"I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" Deployment Style

[Dumbledork]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19657646

Baby birth shock for soldier on Afghanistan deployment

A team of doctors has flown to Afghanistan after a British servicewoman gave birth to a boy having not realised she was pregnant.

Originally from Fiji, the unnamed Royal Artillery gunner is said to have only learned she was about to give birth on Tuesday after having stomach pains.

Mother and baby are "stable" in Camp Bastion, Helmand province, said the Ministry of Defence.

The woman went to Afghanistan in March and her baby was five weeks premature.

A specialist paediatric team from Oxford's John Radcliffe Hospital has left for Afghanistan, RAF Brize Norton has confirmed.

The MoD said the team would provide "care for mother and baby on the flight home".

It said: "It is not military policy to allow servicewomen to deploy on operations if they are pregnant. In this instance the MoD was unaware of her pregnancy."

BBC defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt said it was the first time a British soldier had given birth on the front line although up to 200 servicewomen had been sent home since 2003 from Iraq and Afghanistan when it was discovered they were pregnant.

"Military rules ban pregnant servicewomen from front-line duties, though last year another female British soldier gave birth two weeks after returning from her six-month deployment to Afghanistan," she said.

One woman went through a six-month tour without realising she had been pregnant.

Servicemen and women have pre-deployment medical checks depending on their roles, for example hearing tests, and complete physical fitness tests, such as a five-mile run.

But women are not routinely given pregnancy tests.

Charles Heyman, editor of Armed Forces of the United Kingdom, told the BBC this was a "loophole" in training and medical inspections and all that was needed was a simple pregnancy test to be carried out before deployment.

He said: "I'm certain nobody expected that a woman who was earmarked for operations in Afghanistan would be pregnant."

The birth took place four days after the camp was attacked by the Taliban who destroyed six aircraft and killed two US Marines.

Of Camp Bastion's medical facilities, Mr Heyman said: "It's a very good place to go if you have been shot but as a maternity ward very limited."

Fewer than 1% of British servicewomen ever deployed on operations have had to return home because they were pregnant, according to the MoD.

No women are deployed in the infantry where the primary role is to "close with and kill" the enemy - to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

But they do perform support roles such as medical duties and at any one time about 500 to 600 women are in theatre.

After a pregnancy servicewomen are not returned to the front line for at least six months.

'Negative reaction'
So-called denied, or undetected, pregnancies are thought to be rare.


But Dr Anna David, a consultant in obstetrics at University College London, told the BBC: "It may be that this is not as uncommon as we think."

She said one study in Wales over an 11-year period had found one in 2,500 pregnancies was concealed.

"It is more common in younger women. There might be all sorts of reasons why one might actually not notice one is pregnant or not want to disclose it. One might be worried about a negative reaction from one's family and either not realise one is pregnant or not notice the symptoms that one might have," she said.

Patrick O'Brien, a consultant obstetrician at University College London Hospitals, said such a case would be seen about "once a year" - but there there were no accurate figures.

For Belinda Phipps, chief executive of the National Childbirth Trust, said: "Most of us put on two or three stone (28-42lbs) while we are pregnant and by the end of pregnancy feel very much as though it is dominating our entire being, so it would be hard to get to the later stages of pregnancy and not realise it.

"Also if you don't expect to be pregnant, are busy and stressful or in a life or death situation, you may be so focused on what is happening in your life that you don't spot or put to the back of your mind the signs of pregnancy you may be experiencing."

[amaristella]

Honestly. Really honestly. I just don't think that I will ever be able to understand or relate to this type of story.

[basilosaurus]

I thought people could go back after 3 months, at least in the army. I think AF holds to the 6 month rule.

I could see to a degree not realizing it for a few months. You're changing environments, under a lot of stress, with completely different food than you're used to. But all 40 weeks? That's hard to be in denial. But, if tv's taught me anything, there are weird but justifiable reasons people can explain it away, often with a doctor's input.

On a related note, a very close friend of mine didn't find out she was pregnant until after she deployed. Surprise conception apparently happened right before she left. Unfortunately she did end up miscarrying, but they were very understanding and gave her bereavement leave.

[NomadicMama]

Wow, I hope the the baby is healthy. Five weeks early, no prenatal care and a stressful environment for the mother. Wow.

Did she have periods while pregnant? I have missed a period due to stress, but never more than one month.

I'm surprised that they don't require female soldiers to pee in a cup before they leave. Yes, this could miss a few women who conceive immediately before leaving but aren't pregnant "enough" for it to register.

[basilosaurus]

The article said they don't require a test. My friend would have been one who wasn't caught, anyway, but I understand that's not statistically that likely.

From the tv show (educational!), some of these women have regular spotting throughout their pregnancy. So, it's lighter than a period, but the write that off as a stress related issue.

[NomadicMama]

I know that this does happen. . . but I just don't understand. I likely never will. Having experienced infertility, and then a rough pregnancy, I am not able to empathize.

I just hope that the baby and mother are well.

