For most people, pregnancy is something that unfolds gradually over months of preparation. But those with cryptic pregnancies have an entirely different experience.
Some don’t even know they’re going to be a mother until well into their third trimester.
During her junior year of college, TikToker Ava (@avrhiannon17) found out that she was pregnant when she was already six months along. She gave birth in January of 2025.
It all started in September of 2024. She had just returned to school and noticed that her body was behaving weirdly. Every time she ate something, she would get really bloated, but then her stomach would soon return to normal, so she thought it was fine.
She also experienced digestive issues. She ended up going to the hospital after not having a bowel movement for two weeks. They decided to do an ultrasound on her intestines. When the ultrasound tech scanned her lower stomach, she gasped loudly and told Ava that she was pregnant.
She started crying and immediately called her boyfriend. Then, she called her mom and sister, in hysterics. Her sister hopped in the car and drove 12 hours to see her. A nurse helped her book a gynecologist appointment, which was a great help.
“I obviously didn’t know I was pregnant, so I didn’t get any prenatal care, and I thought something was wrong, especially because I didn’t feel any kicks,” said Ava.
“I was just convinced that something was horribly wrong. Luckily, nothing was.”
She is grateful that everything turned out the way it did. She also didn’t really drink throughout her pregnancy. She tried drinking on a few occasions, but something in her gut told her not to.
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“My bigger concern was that throughout the summer, I had been vaping,” she said. “Now, I had tapered off and quit fully by the time I found out I was pregnant.”
“But I was vaping in the early summer, so I was really worried that had obviously caused something. Thankfully, it didn’t. But it was the most nerve-wracking thing ever.”
In the comments section, several TikTok users shared about their own experiences with cryptic pregnancies. They also went months without knowing and mistook symptoms for bloating and indigestion.
“I got through half a pregnancy without knowing. I was losing weight with GI issues. When I found out, I still wasn’t showing, nor could I push/poke on my belly to feel anything. Incredibly surreal,” commented one user.
“Same, but it was like eight months for me. I thought I was just bloated from the holidays. I’m tall and have always been heavier, so I didn’t even get bigger. The baby was already kicking, but I thought it was indigestion/gas,” wrote another.
“I was a cryptic pregnancy who wasn’t discovered until my mom was six months long,” stated a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
