A 22-year-old woman who went to hospital believing she had a burst appendix was stunned to discover she was in labour and gave birth just 40 minutes later. Anna Jackson, from Stirling, Scotland, had been experiencing abdominal pain which she initially dismissed as period cramps.
When the pain intensified, she went to Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert with her partner, Euan Smith, also 22. Doctors noticed swelling on her abdomen and asked her to take a pregnancy test, which came back positive. Jackson said she felt 'clueless' and was then told she was fully dilated and taken to the labour ward.
She gave birth to daughter Talia Smith, weighing 7lbs, at 3.53am on March 22, 2024. Jackson said it felt like 'an episode of Grey's Anatomy' for two to three weeks before reality set in. She had no symptoms of pregnancy, attributing acid reflux and bloating to lactose intolerance.
Jackson had not had periods for years due to birth control and had continued partying, drinking, and eating normally, unaware she was pregnant. She said doctors believe the baby was pressed against her spine, hiding the pregnancy. Talia spent three days on a feeding tube but is now healthy at eight months old.
The couple said their family and community supported them with baby equipment. Jackson described the experience as 'traumatic' but said they have settled into family life.
