of added girth and the symptoms of her condition could very easily leave her unaware of her pregnancy.

It is not uncommon for overweight women with PCOS to go several months without any period at all, or just a few instances of spotting per year. A pattern like this would leave her unconcerned about missing menses. On the other hand, many women continue to experience menses throughout pregnancy, which can be very alarming for those who planned their pregnancy.

Overweight women can sometimes easily accommodate a pregnancy without any outward notice, and the article mentions a medical condition that caused her baby to be less active in the womb. This could undoubtedly contribute to an unknown pregnancy.

Finally, it's not uncommon at all for women to go through pregnancy without any obvious symptoms. Basal body temperature is only elevated by about one degree, hardly noticeable unless you are temping every day. Morning sickness is by no means universal, many women have none. Breast and nipple tenderness may not be noticeable at all until after the birth and subsequent engorgement.

I doubt this story is very uncommon at all. The reason we are hearing about it is because the delivery was too quick for transport to the hospital and so the whole thing played out in a McDonald's.

Best wishes to mom and her new McBaby.

[Ilsa]

27. I'm wondering if that medical condition could have been alleviated

if she had been on prenatal vitamins or having some other prenatal care?

[xultar]

18. The story said that she had a "quiet womb". That part I get but what about the size of

her belly. Unless she was heavy already.

[Ilsa]

26. What Demeter said... and adding the "sacredness" of Saint Mary's

virginity, Jesus' virgin birth, etc being revered. Morning sickness is just a stomach virus, and a kicking baby is "gas" to these moms. Some women have exceptionally easy pregnancies, too. It's too bad that there wasn't any prenatal care or that the mom probably wasn't on prenatal vitamins. She may have suspected or just been in denial.

BTW, it is my opinion that antiquated ideas about the value of virginity is also part of what creates the shame surrounding rape.

[recoveringrepublican]

36. I'm 12 weeks pregnant right now with my third

With all three I never had morning sickness. My boobs DO hurt (well they did, that stopped), but my boobs always hurt before I get my period for some reason. My cycles are all over the map, so a late period really means nothing to me. The only reason I even took a pregnancy test was because I was exhausted beyond belief, and that was the only sign I had with my first two that I was pregnant.

Of course I don't hide the baby very well. I popped early with all three (already in maternity clothes). If you check out pregnancy boards though you will see belly pics of many women in late pregnancy that hardly show at all. I'm not talking about big women either. teeny tiny framed women. I guess this woman's baby must have been really quiet, because there is NO mistaking kicks are kicks and not gas after 20 weeks, at least for me.

[awoke_in_2003]

49. And, thanks to places like McDonald's

(and of course, lack of self control) more americans are dangerously obese than ever. Easy to hide a pregnancy when you are already a 200+ pound woman.

[LeftCoast]

7. A friend's mom was pregnant w/out knowing it

She was pretty overweight, which I think hid a lot of the pregnancy. The other signs were written off. Late one night she started having cramps, etc and the next thing they know she's starting to give birth. Anyway, the paramedics delivered the baby at the house and then Mom and baby spent a short time at the hospital. Everyone's fine and the baby is now in her 20s. :)

[sandnsea]

9. A friend of my daughter's

Insists she didn't know. She is just a tiny little thing, I never saw her so I don't know whether she wasn't showing or what. I don't get it either, but she insists she didn't know, went to the ER and had a baby.

:shrug:

[slackmaster]

40. Did she not think the missed periods were something to be concerned about?

Every woman I have known was very well in tune with her menstrual cycle, and a lot of them get concerned when it's just a few days late.

I'm hoping someone who understands these things better than I can shed some light on this.

[redqueen]

65. Many women don't have regular menstrual cycles...

some every other month, some once a year.

(Also you're not the one shedding any light, you're asking for others to do so... /pedant)

[slackmaster]

66. Thanks for the info

My ex-wife used to be a runner. She would occasionally stop having periods when she was in extremely good physical condition.

[redqueen]

68. My pleasure...

It's common for very athletic women to stop having periods, but it's hard on their bodies. I don't remember the exact reason why, though...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

76. Because exercise decreases body fat, which decreases estrogen production,

which can drop your estrogen levels too low to support menstruation. Unfortunately, it can also drop your estrogen levels too low to support healthy bones. Extreme athletes or women who have had anorexia can develop early osteoporosis.

[UndertheOcean]

11. Another poor babe , brought into this world to take

every breath in pain , and suffer.

Why not simply use a condom.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

24. pulling out the stops on that

Depressing Post of the Year a little early, aren't we???

sP

[uncle ray]

42. ignorant much?

i know someone very well who carried full term not knowing it, AND was on the pill. her birth control failed, as very well may have been the case here. i wouldn't expect many to understand how one can be pregnant and not know it, i still have a hard time understanding it myself, but your condom comment was way out of line. furthermore, in the case of the person i know, she had attempted to get her tubes tied in her early 20s after having her first abortion(again failed birth control) only to be TOLD by the doctors at the local hospital that she could not have her tubes tied. the hospital was a Catholic hospital, and she was too young to recognize that she could have the procedure done, but it was the hospitals religious affiliation that prevented it.

