A mum who claims she didn't know she was pregnant until she gave birth in bed discovered her fiancé 'felt the baby kick a fortnight before but didn't tell her'. Emily Graham said she woke up with period cramp-like stomach pains, which she initially thought was just constipation.
But when the pain got worse and she felt the need to 'push', her fiancé Ash Green rang an ambulance, who arrived just in the nick of time to deliver their baby Isabelle Green on their bed. The 27-year-old claims she had no idea she was expecting so worked hours before giving birth, drank at her work's Christmas do and jetted off to Orlando, Florida, US, last September when she would have been around six months pregnant.
There, the pair went on Florida's fastest and tallest launch roller coaster three times - the 155 feet tall Jurassic World VelociCoaster, in Universal Studios, which launched them 70 mph within 2.4 seconds.
She was even more stunned when Ash revealed he'd felt the baby kick weeks before but 'didn't want to mention it' as he thought she was just 'twitching' in her sleep.
Emily was diagnosed with Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a condition that affects how the ovaries work, around two years ago and told that she may never be able to conceive.
Making her story even more remarkable, she claims she had an en caul birth, where Isabelle was born still in her amniotic sac, a rare occurrence happening in less than 1 in 80,000 births.
The retail assistant claims she also had no major symptoms during her pregnancy as she had no bump, didn't feel any movements and although she didn't have periods, this wasn't abnormal due to her PCOS.
Despite being thrust into motherhood unexpectedly, the Disney lover has taken to it like a duck to water and is over the moon with her new arrival, and hopes to have more kids in the future.
Emily, of Warrington, Cheshire, said: "He said when we'd been in bed at night if he'd been hugging me and stuff he would feel kicks but he didn't want to mention it at the same time.
"I was like 'well you should have now'.
"He didn't mention it because he thought that I was probably just twitching in my sleep and that he didn't feel it until about two weeks before. He was like 'now I wish I told you'."
Despite the massive surprise, the couple have been over the moon with the arrival of their baby girl.
Emily said: "She's definitely a miracle.
"I was told I may not be able to have children. We spoke about having them before and we were disappointed but thought if it happens great, but if not, we'll get on with it. But we're really happy now.
"We went to Florida in September on the rollercoasters and everything when I would have been about six months pregnant if she was full term.
"We love rollercoasters and are obsessed with Disney. We went on the Velocicoaster about three times, which is a massive one.
"I thought that I was constipated but I was actually going into labour. It was the contractions starting and they were coming like every ten minutes.
"I didn't know I was pregnant, which is rare, and she was delivered in the sac as well, which is really rare apparently."
The mum-of-one said she woke up at about 7:30am on January 13 with severe stomach pains.
Emily said: "I told my fiancé that I didn't feel well and had bad stomach pains. I then went on the toilet thinking I could just be constipated or something.
"I sat there for a while and was just thinking 'oh no, this isn't period pains'. So I went back to bed, thinking it would just pass, and woke up ten minutes later.
"I don't know how to explain the pain - it was like my insides being ripped apart. I was screaming in pain, it was that bad.
"I went back to the toilet and my fiancé came in to see if I was ok. He was googling what it could be and said 'eeerm, you could be pregnant'.
"About half an hour later I felt like I needed to push and thought oh God I think I am pregnant.
"When I was lying on the bed and my partner said 'oh yeah, I think you're crowning', that was the moment that we thought ok, this is happening.
"We rang the paramedics and they came just in time to deliver her, she was delivered at home on the bed. If they'd arrived even two minutes later then my fiancé would have been doing it.
"I had the shock of my life to be honest. Holding her for the first time was amazing, there was no other moment like it. It's a blur but at the same time I remember that part."
Emily gave birth to her healthy 5lbs 9oz baby girl Isabelle at 9:50am, and was taken to hospital.
She said that doctors believed her to be full-term and that Emily must have had high blood pressure during her pregnancy, which is why she was small and didn't have a bump.
Emily said: "I didn't really have any symptoms to be honest. I was throwing up at the start but it would pass in a few days and I just thought I'd eaten something dodgy.
"I didn't have a bump or feel any movements. I didn't have periods throughout my pregnancy but I can go months without one so just didn't even think to question it.
"I had heartburn towards the end, but that was about it. I just put that down to eating.
"I wasn't on any contraception because we were kind of trying at the same time and thought if it happens, it happens.
"I went up a few dress sizes, I think it was two, but I thought that I was just over indulging over Christmas and putting weight on.
"I work in retail and walk around all day, I was still working up until the night before.
"I drink but I'm not a big drinker, I just had a few drinks here and there. I had the work Christmas party just before she was born, and probably had quite a few to drink there to be honest.
"My fiancé phoned our parents when we were in the ambulance. At first they were like 'Oh congratulations, when's it due?'. And we said no, she's here now.
"The first night in hospital I didn't know what to do and was worried, but it just kind of comes naturally I would say. After that first night I was fine.
"Now we've had Isabelle, I want another one. So fingers crossed we can have more children."
Do you have a story to share? Email paige.freshwater@reachplc.com.
