A college student from Garrettsville, Ohio, had no idea she was in labor when doctors admitted her into hospital for what they first thought were kidney stones, The Daily Mail reported.
Little did 23-year-old Allyson Opfer know that she had been in labor for nearly 40 hours and was about to give birth to her son, Oliver David.
"The day before I had him I woke up with what I thought were just normal menstrual cramps and I was in a little bit of discomfort," the Kent State University senior told the news outlet. "But the cramps just got more intense as the day went on, they just kept getting worse and worse."
The incident took place in December 2016 but Opfer has revisited the unique experience in a recent interview with Reader’s Digest.
"The ER doctor originally thought I had kidney stones,” she recalled but when doctors sent her for an ultrasound, "instead of finding kidney stones, they found a baby!"
Doctors also found that Opfer was suffering from preeclampsia, a dangerous form of high blood pressure that is pregnancy-induced and can lead to seizures and strokes.
"They told me if I had waited any longer to come to the ER, I’d be dead," she said. "The only way to save my life was to deliver the baby via emergency c-section immediately."
In just 30 minutes Opfer was holding her son in her arms. She recovered from the preeclampsia and is thrilled to be a mother however, the unique circumstances surrounding the birth have intrigued the public and left many wondering how going into labor could be confused with kidney stones.
Opfer said she had absolutely no idea she was pregnant. She noticed some weight gain but blamed it on poor diet and lack of exercise and, when her periods stopped, she took a pregnancy test but the results were negative.
"I didn’t have any symptoms the entire pregnancy," she told Reader's Digest. Opfer said she could not believe she was giving birth when doctors wheeled her into the delivery room. However, she said it was an incredible experience to see her son and hear him cry, The Daily Mail noted.
"I'm so beyond happy I have this precious little guy," Opfer wrote in an Instagram post showing Oliver David cradled in her arms. "He's my best friend. There is no better job than being a mom."
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