What began as a seemingly ordinary morning for Rebecca Johnson, a 37-year-old special education teacher from Virginia, turned into one of the most extraordinary days of her life.
Believing she was suffering from back pain or possibly a kidney stone, Johnson was stunned to discover she was actually in labour, and within minutes, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl she didn’t even know she was expecting.
According to Stuff, on September 9, Johnson woke up with intense back pain. “I thought maybe it’s an old mattress or I have sciatica,” she recalled. She took a painkiller and went to work at Dupont Elementary School in Hopewell, south of Richmond. But by the time she arrived, the pain was unbearable.
“I’m telling my husband it feels like labour pains, but there’s no way it’s that,” she said. Her back throbbed, and she felt a constant urge to urinate, classic symptoms of what she thought might be a kidney stone. Her husband, Lee, rushed her to TriCities Hospital, where nurses also suspected the same, as quoted by Stuff.
Moments later, Johnson’s lower body was suddenly drenched in fluid. As she sat on a bedside commode, she felt something moving, and then came the shock. “That’s a head!” a nurse exclaimed, as reported by Stuff.
Within minutes, Johnson had delivered a full-term baby girl, without ever knowing she was pregnant.
The couple, married since 2011, had struggled with fertility for years and conceived their first daughter, Clara Snow, through treatment in 2016. Against all odds, Johnson conceived naturally again, giving birth to Cecilia Lyn in 2024.
“We were told after that we weren’t going to be able to have kids without intervention,” Johnson said. So, when her third child arrived, completely unplanned and undetected, the couple was in disbelief.
Doctors later explained that Johnson had experienced a “cryptic pregnancy”, a rare condition where pregnancy goes unnoticed until labour. According to the Cleveland Clinic, such cases occur in about 1 in 2,500 pregnancies.
TriCities Hospital staff, equally surprised, described the birth as a “precipitous delivery”, one that happens rapidly and unexpectedly. “It unfolded so quickly,” said Brittney Dillard, the nursing director of the emergency room. Ashley Cundiff, the hospital’s chief nursing officer, added, “We see at least one every year. It was a really fun morning,” Stuff quoted.
The baby, named Carlee Evangeline, was born healthy, weighing 7 pounds and 8 ounces. Doctors estimated Johnson had been between 38 and 40 weeks pregnant. Since TriCities Hospital doesn’t have a maternity unit, Johnson was transferred later that evening to another facility.
“She ended up perfect,” Johnson said. “We were told we weren’t going to have a kid naturally. The second one was a blessing, and this one was just a straight miracle.”
Once home, friends and neighbours rallied to support the family with baby supplies and meals. “We’ve had a lot of support,” Johnson said. “This is amazing but crazy. This is really real.”
Now, the family of five is settling into their new rhythm. Johnson said her daughters have adjusted well, and baby Carlee is already showing her personality. “She’s a big cuddler and gives the best side-eye,” she laughed.
Reflecting on the unexpected turn of events, Johnson said she hopes her story gives hope to others struggling with fertility.
“Just remember, it’s not always your timing. Sometimes God steps in when you least expect it,” she said, as quoted by Stuff.
Though it began as a day of confusion and pain, Johnson now sees it as a divine surprise. “I wouldn’t want the story to go any other way,” she said. “It’s who I get to come home to,” Stuff quoted.