Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesConcernsCoping

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Causes

Concerns

Coping

A cryptic pregnancy is a hidden pregnancy that goes undetected until about halfway through (or even up until labor or birth). Some people can experiencepregnancy symptoms, such as spotting,nausea, swollen breasts, andfatigue, but they don’t connect the signs with being pregnant.

It’s also possible to have no symptoms at all with cryptic pregnancy.Mental healthor medical conditions, as well as trauma, can increase the risk of experiencing an undetected pregnancy.There are ways, though, to know what to look for if you suspect a hidden pregnancy.

What to Know About a Cryptic Pregnancy - Illustration by Jessica Olah

People who have a cryptic pregnancy may not experienceearly signs of pregnancy, such as a missed period or breast changes. Others may not recognize the signs for various reasons, or think that they can’t get pregnant because of fertility issues or birth control use.

Symptoms of a cryptic pregnancy are the same symptoms associated with pregnancy in general. However, with a cryptic pregnancy, these symptoms may be mild, denied, or attributed to some other cause.

Besides a missed period, some symptoms of early pregnancy can include:

Bloatingand weight gain also can occur. Some people say theirvivid dreamsare an early sign of pregnancy. This may be because hormonal balances and body changes can alter the way you sleep, making you more likely to remember your dreams.

How Far Along Can You Be With an Undetected Pregnancy?As many as 1 in 475 pregnancies go undetected or unnoticed until the 20-week, or five-month, mark. That’s roughly half of someone’s pregnancy. One in 2,455 pregnancies goes unrecognized until a persongoes into labor.

How Far Along Can You Be With an Undetected Pregnancy?

As many as 1 in 475 pregnancies go undetected or unnoticed until the 20-week, or five-month, mark. That’s roughly half of someone’s pregnancy. One in 2,455 pregnancies goes unrecognized until a persongoes into labor.

Week-to-Week Pregnancy Timeline

Research is still limited when it comes to hidden pregnancies. However, experts think some of the following factors contribute to a person not realizing they are pregnant:

While it may be difficult to understand how someone could be pregnant and not know it, limited discussion and research on the topic continue to contribute to the lack of awareness about cryptic pregnancy.

Assumptions

Assumptions that can increase the risk of a hidden pregnancy include:

Symptom-related factors that can increase the risk of a cryptic pregnancy include:

Life Circumstances

Certain life circumstances increase your risk of experiencing a hidden pregnancy. These may include:

Survivors of sexual violence andintimate partner violenceare at an increased risk of developing associated mental health conditions, as well as increased alcohol and drug use.

After Sexual Assault, You May Want to Ask for a SANE Exam

Conditions

Conditions that can increase the risk of a cryptic pregnancy include:

A Word From VerywellA hidden pregnancy is more likely to occur in someone who does not have regular, predictable menstrual cycles. For someone who is used to going several months without a period, it may take longer to realize that the lack of a period is due to pregnancy. In addition, many early pregnancy signs can be very similar to common everyday symptoms, such as bloating, fatigue, or headaches. If you are sexually active and not using reliable contraception, it’s important to get any irregular bleeding pattern evaluated.—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

A Word From Verywell

A hidden pregnancy is more likely to occur in someone who does not have regular, predictable menstrual cycles. For someone who is used to going several months without a period, it may take longer to realize that the lack of a period is due to pregnancy. In addition, many early pregnancy signs can be very similar to common everyday symptoms, such as bloating, fatigue, or headaches. If you are sexually active and not using reliable contraception, it’s important to get any irregular bleeding pattern evaluated.—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

A hidden pregnancy is more likely to occur in someone who does not have regular, predictable menstrual cycles. For someone who is used to going several months without a period, it may take longer to realize that the lack of a period is due to pregnancy. In addition, many early pregnancy signs can be very similar to common everyday symptoms, such as bloating, fatigue, or headaches. If you are sexually active and not using reliable contraception, it’s important to get any irregular bleeding pattern evaluated.

—RENITA WHITE, MD, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD

Renita White, MD

Cryptic Pregnancy Concerns

Not recognizing pregnancy—even just for a short time—can be dangerous for both the fetus and the pregnant person. The reasons include:

Not knowing you are pregnant until the 20-week mark or later can be stressful. You may experience a complex mix of changing emotions as you continue to process the pregnancy. If your hidden pregnancy is diagnosed before you go into labor, talk to your healthcare provider about:

While it can be challenging, it’s possible to have a healthy pregnancy and birth even if you didn’t learn that you were pregnant until later.

New parents, as well as those who experience miscarriage, abortion, or adoption, may want to seek counseling and support after pregnancy. Your healthcare provider can help you to identify resources.

Suicide Prevention HotlineIf you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.

Suicide Prevention Hotline

If you are having suicidal thoughts, contact theNational Suicide Prevention Lifelineat988for support and assistance from a trained counselor. If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call911.

