UK woman who didn't know she was pregnant gives birth on vacation

When Michael and Helen Green, a couple from Bristol, UK, went on vacation to Toronto, Canada, they didn't expect to return over a month later with a new baby in their arms.

Key Takeaways:

• Michael and Helen Green and their daughter Darcy were on vacation in Canada when Helen gave birth in the hotel bathroom. She didn't know she was pregnant.

• The shocked family is thrilled, and after waiting for five weeks in Canada for a passport for baby Olivia, they are finally home in the UK.

• The couple and Olivia joined the UK show, "This Morning," to share their story.

The Details:

Michael and Helen appeared on the UK show, "This Morning," with hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. They had with them their new baby Olivia, who had been born by surprise while the family was on vacation in Canada.

Helen, 45, had no idea she was pregnant until she gave birth to a baby girl at a hotel in Toronto the night after she, her husband, and daughter landed in Canada.

“I felt a little bit unwell on the airplane, on the flight over, but sort of put it aside. [I thought] maybe it was period pains,” Helen said.

Once Helen, Michael, and Darcy arrived at their hotel from the airport around three o’clock in the afternoon, Helen decided to take a nap while Michael and Darcy explored the neighborhood. After her nap, Helen “felt absolutely fine again” and “started to unpack.” Helen felt so well that evening that she was ready to go out, but the family ended up staying in the room because Darcy felt tired.

"My body just took over"

“About quarter to 1, quarter to 2, sorry, in the morning, just woke up with really bad stomach pains. Really bad stomach pains. And… got up, went to the bathroom,” Helen recalled.

Without turning on any lights, Helen gripped onto the edge of the sink because she suddenly felt like her legs were about to give way.

Then, her body took over. That's when Olivia made her surprise appearance.

'I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant Until I Gave Birth in Our Hotel Toilet' | This Morning

“All of a sudden, my body just said, ‘Push.’ It’s–my body just took over. And, a big push, and then, I sort of wasn’t sure what was happening, but I thought, ‘I kind of know this.’”

Helen realized what was really happening just before Olivia arrived, as she recognized the labor process, having given birth twice before, and she sat on the toilet.

“And then again, body just said, ‘Push.’ One big push and she was out,” said Helen.

She explained that she quickly scooped her daughter out of the toilet, but held the newborn at a distance from her, staring at the baby and “just shaking.” She shouted to her husband.

“I get called and then I hear a baby cry. And I just thought, obviously, I’m half asleep, ‘Is that Helen calling me because she can’t sleep? A baby’s next door or in the hallway? And then Olivia cried again, and [I thought]: ‘That’s in this room,’” said Michael.

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Michael then turned on a light, pushed open the bathroom door, and “saw Helen holding the baby.”

Michael thought he was dreaming and said he continues to be in disbelief. “I genuinely thought it was a dream. When I first heard the baby cry, I thought, ‘I’m just having a dream,’” he recalled.

Michael sprang into action, calling the paramedics and explaining to his daughter, "I think mommy’s had a baby."

Right away, little Darcy was “so excited” about her sister’s arrival, Michael recalled.

A five-week wait

Helen and Baby Olivia were taken to the hospital. The doctors had “quite a difficulty removing the placenta,” Helen said, which may have contributed to the fact that she was unaware of her pregnancy.

Helen had never noticed any signs of pregnancy, and she continued to live normally, enjoying an occasional alcoholic drink and staying active. At 45, she attributed anything different or unusual in her health to perimenopause. Shephard noted that cryptic pregnancies happen, “but they are just miracles.” 

All hospital tests showed that Baby Olivia was healthy, and the family moved on to the arduous task of registering Olivia’s birth in Canada (Olivia is a dual citizen of Canada and the UK) and obtaining a passport for her. Canadian officials even had to interview the paramedics who had cared for the family and hotel workers who could prove the Greens had entered the hotel as a family of three and exited as a family of four. 

The Greens described their time in Canada as “great,”  but also “really stressful.” They enjoyed calling their family on FaceTime to reveal the news of Olivia’s arrival. After five weeks, they were issued a passport for Olivia and returned home.

“It’s been crazy," said Michael, "but [Darcy] has taken to it, though.” So have Mom and Dad.

Go Deeper:

Read more below to learn more about cryptic pregnancies, the signs, and just how common they are:

• Cleveland Clinic: Cryptic pregnancy

• WebMD: What is cryptic pregnancy?

• VeryWell Health: Cryptic Pregnancy: Signs You're Pregnant But Don't Know It