My gap year stomach bug was a baby! Student, 21, who had no symptoms and a flat stomach only discovered she was pregnant when she went into labour
An ‘adrenaline junkie’ student has revealed how she unexpectedly discovered she was pregnant and going into labour during her gap year after suffering from stomach pains.
Hattie Sheppard, 21, and her boyfriend Bailey Cheadle, 22, embarked on the trip of a lifetime to Australia during their university studies last year – enjoying numerous parties, boat trips and even a 100mph slingshot ride at a theme park.
But their six months of carefree travelling was soon ground to a halt after Hattie suddenly began to feel a small pain in her stomach.
Initially, she simply believed it was a stomach bug and took two paracetamols in a bid to ease the discomfort.
But when the ‘agonising’ pain became localised to the right side of her stomach, she feared she could have been suffering from an appendicitis and eventually took herself to hospital in South Queensland for an ultrasound.
There, Hattie received the biggest shock of her life: she was pregnant and already in labour.
Her waters were immediately broken and just a few 10 hours later, she gave birth to her daughter, Isla-Grace Cheadle on January 14th, weighing 6lbs 7oz.
Hattie, from Doncaster in South Yorkshire, described the moment she first realised she was pregnant as ‘the most sickening and frightening thing’ she had ever experienced.
Hattie Sheppard, 21, and her boyfriend Bailey Cheadle, 22, embarked on the trip of a lifetime to Australia during their university studies last year (pictured during their travels)
The couple’s six months of carefree travelling was soon ground to a halt after Hattie suddenly began to feel a small pain in her stomach. Pictured: Hattie while she was unknowingly pregnant with her daughter
Entirely unaware that she was close to giving birth, Hattie had even gone on a slingshot ride in Surfers Paradise just months beforehand, recalling how the ride ‘shoots you up into the air at 100mph and takes you all over’
She recalled: ‘It was a constant pain but when the pain was getting worse I thought it was because of how I was moving, but these were actually contractions, I just had no clue.
‘I remember turning and looking at the doctor’s face when he was doing the ultrasound and he just had the most confused face I’ve ever seen.
‘I asked him what was wrong and he said there’s a baby. I thought this was impossible as I’m on the pill. And he said no there’s a baby coming now and you’re in labour. I didn’t believe him at first.’
Indeed, Hattie had experienced a so-called ‘cryptic pregnancy’ – a pregnancy which goes undetected by the expectant mother until occasionally even as late as labour.
She later discovered that her placenta had been pushed up to the front of her stomach which stopped her feeling any of the baby’s movement.
Furthermore, Isla-Grace was growing at the back near her spine, which is why the shocked mum-to-be didn’t have a bump.
Entirely unaware that she was close to giving birth, Hattie had even gone on a slingshot ride in Surfers Paradise just months beforehand, recalling how the ride ‘shoots you up into the air at 100mph and takes you all over’.
‘I’m a little bit of an adrenaline junkie,’ she admitted.
‘Me and Bailey rented a boat out over here in Australia for my 21st birthday in September. We were jumping off the boat into the water, drinking and it was a standard 21st birthday.’
Hattie (pictured while pregnant) had experienced a so-called ‘cryptic pregnancy’ – a pregnancy which goes undetected by the expectant mother until occasionally even as late as labour
Isla-Grace (pictured) was growing at the back near Hattie’s spine, which is why the shocked mum-to-be didn’t have a bump
For Bailey (pictured), also from south Yorkshire, the news that he was soon to be a father also came as a complete shock
Hattie insisted that she was on the ‘mini-pill’ as contraception and was not trying for a baby at the time she fell pregnant
Hattie insisted that she was on the ‘mini-pill’ as contraception and was not trying for a baby at the time she fell pregnant.
And, having suffered from Graves’ disease, she also claimed that she was told that she would struggle to conceive naturally.
Aside from a subtle gain in weight, Hattie was adamant that she had no symptoms to indicate that she was pregnant, having attributed her change in weight to an increase in her medication dosage.
Yet, despite unexpectedly becoming a mother, she fondly described her daughter as the perfect ‘anniversary gift’ for her and Bailey, who have just celebrated one year together.
The couple are now sorting out their plans to return back to the UK so that they can celebrate their joyous news with friends and family.
For Bailey, also from south Yorkshire, the news that he was soon to be a father also came as a complete shock.
He recalled: ‘When we got to the hospital I was filling in Hattie’s details as she was in so much pain. I heard a massive cry and I ran in to see her and that’s when I found out about the baby.
‘The only thing I could do is to keep Hattie calm and not panic her. We had 10 hours between finding out and her being born.’
Despite the new parents having little time to process the news, Bailey insisted that he ‘fell in love’ with his daughter ‘straight away’.
He said: ‘It’s weird to explain because you think how can you love someone straight away.
‘We never got to have that bond during pregnancy [as we didn’t know], but as soon as I saw her I fell in love straight away.’
Hattie added: ‘I honestly could not be happier. It’s the strangest thing that could have happened but it feels normal.’