Summary

A cryptic (hidden) pregnancy occurs when a person is not aware that they are pregnant until they are at least five months along. This can be due to missed pregnancy symptoms or their absence, or denial about them. Certain factors, including mental health conditions and life circumstances, can increase the risk of experiencing a cryptic pregnancy.

Cryptic pregnancies are associated with health concerns for both the pregnant person and the fetus. It’s important to seek appropriate care as soon as possible.

15 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Delong H, Eutrope J, Thierry A, et al.Pregnancy denial: a complex symptom with life context as a trigger? A prospective case–control study*.BJOG. 2022;129(3):485-492. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16853Van Brouwershaven A, Dijkstra C, Bolt S, Werdmuller A.Discovering a pregnancy after 30 weeks: a qualitative study on explanations for unperceived pregnancy.J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;44(1):2197139. doi:10.1080/0167482X.2023.2197139National Health Service.Signs and symptoms of pregnancy.Scarpelli S, D’Atri A, Bartolacci C, et al.Dream recall upon awakening from non-rapid eye movement sleep in older adults: electrophysiological pattern and qualitative features.Brain Sciences. 2020;10(6):343. doi:10.3390/brainsci10060343Villavicencio J, Allen RH.Unscheduled bleeding and contraceptive choice: Increasing satisfaction and continuation rates.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:43-52. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85565Kleinschmidt S, Dugas JN, Nelson KP, Feldman JA.False negative point-of-care urine pregnancy tests in an urban academic emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021 May 1;2(3):e12427. doi:10.1002/emp2.12427National Institutes of Health.What is menopause?Duckitt K.Cryptic pregnancy.Case Rep Womens Health. 2023 Apr 2;38:e00503. doi:10.1016/j.crwh.2023.e00503Berens P, Labbok M; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.ABM clinical protocol #13: Contraception during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(1):3-12. doi:10.1089/bfm.2015.9999Goldstein et al.Association of gestational weight gain with maternal and infant outcomes: A systemic review and meta-analysis.JAMA. 2017;317(21):2207-2225. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3635Food and Drug Administration.Pregnancy.D’Angelo DV, Liu Y, Basile KC, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW,et al.Rape and Sexual Coercion Related Pregnancy in the United States.Am J Prev Med. 2024 Mar;66(3):389-398. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.001Basile KC, Smith SG, Liu Y, et al.Rape-related pregnancy and association with reproductive coercion in the U.S.Am J Prev Med. 2018;55(6):770-776. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.07.028Chechko N, Losse E, Nehls S.Pregnancy denial: Toward a new understanding of the underlying mechanisms.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2023 Oct;25(10):493-500. doi:10.1007/s11920-023-01448-2Planned Parenthood.How safe is an in-clinic abortion?

15 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Delong H, Eutrope J, Thierry A, et al.Pregnancy denial: a complex symptom with life context as a trigger? A prospective case–control study*.BJOG. 2022;129(3):485-492. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16853Van Brouwershaven A, Dijkstra C, Bolt S, Werdmuller A.Discovering a pregnancy after 30 weeks: a qualitative study on explanations for unperceived pregnancy.J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;44(1):2197139. doi:10.1080/0167482X.2023.2197139National Health Service.Signs and symptoms of pregnancy.Scarpelli S, D’Atri A, Bartolacci C, et al.Dream recall upon awakening from non-rapid eye movement sleep in older adults: electrophysiological pattern and qualitative features.Brain Sciences. 2020;10(6):343. doi:10.3390/brainsci10060343Villavicencio J, Allen RH.Unscheduled bleeding and contraceptive choice: Increasing satisfaction and continuation rates.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:43-52. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85565Kleinschmidt S, Dugas JN, Nelson KP, Feldman JA.False negative point-of-care urine pregnancy tests in an urban academic emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021 May 1;2(3):e12427. doi:10.1002/emp2.12427National Institutes of Health.What is menopause?Duckitt K.Cryptic pregnancy.Case Rep Womens Health. 2023 Apr 2;38:e00503. doi:10.1016/j.crwh.2023.e00503Berens P, Labbok M; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.ABM clinical protocol #13: Contraception during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(1):3-12. doi:10.1089/bfm.2015.9999Goldstein et al.Association of gestational weight gain with maternal and infant outcomes: A systemic review and meta-analysis.JAMA. 2017;317(21):2207-2225. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3635Food and Drug Administration.Pregnancy.D’Angelo DV, Liu Y, Basile KC, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW,et al.Rape and Sexual Coercion Related Pregnancy in the United States.Am J Prev Med. 2024 Mar;66(3):389-398. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.001Basile KC, Smith SG, Liu Y, et al.Rape-related pregnancy and association with reproductive coercion in the U.S.Am J Prev Med. 2018;55(6):770-776. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.07.028Chechko N, Losse E, Nehls S.Pregnancy denial: Toward a new understanding of the underlying mechanisms.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2023 Oct;25(10):493-500. doi:10.1007/s11920-023-01448-2Planned Parenthood.How safe is an in-clinic abortion?

