Charlotte Thomson was living her best as a college freshman. She was doing well in her classes and had a great job that helped pay for her schooling. She was going out every weekend and having the time of her life, but everything was cut short in just one night...
Charlotte Thomson
Charlotte Thomson was like every other 19-year-old. She went out, partied, and hung out with her friends while going to college. She was just as young and reckless as any other college freshman.
A Horrible Hangover
Charlotte went home late one December after a long night of clubbing. She had been partying for a few hours, which was nothing out of the usual. She went to bed the second she got home and passed out. At 2:30 in the morning, she woke up to excruciatingly sharp pains in her back. She took some painkillers, but it didn't work...
Scared and Alone
Charlotte tried to ignore the pain and fall back asleep partly because she was telling herself this wasn't happening. She was in shock. After an hour, the pain became unbearable. She went to the bathroom to get some water when she saw that her hands were drenched in blood.
What Was Happening?
Charlotte's blood ran cold. She immediately thought that she was dying. She was in such a state of shock that she couldn't even react. The worst part was that she was home alone with no one to help her...
Calling a Cab
Charlotte was home alone and didn't have the strength to drive herself to the hospital. She was worried about the cost of calling an ambulance so she called a cab to get her to the hospital. She tried her best to keep her cool even though she thought this might be the end...
Waiting Alone
The cab let her off and she paid her fare through gritted teeth. Charlotte made her way into the ER and told the receptionist what was going on. She was shaking, lightheaded and close to passing out. She knew that she was still bleeding and that her time was running out. Meanwhile, the pain had become even more agonizing...
A Critical Case
Charlotte was extremely pale and could barely stand up on her own because of the pain. The nurses saw her critical case and knew that they needed to act quickly. They took her in and attempted to stabilize her. After going through a couple of tests, they discovered something that they had never seen before.
She Was Terrified and Alone
The nurses quickly swarmed around her. Charlotte was trying to ask questions in her delirious state but they ignored her. They only kept telling her to stay calm. She had no clue what was going on and was completely left in the dark.
Had to Act Quickly
After a few moments and being poked and prodded at, one of the nurses told Charlotte that she needed to go see the midwife immediately. Charlotte was so confused—midwives were for pregnant women, and she definitely wasn't pregnant. She just had a period. Was she miscarrying?
Why Else Could She Be Going There?
"I told them that there had to be a mistake," Charlotte said in an interview. "I had no symptoms." The nurses ignored her and wheeled her into a room with an ultrasound machine. They prepped the machine and put jelly on her belly to take a look at what was going on...
Why Were They There?
Charlotte may have been only 19 and pretty inexperienced with the world, but she was sure that midwives were only called in for pregnant women who were giving birth. She was obviously not pregnant nor in labor. Panic began to set in...
She Was Losing Her Mind
Everything started feeling like a dream. She looked at the screen and saw a bunch of random shapes that she couldn't understand. The nurses, who were still bustling around her and trying to stop her from bleeding, were talking in phrases that she couldn't comprehend.
The Ultrasound
Charlotte had stopped asking questions at that point. She was in pain and shock. Everything was moving way too fast for her to even try to understand what was going on around her.
She Was In Labor
When Charlotte heard the word "labor," she froze. Labor? She wasn't even pregnant! She had a flat stomach and finished her period two days prior to this whole mess. The nurses were adamant and explained the situation as she was wheeled into a labor and delivery room...
An Anomoly
Charlotte couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had been drinking, partying, and eating junk food as she normally did. She didn't do any sort of pre-natal preparation because she had no idea that she was pregnant. How was that even possible?
Total Panic Mode
Even though she was in horrible pain, she couldn't help but think of how she felt like a failure as a mother already. "I panicked that I wasn't prepared and hadn't bought any baby clothes. I was so worried about what my parents would say when they found out I was having a baby."
How Could She Not Know?
The hospital staff had said they'd never seen a case like Charlotte's. Most women in their third trimester are so uncomfortable that they can't even move. Meanwhile, Charlotte was out living her best life! What was the explanation?
The Baby Was Hiding
The baby was positioned towards Charlotte’s spine instead of towards her belly button, which explained the lack of a baby bump. Since the baby was in an odd place in Charlotte's uterus, her body didn't recognize that it was pregnant and went about business as usual.
What Happened To The Baby?
Charlotte was mostly worried about the baby's health. Pregnant women needed to stop drinking, eat healthier, and take vitamins... Charlotte was doing none of those. In fact, she was doing quite the opposite!
Nothing Changed
Charlotte's body didn't change at all. The only symptom that she noted was that she possibly felt more tired than usual, but she just assumed that was from her intense college classes...
Agonizing Pain
Charlotte got hooked up to a bunch of different beeping machines. She couldn't think about anything else when her labor pains really started to kick in. She said that it felt like she was being split open... She really needed her parents.
Calling the Parents
Since Charlotte was in way too much pain to speak on the phone, a nurse went ahead and did it for her. The nurse didn't sugarcoat it one bit. She bluntly told Charlotte's family that their daughter was pregnant and in labor and they needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible.
Pregnant? In Labor?
Obviously, her parents were dumbfounded. They received this call in the middle of the night. How were they supposed to react? Without even questioning the nurse, they made their way down to the hospital. They assumed that she was tragically miscarrying...
Charlotte Was Happy To Have Her Parents
When her parents entered the room, Charlotte immediately felt a sense of relief. Then, she was terrified. "I burst into tears when they arrived and told them I had no idea that I was pregnant. They were really supportive and excited about their first grandchild."
Totally Unprepared
Thankfully, her parents were more than accepting and ready to help. In between her horrible contractions, she worried about her lack of baby supplies. She had no clothes, no furniture, no diapers... She barely even had any money! She started to freak out...
Before She Knew It...
Charlotte couldn't think anymore... It was time to push! It was a quick delivery, and baby Molly was quickly in Charlotte's arms. "As soon as I held Molly, I loved her so much," Charlotte recalled. "She was perfect and we had an instant bond."
Her Life Was Changed
Charlotte was officially a mother! She claimed that she was not the same person who walked into the hospital just hours before Molly was born. Her mom was able to run out and get some last-second supplies before they could take Molly home...
Breaking the News To Molly's Father
Just by doing the math, Charlotte easily knew who the father of Molly was. Sadly, Molly's father didn't want anything to do with them. He told Charlotte that he didn't want to be involved. So, Charlotte braced herself for life as a single teen mom...
Friends and Family
It was time for Charlotte to break the news to her friends and family. "My friend didn't believe me until they saw a picture of Molly." Thankfully, everyone around Charlotte and Molly were extremely supportive.
Telling Work
Next, Charlotte needed to tell her work that she needed to take maternity leave. For some support, she had her mom on the call as well. "When Mum called my work to explain that I'd had a baby, they were gobsmacked as they'd seen me the day before with no baby bump at all."
Things Went Smoothly
In a bizarre twist of fate, Charlotte worked at a nursery! So, she was able to take maternity leave and come back with Molly in hand. "Molly has joined the nursery that I work at so I can take her with me, which is perfect," she said.
Single Mom Life
Life as a single mom has worked out for Charlotte! "Molly's dad is an ex who is no longer in the picture, but I have plenty of help from my parents with the baby," Charlotte said. "I'm no longer a party animal but it's worth it to have Molly."
Only One Regret
The only regret that Charlotte had was that she couldn't enjoy her pregnancy. Other than that, she has no regrets! "I can’t wait to tell her the story of how I discovered I was pregnant with her. Nothing Molly could ever do in the future would surprise me as much as the day she was born."