A mum-of-three has shared how she went to the hospital for a back scan but ended up with a baby. Natasha Hardie, 30, had no clue she was pregnant and was left stunned after giving birth to her full-term daughter, Ayla-Mae, in just 44 seconds on an ultrasound bed.
Thankfully, despite the shock, Ayla-Mae, now two months old, is happy and healthy. Natasha, from Dreghorn, Ayrshire, has spoken out to raise awareness about cryptic pregnancies.
She says: “To this day, I still can’t believe what happened. But I wouldn’t change Ayla-Mae for the world.”
In February, Natasha experienced severe back pain and couldn’t pass urine. Concerned, she visited the doctor and did a urine sample, but everything was clear.
Her GP referred her for an emergency appointment at Crosshouse Hospital, near Kilmarnock. Natasha says: “The pain in my back got so bad I couldn’t sit down.”
At the hospital, Natasha had a bladder scan before being sent for an MRI scan. Natasha remembers: “I was asked if I could be pregnant, and I said no.
“I didn’t think it was possible. I’d had regular periods, no symptoms, and no bump.”
But immediately after the MRI scan, Natasha felt the urge to use the toilet.
She says: “When I sat down, I thought, ‘Oh no!’ I recognized the feeling. It felt like a baby was coming.”
Natasha pulled the emergency cord to alert staff, and they lay her on a bed. They quickly performed an ultrasound, which confirmed there was a baby, and it was coming.
Natasha says: “The staff rang for the maternity and A&E teams, but there wasn’t enough time. Suddenly, I felt the sensation to push.”
Less than a minute later, Natasha’s baby was born, and staff placed her on her chest. She had given birth to a healthy baby girl, who Natasha later named Ayla-Mae.
She was full-term and weighed 5lbs 13oz. Natasha says: “I was in complete shock.”
Natasha and Ayla-Mae were checked over in A&E before being taken to a maternity suite. Hospital staff contacted Natasha’s mum to tell her the surprise news, and she rushed straight to her side.
Natasha says: “She was as shocked as I was.”
The next day, Natasha’s mum returned with her daughters Charlotte-Lillie, now four, and Ivy-Rae, one, who fell in love with their little sister. After 24 hours, Natasha and Ayla-Mae were discharged.
Natasha says: “I wasn’t planning on having another child, so I’d gotten rid of all Ivy-Rae’s baby items. Thankfully, my mum, auntie, and sister went out and bought everything I needed.”
Now, three months on, Natasha is adapting to life as a mum of three.
She says: “I think we’re all just about over the shock of Ayla-Mae’s arrival. I had no symptoms during the entire pregnancy. I’d even gone out with my friends, drinking.
“I’m so grateful that I was in the hospital when she was born; otherwise, who knows where I might have been? Ayla-Mae is the best surprise ever.”