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Delong H, Eutrope J, Thierry A, et al.Pregnancy denial: a complex symptom with life context as a trigger? A prospective case–control study*.BJOG. 2022;129(3):485-492. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16853Van Brouwershaven A, Dijkstra C, Bolt S, Werdmuller A.Discovering a pregnancy after 30 weeks: a qualitative study on explanations for unperceived pregnancy.J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;44(1):2197139. doi:10.1080/0167482X.2023.2197139National Health Service.Signs and symptoms of pregnancy.Scarpelli S, D’Atri A, Bartolacci C, et al.Dream recall upon awakening from non-rapid eye movement sleep in older adults: electrophysiological pattern and qualitative features.Brain Sciences. 2020;10(6):343. doi:10.3390/brainsci10060343Villavicencio J, Allen RH.Unscheduled bleeding and contraceptive choice: Increasing satisfaction and continuation rates.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:43-52. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85565Kleinschmidt S, Dugas JN, Nelson KP, Feldman JA.False negative point-of-care urine pregnancy tests in an urban academic emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021 May 1;2(3):e12427. doi:10.1002/emp2.12427National Institutes of Health.What is menopause?Duckitt K.Cryptic pregnancy.Case Rep Womens Health. 2023 Apr 2;38:e00503. doi:10.1016/j.crwh.2023.e00503Berens P, Labbok M; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.ABM clinical protocol #13: Contraception during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(1):3-12. doi:10.1089/bfm.2015.9999Goldstein et al.Association of gestational weight gain with maternal and infant outcomes: A systemic review and meta-analysis.JAMA. 2017;317(21):2207-2225. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3635Food and Drug Administration.Pregnancy.D’Angelo DV, Liu Y, Basile KC, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW,et al.Rape and Sexual Coercion Related Pregnancy in the United States.Am J Prev Med. 2024 Mar;66(3):389-398. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.001Basile KC, Smith SG, Liu Y, et al.Rape-related pregnancy and association with reproductive coercion in the U.S.Am J Prev Med. 2018;55(6):770-776. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.07.028Chechko N, Losse E, Nehls S.Pregnancy denial: Toward a new understanding of the underlying mechanisms.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2023 Oct;25(10):493-500. doi:10.1007/s11920-023-01448-2Planned Parenthood.How safe is an in-clinic abortion?

Delong H, Eutrope J, Thierry A, et al.Pregnancy denial: a complex symptom with life context as a trigger? A prospective case–control study*.BJOG. 2022;129(3):485-492. doi:10.1111/1471-0528.16853

Van Brouwershaven A, Dijkstra C, Bolt S, Werdmuller A.Discovering a pregnancy after 30 weeks: a qualitative study on explanations for unperceived pregnancy.J Psychosom Obstet Gynaecol. 2023;44(1):2197139. doi:10.1080/0167482X.2023.2197139

National Health Service.Signs and symptoms of pregnancy.

Scarpelli S, D’Atri A, Bartolacci C, et al.Dream recall upon awakening from non-rapid eye movement sleep in older adults: electrophysiological pattern and qualitative features.Brain Sciences. 2020;10(6):343. doi:10.3390/brainsci10060343

Villavicencio J, Allen RH.Unscheduled bleeding and contraceptive choice: Increasing satisfaction and continuation rates.Open Access J Contracept. 2016;7:43-52. doi:10.2147/OAJC.S85565

Kleinschmidt S, Dugas JN, Nelson KP, Feldman JA.False negative point-of-care urine pregnancy tests in an urban academic emergency department: a retrospective cohort study.J Am Coll Emerg Physicians Open. 2021 May 1;2(3):e12427. doi:10.1002/emp2.12427

National Institutes of Health.What is menopause?

Duckitt K.Cryptic pregnancy.Case Rep Womens Health. 2023 Apr 2;38:e00503. doi:10.1016/j.crwh.2023.e00503

Berens P, Labbok M; Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.ABM clinical protocol #13: Contraception during breastfeeding.Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(1):3-12. doi:10.1089/bfm.2015.9999

Goldstein et al.Association of gestational weight gain with maternal and infant outcomes: A systemic review and meta-analysis.JAMA. 2017;317(21):2207-2225. doi:10.1001/jama.2017.3635

Food and Drug Administration.Pregnancy.

D’Angelo DV, Liu Y, Basile KC, Smith SG, Chen J, Friar NW,et al.Rape and Sexual Coercion Related Pregnancy in the United States.Am J Prev Med. 2024 Mar;66(3):389-398. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.11.001

Basile KC, Smith SG, Liu Y, et al.Rape-related pregnancy and association with reproductive coercion in the U.S.Am J Prev Med. 2018;55(6):770-776. doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2018.07.028

Chechko N, Losse E, Nehls S.Pregnancy denial: Toward a new understanding of the underlying mechanisms.Curr Psychiatry Rep.2023 Oct;25(10):493-500. doi:10.1007/s11920-023-01448-2

Planned Parenthood.How safe is an in-clinic abortion?

Meet Our Medical Expert Board

Share Feedback

Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your feedback!

What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit

What is your feedback?