[basilosaurus]

And I'm someone who has never (to my knowledge) has been pregnant. Yet I deal with nausea daily (I can get pukey from brushing my teeth) and have for a decade, not to mention odd cardiac stuff, similar to what happens in pregnancy. And I could see my cycles being wonky under stress.

So, if you're someone who has pregnancy like symptoms for years, how do you know when it's pregnancy vs your normal? I went through 4 months where my breasts were so sore, and actually growing, that I had to wear a sports bra every day, and I wasn't pregnant (tested! more than once!) and over 30. Maybe if I were pregnant, I'd see how different it is, but talking to friends, my daily life is sometimes more symptomatic than their pregnancies.

[Dory1988]

DH had to assist in removing an ectopic pregnancy on a British SM while over there and she was a couple months along so, for some reason, this doesn't surprise me.

[Deleted]

Well, after my thyroid surgery I didn't have my period for three almost four months, bad acne, extremely tired, and weight gain. Theyre all normal symptom after thuroid surgery but it ended up I was pregnant. I only found out because I miscarried. I'm not sure about going all forty weeks but I was a few months and never knew.

[YellowRose]

Sept 26, 2012 1:03:09 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

I thought people could go back after 3 months, at least in the army. I think AF holds to the 6 month rule.

Army is 4 months. DH had a Soldier who could return to duty 2 days after they were scheduled to mobilize.

[NomadicMama]

For a civilian, especially someone who is bigger to begin with, it is more probable. (Not saying that you are overweight, Sibil. Just a statement.) A woman carrying extra weight typically shows later, and sometimes very little. I was heavy when I got pregnant and was surprised by how pregnant I actually looked given my weight.

I can understand having no symptoms, or symptoms that can be explained by other conditions/situations. But I don't understand how a soldier, who presumably wears a uniform, and has been medically cleared (read: healthy) not notice the weight gain, even at 35 weeks? And the peeing? A pregnant woman pees much more frequently. I know, she was in a stressful situation and likely not paying attention to her body. . . But really?

A good friend of mine, who is physically fit and trim, is pregnant, almost 20 weeks, with baby #2, and is not showing. She recently posted a picture on FB and even her mom mentioned something. But, she will show. There is nowhere for the baby to go but "out".

I can understand not knowing until farther along in one's pregnancy. But to be healthy, physically fit and trim, I simply don't understand how she or someone around her didn't notice. It leaves me shaking my head.

[JakJak]

My biggest question is how do you miss the kicks? Once you reach a certain points it feels like your bladder is getting drop kicked all the time. I feel like she must have been in a serious state of denial

[meltoine]

Sept 26, 2012 9:37:10 GMT -5 JakJak said:

My biggest question is how do you miss the kicks? Once you reach a certain points it feels like your bladder is getting drop kicked all the time. I feel like she must have been in a serious state of denial

This is can understand not noticing. I had an anterior placenta and I really didn't feel much of anything as far as kicks were concerned.

Bt the rest of it, yeah no. These people are whack.

[kcd0531]

Sept 26, 2012 9:55:50 GMT -5 meltoine said:

Sept 26, 2012 9:37:10 GMT -5 JakJak said:

My biggest question is how do you miss the kicks? Once you reach a certain points it feels like your bladder is getting drop kicked all the time. I feel like she must have been in a serious state of denial

This is can understand not noticing. I had an anterior placenta and I really didn't feel much of anything as far as kicks were concerned.

Bt the rest of it, yeah no. These people are whack.

I didn't have an anterior placenta and didn't feel DS kick all that much. He was much more active at night while I slept; I was just so gosh darned tired that I really didn't notice. It was K who would tell me in the morning how EJ was kicking up a storm the night before since he had a habit of going to sleep with his hand on the belly.

[crimewatcher]

My Cousin's wife didn't know she was pregnant until 7 months into the pregnancy. She wasn't showing at all and this was her 2nd pregnancy. She had some serious bleeding and went into the ER- she thought she had cervical cancer (her mother had it). Turns out she was pregnant. Needless to say she is a nut so it didn't surprise me she didn't know. They were using no protection and since she was getting her 'period' monthly they thought they were good.

[basilosaurus]

Not having experienced it, according to the show, there are people who don't feel the kicks (anterior placenta) or who had had GI problems their whole life, so it felt too similar to them. Denial is powerful. As is context. If you have all sorts of rationalizations why you're not pregnant (ie no period = stress), then you may have the "definitely not pregnant" perspective to interpret it.

Nomadic, personally, I would show. I've always been underweight. Which is why I find a soldier who's likely in good shape might have a harder time hiding it. But, from my understanding, some of that is genetic. My sister started showing before 12 weeks. I've had friends who didn't show 7 months. They were all average weight.

[Deleted]

Remember that someone can be healthy and physically fit but still be overweight. I'm technically "overweight" but very physically fit and still quite healthy despite having a higher body-fat-percentage. And because of how I carry my weight, I have no problem fitting into a uniform or passing my AF PT test.

Also, my experience with members of the UK military is that they can be SUBSTANTIALLY more overweight than most members of the American military, as long as they pass their fitness tests. They don't have weight or measurement standards that they have to meet.

