A woman has discovered that she was eight months pregnant while on holiday – and she gave birth to a bouncing baby boy just hours later.
Mariane Rodrigues, 34, was visiting family members when she unexpectedly went into labour.
She said she had no idea she was pregnant because her menstrual cycle was normal and she was using birth control.
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Mariane, who works as an administrative assistant, went to a nearby hospital because she thought she had high blood pressure due to the hot weather.
She had travelled to São Salvador do Tocantins in central Brazil from her home city of Querência in the neighbouring state of Mato Grosso.
Mariane, her husband Geroncio Jean Tavares, and their two-year-old son Pedro arrived in Tocantins in early December 2024.
On 3 January, she woke up with severe convulsions.
Her husband took her to the hospital, where they confirmed she was pregnant and needed an urgent caesarean section.
Little Mateo was born later that same day.
Mariane, who also has an 18-year-old son, explained: “From the start of my holiday, I noticed I had high blood pressure, something I never had before.
“I thought it was because of the heat.
“Until then, I showed no symptoms of pregnancy. I had a normal social life.
“I work for a private company, my job was going well, and I had a normal routine at home with my children and husband.”
She added: “This is a warning for all women.”
Gynaecologist Dr Veruska Pinheiro do Amaral explained that cryptic pregnancies are usually discovered in the third trimester or at the time of delivery.
She said: “Some patients may experience nausea, abdominal pain, fatigue, or excessive drowsiness, but these symptoms are not specific to pregnancy and can be attributed to situations such as premenstrual syndrome, food poisoning, or viruses.”
The gynaecologist noted that “some women never have a swollen belly” during pregnancy.
After being born prematurely, little Mateo was kept in intensive care until 11 January, as reported by Need To Know.
Mariane said: “It all happened on that Friday (3 Jan), and later that night I was holding my little one in my arms.
“It was emotional for everyone, a huge shock.”
“Our 18-year-old son is also very surprised because he now has two little brothers.
“Pedro, who was the youngest until last week, doesn’t really understand yet.”
She added: “My husband is the most sensible and resilient person in the world, a great partner to have, and we are united in our journey.”
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