A WOMAN has revealed how she found out she was pregnant when a gynaecologist felt her baby’s head after going into hospital with a suspected kidney infection.
Rachael Fogarty suffers from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) which affects women’s hormone levels and makes it more difficult to become pregnant.
The 29-year-old had no idea she was pregnant after being so used to not having regular periods.
In late November Rachael, an admin assistant, thought her period had returned when her waters broke so later admitted herself to hospital thinking she had an infection.
However, two days later, during a routine check at the hospital with the gynaecologist, they said: “I can feel your baby and it’s coming.”
Shocked Rachael still couldn’t believe what she was hearing until an ultrasound showed a baby on the screen.
Doctors believed she was 37.5 weeks pregnant.
Hours later she gave birth to her son, James, but due to complications was put on a VAC machine for 12 weeks.
The new mum from Liverpool also caught Covid and MRSA after being in hospital but was given the all clear last month.
Rachael posted about her incredible birth story on TikTok on Monday, writing: “When you go to hospital with a suspected kidney infection and walk out with a baby.”
The video has now collected over 780,000 views and more than 54,000 likes.
Hundreds of viewers left comments after being shocked by Rachael’s story.
One said: “The biggest kidney stone I ever did see, beautiful. Congratulations.”
Another said: “That’s the most beautiful kidney stone I’ve ever seen, congratulations.”
A third added: “I don’t understand how you couldn’t notice you were pregnant, it’s so hard for me to comprehend. Anyway, congratulations!”
And a fourth wrote: “Well at least he’s cute and that’ll be a good story for his 18th.”
Speaking today, Rachael said: “I’ve got PCOS meaning I struggle with my periods, I’ve gone a year without them.
“The signs that I missed I passed off as logical reasons to something else.
“Signs that my water broke, I passed that off as my time of the month, then the pains started but I just tried to ignore them and went to work.
“I called 111 who said I should go to hospital but it’s a five hour wait for an ambulance and they suspected a kidney infection or appendix.
“I live five minutes away from my nearest hospital so I told them to forget it and I’d go if it gets worse.
“I was up all night Thursday night and once thought ‘oh these pains are seven minutes apart, that’s strange’ but never thought it could be pregnancy.
“On Friday 26 I went to A & E just to see what was going on, I was thinking I’d be given painkillers and antibiotics for an infection.
“After being taken round a few departments I ended up with the gynaecologist who said
‘Are you sure you are not pregnant?’.
“ I said ‘not impossible’.
“The gynaecologist replied ‘well I can feel your baby and it’s coming, so are you sure?’
“I said yeah I’m sure, I’m definitely not.
“The gynaecologist asked for an ultrasound and put it on, then looked at me and pointed to the screen where I saw a baby and said ‘ there’s your baby and it’s coming’.
“I rang my mum who couldn’t believe it and then my partner who was just as shocked as me.
“I had a C-section in the early hours of Saturday 27 November and James was born.
“My C-section failed, I ended up with dead skin so I had to have two further surgeries to remove the skin.
“I had an open wound 27 cm long and about 14 cm deep with what’s called a VAC machine attached to me for 12 weeks.
“I still have the wound on standard dressings which are like big plasters. I have to go and get changed every day so I’ve not really been able to enjoy maternity leave.
“I also ended up with Covid and an MRSA whilst I was in hospital.”
Rachael added: “James is great, he’s been great from day one considering the circumstances, he was off all major observations within an hour of being born.
“All the nurses kept telling me is how alert he is and it’s like he’s been here before.
“It’s definitely the best thing to happen to me and he’s just amazing. I can’t imagine life without him now.”