[Sugar Smack]

43. I think he's depressed.

:-(

[kimmerspixelated]

74. You are woefully ignorant...

...are you one of these people who say," Oh, I like children...sauteed in mushrooms?"

[UndertheOcean]

75. It is plainly obvious to me that the world is saturated with human sorrow, why

bring children into such a world.

Children to be consumed by the materialistic capitalist machine , well oiled cogs and wheels that are spit out the moment they overstay their use. Children that grow up to be cannon fodder , ant armies for humanity's stupid and pointless wars.

Children that get obliterated everyday by bombs using your tax dollars and mine.

[debbierlus]

77. How do you know that?

She might be a decent woman & a good mom.

[UndertheOcean]

79. Even if she is , the world we are in is rotten.

She is not invincible.

[qanda]

19. Would you like some fries with that?

[Cronus Protagonist]

31. "Funny, I don't remember eating THAT!"

Hehehe.... :P

[lame54]

37. Now - That's a wide stance

[Radio_Lady]

71. LOL! Wrong gender, but funny anyway!

[DemReadingDU]

44. A few years ago, The Learning Channel had a segment

A woman went to emergency room of a hospital. She was not feeling well, and several tests were run to determine the illness.

A little while later, the woman gave birth to a full-term baby, maybe 5 or 6 pounds!

This was a relatively thin woman, definitely not obese. Even the doctor was shocked. He really had not a clue this woman was pregnant.

I guess they should have given the lady a pregnancy test!

[mentalsolstice]

51. I knew a woman who carried to full-term without knowing.

She had just had her first child, 10 mths later another little surprise came along, carried to full-term. She was a large woman, not overweight, but very tall and big-boned. The drs. told her that her uterus may have tilted a little after the first birth, causing her to carry the second one more on her hips. Then factor in the changes to her figure from the first pregnancy, hormones were still whacky, irregular and light periods, breasts still sensitive, etc., and you can see how she didn't know. She had gone to the dr. complaining of indigestion, however, nobody thought to test her to see if she was pregnant. One night she complained of severe cramps, and her husband, who was a cop, took her to the hospital, and out popped their 2d kid. This was back in the late 50s, so no OTC pregnancy tests. Luckily, she had healthy habits, so she and #2 kid were just fine.

[JitterbugPerfume]

53. I do not beleve for one second

that a woman can be pregnant and not know it unless she is severely mentally disabled.

This story is bullshit

[mentalsolstice]

58. See my post above, #51

It can and does happen.

[arikara]

64. Though not common, its still happened to many women

And it can happen for many combinations of reasons. Some don't have normal periods to begin with. Some keep having periods while pregnant. Some don't put on much weight while pregnant. Some don't have morning sickness or other symptoms. Some believe they are infertile. Some are overweight to begin with. I'd certainly never pass judgement on anyone for this.

[uppityperson]

67. Shows how close minded

you are.

[Buzz Clik]

56. That actually happened to me once.

[JVS]

57. 16-year old McDonald's employee acting as her nurse.

I hope she washed her hands before returning to work. That's the rules, you know.

[davsand]

62. Rapid labor happens more often than you might think.

I have known more than one woman that had labor that went less than an hour. While you might think it isn't completely a BAD thing, a story like this one points out how it can create safety issues for Mom and Baby both. One of my favorite stories about that was my pal who walked into Labor and Delivery under her own steam and told them she was in Labor. The nurse didn't exactly jump up and my friend actually kind of bent over and let out a groan. The nurse got a little more interested at that point and they took her to a room. When they got her pants off, they realized that baby was half delivered! Literally, that kid might have fallen on his head had his Mom not been wearing pants! :)


As for going to 7 months and not realizing you are pregnant, I honestly can't imagine ever being THAT far out of touch with my body. I spotted differences and changes within a few DAYS of conception, let alone any missed period! Poor mom and poor baby for missing out out on the pregnancy together!



Laura

[Dawggie]

80. More proof abstinance works better than Sex Ed in schools.

:sarcasm:

[debbierlus]

81. I knew a girl in her teens who didn't show hardly at all

People didn't believe she was pregnant when she told them! She really didn't show hardly at all & I didn't believe it could
be possible until I saw her nearly 6 pound baby with my own eyes. And, this wasn't a big woman!

I think that every woman's pregnancy is different. For most women, it would be impossible NOT to know. I was HUGE with my daughter & it would have been pretty hard to miss the outline of her foot through my stomach (& all the rest of the movement). It is common enough where I think it is a real phenomenon.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

83. At least she didn't name him Mac or Ronald...

[AnnieBW]

84. I've heard of "Drive-through Childbirth"

but this is ridiculous!