A young woman has shared a startling tale of how she discovered she was pregnant only when she needed to give birth immediately, recounting that just "three pushes" post her doctor's visit, she welcomed her baby.

Kayla Nicole Simpson is now a doting mother to her two-year-old daughter Madison - known as Maddie - who she "loves so much". However, Maddie's arrival was as astonishing as it gets; Kayla had been completely unaware of her pregnancy. At the time, Kayla was a university student, experiencing regular menstrual cycles, but not using birth control.

Now 23, Kayla has openly discussed her experience on YouTube and various social media channels, explaining that one morning she woke up with "random abdominal pain" so severe she "couldn't walk because of the pain". Shortly after, she found herself in labour.

The New Jersey-based mum insists she showed no physical signs of pregnancy, with no noticeable change in her stomach size.

Recounting her ordeal on TikTok, she revealed that she initially mistook her stomach pain for a bowel issue. She candidly shared that she was "bleeding and having the worst cramps and sharp pains ever". She attempted to go downstairs to fetch a heating pad and some Ibuprofen but was unable to navigate the stairs due to the intense pain.

In a YouTube video, Kayla explained: "I thought this was a little weird as I had just finished my period. I was just sat over the toilet for half an hour. My pain was mostly on my lower right side. I called my brother who was upstairs and told him to get mum and dad right now - both my parents came running up stairs."

Kayla believed she was suffering from a burst appendix and asked her mum to rush her to the hospital. Describing her condition as "agonising pain", medical professionals informed her that she was about to give birth.

Kayla added: "I was kind of blacked out in pain, all I remember is seeing the elevator doors open, the doctors standing over me and saying 'do you know what's about to happen', and I said 'no, what? '. He said 'you're about to give birth' and then it goes blank."

"I don't remember getting to the labour room or getting on the bed or anything. I didn't really know what was happening until I gave birth." She revealed that "three pushes later" and her baby girl was born.

Kayla experienced what is known as a cryptic pregnancy. According to Pampers UK, a cryptic pregnancy occurs when an individual is unaware they are pregnant until the later stages or even until delivery.

Although rare, those who unknowingly fall pregnant may not recognise the symptoms. This can be due to irregular periods, false negative pregnancy test results, lifestyle factors such as weight loss or gain and stress, certain medications, recent childbirth or use of birth control, never having been pregnant before, or being diagnosed with PCOS or perimenopause.

Thousands of people reacted to Kayla's TikTok video which has raked in over eight million views. One individual said: "As someone who has been pregnant, cryptic pregnancies are wild to me. There was absolutely no way for me to not know I was pregnant with all the signs and symptoms."

"This scares me," added another. "It's so scary," wrote another. "My worst fear," another user said. One other flabbergasted individual said: "But how does your belly not grow? I'm so confused by this."

Another commented: "I couldn't imagine not knowing I was pregnant then going to the hospital and having a baby all in one day."

One other woman shared how she found out she was pregnant. She said: "I would've had a cryptic pregnancy but my co-workers decided to play pregnancy roulette and there was one positive test and it was mine."

For more help on pregnancy visit the NHS website or book an appointment with your GP.

Do you have a pregnancy or parenting-related story? Get in touch via Lucy.Marshall@reachplc.com.