Woman Gives Birth To Surprise Baby After Thinking She Had Food Poisoning

As far as news stories go, I read every single one that is a version of "Woman gives birth after not knowing that she was pregnant." Maybe because, especially when I was younger, this scenario constituted my absolute worse nightmare: An unplanned baby you didn't even have a few months to get ready for? Now, as a formerly pregnant person, it still fascinates me: How could you not know?

Nevertheless, Patricia Crawford of Keyport, New Jersey, recently gave birth to a surprise baby. The local news is pushing it as a "'circle of life' thing, as she's been preoccupied with the death of her father, who died a year before her baby was born, to the day. Channel 12 News in New Jersey reports that on March 28, Crawford was up all night with what she suspected was food poisoning. "By the time I got back to the toilet area all of a sudden a baby came sliding out," she said, "It was just like... 'Oh my God. What are we even going to do?'" Yeah, wow. Just can't even... WHAT?

What I have learned from previous "surprise baby" stories: Sometimes women have spotting during their first few months of pregnancy and mistake that for their period. Some are so irregular due to conditions like Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, they are used to not getting their period during all that time. And like Mad Men's Peggy Olson, maybe they just thought they were gaining weight? Crawford says "she did not have any major symptoms of pregnancy. She had an upset stomach from time to time and the feeling of a flutter a few weeks ago." Granted, these stories are rare. But it's a good reminder to keep in touch with your OB/GYN everybody, just in case that bad oyster turns out to be something you may have to buy diapers for.