Mom Gives Birth After Thinking She Had Menstrual Cramps

This Woman Went to the Hospital For Menstrual Cramps and Walked Out With a Baby

In December 2016, Aly Opfer was just a normal 22-year-old living in Cleveland, Ohio where she worked as a cheerleading coach. Two days after spending hours at her job flipping and tumbling, she started to experience extreme pain, which she chalked up to menstrual cramps. Unfortunately, her condition didn't improve — Aly had spent most of the day curled up in fetal position — and 24 hours later she found herself in the hospital. But there was a big, rather important catch. She wasn't suffering from cramps at all: she was not only pregnant, but in labour.

"I felt totally normal to the point where I was still tumbling the week I had him! I had plenty of energy and felt like my normal self," Aly told POPSUGAR. "And then when I went into labour, I thought the pain was menstrual cramps but they got so bad over the next day-and-a-half, I knew something serious was happening. So we thought maybe kidney stones — and so did the ER doctor when I initially went in and he examined me. We didn't find out I was actually in labour until they did the ultrasound to see how big my kidney stones were and found my son."

Image Source: Aly Opfer

Obviously, Aly was completely shocked when she heard the news. Because she tended to have irregular periods, she often took pregnancy tests to rule the possibility out. The ones she had taken in recent months had all come back negative.

"I was like, 'There's no way. I'm not pregnant. I'd know if I was!' I'd be huge and I'd be able to feel it!"

"I was like, 'There's no way. I'm not pregnant. I'd know if I was!' I'd be huge and I'd be able to feel it! So I was completely shocked and terrified," she said. "I started crying. I had no idea how I was going to become a mom instantly and I wasn't prepared to give birth. It was extremely scary."

Although Aly wasn't aware of how bad her condition was, she got to the hospital just in the nick of time. "I was extremely sick when I got to the hospital," she said. "My doctors told me after that I was minutes away from death and if I didn't get there any sooner, I would've died. My blood pressure was dangerously high and I was on the verge of having a stroke. I had preeclampsia, so they had to do an emergency C-section as soon as they found out I was pregnant to deliver my son."

Image Source: Aly Opfer

Despite the challenges, Aly's C-section went smoothly and she welcomed her sweet son, whom she named Oliver, into the world. Thankfully, Aly wasn't alone in her short — but extremely intense — pregnancy journey. Her family stepped up in a big way as soon as they learned what was happening.

"My parents, sister, and brother-in-law went shopping for a car seat for us while I was in the hospital because it was Christmas Eve and there was a chance I'd get to go home on Christmas Day," she explained. "We needed to get a car seat before the stores all closed on Christmas Eve so they FaceTimed me to pick one out."

As for the rest of the baby gear? She had her friends to thank for that.

"All of my friends and family went out shopping to get Oliver clothes and the rest of the baby gear I needed," she said. "I had so many people asking what I needed that I ended up creating a baby registry after I had him. Everyone was really generous with helping to get everything I needed. I had an overload of baby clothes, diapers, and wipes!"

Image Source: Aly Opfer

While the transition to full-blown motherhood was certainly difficult at times, she's loved stepping into her new role more than anything.

"It was really hard adjusting to my new normal of being a mom, but I've loved every second of it," she said. "I didn't know how much I needed him until I had him. He's brought me so much joy and it's been so rewarding being his mom!"

Image Source: Aly Opfer

Image Source: Aly Opfer

Childbirth Motherhood