Emmalouise Leggate
Great Britain- Teen Discovers Pregnancy 45 Minutes Before Giving Birth
- A Surprise Journey to Motherhood
- A Second Child and Renewed Caution
- 'My Belly Didn't Drop'
- A Hidden Pregnancy
- A Perfectly Healthy Surprise
- A Rapid Birth
- A Grandmother's Joy
- A Special Connection
- A Grandmother's Pride
- A Life-Changing Experience
- A Close Bond
- A Cautious Future
- A Special Sibling Bond
- Lessons Learned
Teen Discovers Pregnancy 45 Minutes Before Giving Birth
EmmaLouise Leggatt, a 19-year-old woman from Glasgow, Scotland, experienced an extraordinary pregnancy that culminated in a rapid and unexpected birth. Despite taking birth control and showing no signs of pregnancy, Leggatt felt a stirring in her stomach and rushed to the hospital with her grandmother, Louise Ford. Just 45 minutes later, Leggatt gave birth to her daughter, Ciara Louise Lamont, in the hospital's parking lot.
A Surprise Journey to Motherhood
Leggatt had experienced no morning sickness, nausea, or increased appetite, and her baby never kicked. She attributed her missed periods to her birth control pills. Ciara, now eight months old, was born at full term despite her mother's lack of obvious symptoms. Doctors explained that Ciara's position in the womb, with her back to her mother's stomach, could have prevented movement.
A Second Child and Renewed Caution
On July 17, 2018, Leggatt welcomed her second child, a healthy 7-pound, 12-ounce baby girl. Despite the joy of becoming parents again, Leggatt and her partner, 19-year-old Shaun Lamont, were determined to avoid any further surprises. "After what happened, I was in shock," Leggatt said. "It felt like everything was a blur."
'My Belly Didn't Drop'
Leggatt had not taken a pregnancy test and had no idea she was carrying a child. Her body showed no signs of pregnancy, and she had no symptoms whatsoever. "The doctors were baffled as to why my bump didn't drop," she added. "They just said that Ciara must have been sitting with her back to me, which is quite common."
A Hidden Pregnancy
"People usually find out at the 20-week scan, when they feel the baby moving, but Ciara was silent, and I didn't feel her moving at all," Leggatt said. "When I started taking the pill, I had a little withdrawal bleed, but then my periods just stopped, which I put down to the tablets."
A Perfectly Healthy Surprise
Even with a slight weight gain, Leggatt did not suspect pregnancy. "Again, the bump was still not there," she recalled. "I had gained a little bit of weight, so my mum suggested we go for walks and stuff to shift the baby weight I had put on."
A Rapid Birth
While living with her mother, Jackie Ford, and one-year-old daughter, Kiva Lamont, Leggatt suddenly became aware of a presence within her. Jackie called Louise, who drove her granddaughter to the hospital, unwittingly becoming her midwife. Ciara was born in the backseat of the car.
A Grandmother's Joy
Ciara's middle name, Louise, honors her great-grandmother, who sadly passed away in October 2018. "My granny kept saying, 'You're definitely having a baby now, but I don't think you're ready to push it out for how cheeky you're being,'" the Glasgow woman recalled.
A Special Connection
"But by the time I got in the car, I was having contractions every two minutes. Then my waters broke." "We pulled up outside the hospital, and my granny said, 'Just give it five more minutes. Can't you just give it another five minutes?' But I couldn't."
A Grandmother's Pride
After Ciara's arrival, her great-grandmother couldn't have been more overjoyed. A blanket had been thrown over one of the seats, in which the newborn was wrapped. The proud and slightly overwhelmed great-grandmother got out of the car and started stopping passersby, proudly announcing the new addition to her family.
A Life-Changing Experience
"She kept going up to people in the street and saying, 'This is my great-granddaughter, look how beautiful she is,'" Leggatt said. "But I was in a bit of a panic because I didn't know if something was wrong with Ciara. But it turned out she was perfect."
A Close Bond
EmmaLouise believes there was a special connection between her grandmother and her daughter. She says there was a reason her birth was so dramatic and that it happened in the field. Ciara and her mother stayed in the hospital for a couple of days while doctors checked the baby, but she was given a clean bill of health.
A Cautious Future
The happy parents of two, however, do not want any more "silent pregnancies," so Leggatt has ditched her ineffective birth control pills in favor of an intrauterine device (IUD). "I'm only 19, and I already have two kids," she said. "Thankfully, my eldest has taken to Ciara straight away. I was amazed at how she took it in her stride."
A Special Sibling Bond
"They're really close. Kiva just thinks she's hilarious. Every time Ciara cries, she gives her her dolls, her teddy bear, and tucks her in her blanket." "My eldest will literally say to me, 'Ciara... bottle.' She's so protective of her wee sister."
Lessons Learned
EmmaLouise not only switched from pills to an IUD but also now takes regular pregnancy tests. "What happened was the best thing that could have happened," she said. "But that's it. No more surprises. I'm done."
