Cryptic pregnancy is a situation when the woman does not realize that she is pregnant,even after having been so for more than twenty weeks.
In some cases, a woman may only realize they are pregnant when the labor begins but most ladies come to know that they are going to become a mother only somewhere between four and twelve weeks of pregnancy.
A woman experiences many changes in the body leading to symptoms including nausea, morning sickness, vomiting, missed periods, and many more.
In the case of a cryptic pregnancy, a woman may not experience any of these symptoms for weeks and months and in some cases, the symptoms can be mistaken for vaginal bleeding, which could have been caused by an underlying disease that can be mistaken for irregular menstrual bleeding.
There can also be a chance of a false pregnancy test, especially when the test was taken too early or in the wrong way.
Moreover, apart from these common causes of cryptic pregnancy, there could be other possible reasons behind it.
Women who suffer from PCOS often misinterpret pregnancy symptoms as PCOS-related hormonal imbalances.
The symptoms of perimenopause and pregnancy may have overlapping symptoms that may encourage women to dismiss pregnancy indicators.
Women who are on birth control may also sometimes overlook symptoms of pregnancy as they believe they cannot conceive until they are off contraceptives.
Some women do not mentally accept that they are pregnant, despite positive pregnancy tests, and hence, denial can be another cause of cryptic pregnancy.
There is always a probability of a pregnancy test result being wrong and this could be due to low hCG (human chorionic ganodotropin) hormone levels.
The hCG levels can be affected due to the intake of certain medications such as antibiotics or fertility drugs.
Meanwhile, taking the pregnancy test too early can also result in a false test result so it is recommended to retake the test a week after a missed period.
Some of certain common symptoms of cryptic pregnancy including missed periods, tender, swollen breasts, nausea with or without vomiting, increased urination, fatigue, moodiness, bloating, light spotting, and cramping should not be avoided.
In case you develop any or all of these symptoms and you suspect pregnancy make sure to get yourself examined.