Only in Iowa

Jpshostr · May 3, 2002

This is just mind boggling, how can a woman not know that she is 7 months pregnant? Now I'm not a female, but it sure seems to me that something should be going on that could tip her off. This happened back home, Davenport is only about 30 miles away.

IOWA CITY , Iowa (AP) _ When a Davenport woman discovered she was pregnant, she didn't waste time. Tonya Matheny delivered her first child three days later. ``It's mind-boggling,'' said Matheny, 29, who lives in Davenport with her husband of 4 1/2 years, L.T. ``I found out I was pregnant for sure on Friday, went into pre-term labor on Saturday, and I had my daughter on Monday,'' Matheny said. Dr. Valerie Bonnett of Davenport told Tonya Matheny she was pregnant on Thursday, April 25, after running tests for Matheny's kidney infection. The pregnancy was confirmed Friday with an ultrasound revealing Matheny was nearly seven months along. Born about 4:30 p.m. Monday at University Hospitals, 2 pound, 3 ounce Ashliegh Marie Matheny came as a surprise to everyone. ``Especially to her mother,'' said Ashliegh's grandmother Deanna Matheny of Marion . ``I have 10 grandkids,'' said Deanna Matheny. ``But only one like this!'' Tonya Matheny said she went into labor at about 10 p.m. Saturday. ``Thank God I knew I was pregnant at that point. I would have lost her if I didn't know,'' she said. Doctors at Genesis Medical Center East in Davenport determined that Matheny's pregnancy was high-risk and she should deliver at University Hospitals. As Matheny was whisked away to Iowa City by ambulance. At about 1:30 a.m. Sunday, her water broke. Dr. Stephen Hunter delivered Ashliegh by Caesarean section Monday afternoon. Though 13 weeks early, the 19-inch baby was able to breath unassisted and did not need life support. As a premature baby, Ashliegh does need to be monitored in intensive care. Matheny said she had been told by doctors that it would be difficult for her to conceive a child without fertility drugs and never thought that she could be pregnant. She attributed her morning sickness to a chronic sinus infection and abdominal cramping to a kidney infection. Matheny plans to stay in the hospital as part of the attendant program since her premature daughter has to be in the neonatal intensive care unit until her due date, July 27. L.T. Matheny, 30, an assistant manager at O'Reilly Auto Parts in Davenport , may be able to work in the Iowa City store until Ashliegh is released. The Mathenys are optimistic about their daughter's health. ``Both her mom and her are doing well,'' said L.T. Matheny. ``She's a pretty strong little girl,'' her mother said, smiling.

CityTruck · May 3, 2002

When you look at it as "Being 7 months pregnant" it sounds impossible that she wouldn't know.

On the other hand:

If you look at it as having gained barely over 2 pounds in the mid-section (perhaps in a woman that was already a bit portly) it doesn't seem so imposible. (That's with the illlnesses she already had that explained the other symptoms). Of course there's the matter of the little "monthly friend" that would have taken a 7 month vacation but I know this isn't always a given for all women either. Still surprising. This is definitely not the first time I've seen stories about this. Some women go full term without realizing they are pregnant.