16-year-old Chelsea Clatworthy didn’t know she was pregnant until her son’s head began to crown while she was sitting on the toilet.
The only symptom of pregnancy she had experienced in the previous nine months was extreme back pain in the two days prior to the arrival of her “miracle baby” Lorenzo. As Chelsea had been diagnosed with scoliosis and had suffered from a slipped disc, she often experienced severe back pain. Two days before Lorenzo’s birth she fell off a ladder and put the extreme pain down to the recent injury.
While it may seem unbelievable, Chelsea’s story is more common than you’d think. One in 7000 women experience a “surprise pregnancy” where their bodies don’t exhibit the typical signs of pregnancy.
At the time of her pregnancy, Chelsea was living in Spain. She had just finished high school and was regularly going out and partying with her peers.
“2010 was probably the most stressful year of my life,” Chelsea admits, “So I think I had so many other things going on my body wasn’t my main priority.”
Instead of gaining weight Chelsea actually lost a significant amount that year.
“I had always been a bigger girl, and that year I had lost roughly five stone (around 30Kg) in weight, so I didn’t notice any weight gain, bump or any other symptoms.”
After the shock of Lorenzo’s arrival, Chelsea had to adapt to the idea of becoming a mother very quickly.
“At that time we had hardly any money, so we weren’t fortunate enough to just be able to go and buy new baby things brand-new.”
Thankfully her local community rallied and provided Chelsea and her family with baby clothes, cots and everything most people have nine months to prepare for.
Chelsea will celebrate her “miracle baby’s” fifth birthday on December 9.