I haven't seen pictures of this particular soldier, but i have no trouble imagining that her body composition might mask pregnancy.

[Dumbledork]

Do we give pregnancy tests before deployment? Part of me feels like it's a bit of an invasion of privacy and step on women's rights, but a bigger part of me feels like it should be done to prevent situations like this that put both the mother and pregnancy at risk.

Also, don't soldiers, US ones at least, get various vaccinations before they deploy that could cause harm to a fetus? I remember there was one or two that DH couldn't get before his last deployment because I was pregnant or had just given birth. He had to wait til he was already over there to get it.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2012 10:51:26 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Do we give pregnancy tests before deployment? Part of me feels like it's a bit of an invasion of privacy and step on women's rights, but a bigger part of me feels like it should be done to prevent situations like this that put both the mother and pregnancy at risk.

Also, don't soldiers, US ones at least, get various vaccinations before they deploy that could cause harm to a fetus? I remember there was one or two that DH couldn't get before his last deployment because I was pregnant or had just given birth. He had to wait til he was already over there to get it.

No, we don't get pregnancy tests before deploying (at least I never have -- been deployed 3 times with the AF, and I've never heard of anyone being forced to take a pregnancy test).

We do get some vaccines before deployment, but you don't get all of them for every deployment. For example, I got Smallpox and Anthrax vaccines for my first deployment (anthrax was actually a series), but not for my second or third because I was still covered.

[Dumbledork]

Kev said last night that he thought they did pg tests before deployment (Army) but he's a boy and has extrovert tendencies so I thought I'd ask here.

Smallpox and Anthrax were the vaccinations I was thinking of, but aren't there others you can't/shouldn't get while pregnant that you might get pre-deployment? I've no idea what you get pre-deployment, but the not so abnormal vaccinations like whooping cough, etc.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2012 11:10:36 GMT -5 Dumbledork said:

Kev said last night that he thought they did pg tests before deployment (Army) but he's a boy and has extrovert tendencies so I thought I'd ask here.

Smallpox and Anthrax were the vaccinations I was thinking of, but aren't there others you can't/shouldn't get while pregnant that you might get pre-deployment? I've no idea what you get pre-deployment, but the not so abnormal vaccinations like whooping cough, etc.

Whooping cough, MMR, tetanus, flu, hepatitis, etc, are always kept current, so aren't specifically done before deployments (though if not up-to-date the member would have to get them in order to deploy). It's entirely possible to get immunizations well before becoming pregnant, then deploy. Of course, if you don't know you're pregnant, you could potentially get potentially harmful vaccines before deploying because they don't make women take pregnancy tests for either immunizations or deploying.

I'm not sure what immunizations the Brits do, but I get a feeling it's not as much as we do. They don't even get the flu shot (that's only for babies and elderly).

[basilosaurus]

You're not supposed to get MMR, chickenpox, smallpox, and yellow fever if pregnant, IIRC. Anthrax would not be given to a pregnant woman if risk of exposure is low, but would if risk is high. I assume they classify deployment as high.

Smallpox vax is not necessary to deploy as there are actually a fairly high number of people who can't receive it. H is one of them, and it's do to some really minor ecxema he on rare occasion gets. That was enough to have it permanently marked in his record.

[Deleted]

Sept 27, 2012 16:14:03 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

You're not supposed to get MMR, chickenpox, smallpox, and yellow fever if pregnant, IIRC. Anthrax would not be given to a pregnant woman if risk of exposure is low, but would if risk is high. I assume they classify deployment as high.

Smallpox vax is not necessary to deploy as there are actually a fairly high number of people who can't receive it. H is one of them, and it's do to some really minor ecxema he on rare occasion gets. That was enough to have it permanently marked in his record.

Exactly -- my point is that one could get current on all vaccines while not pregnant. Then get pregnant a few months later, be up for deployment, not know you were pregnant, and still be current on all vaccines. So even if they DID test for pregnancy to give the vaccines (which they don't), that alone wouldn't protect people from deploying while pregnant.

Also, if people can be pregnant and not know it, then they might accidentally get vaccinated while pregnant, just like they might accidentally deploy while pregnant.

[meltoine]

Sept 28, 2012 0:40:04 GMT -5 @villainv said:

Sept 27, 2012 16:14:03 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

You're not supposed to get MMR, chickenpox, smallpox, and yellow fever if pregnant, IIRC. Anthrax would not be given to a pregnant woman if risk of exposure is low, but would if risk is high. I assume they classify deployment as high.

Smallpox vax is not necessary to deploy as there are actually a fairly high number of people who can't receive it. H is one of them, and it's do to some really minor ecxema he on rare occasion gets. That was enough to have it permanently marked in his record.

Exactly -- my point is that one could get current on all vaccines while not pregnant. Then get pregnant a few months later, be up for deployment, not know you were pregnant, and still be current on all vaccines. So even if they DID test for pregnancy to give the vaccines (which they don't), that alone wouldn't protect people from deploying while pregnant.

Also, if people can be pregnant and not know it, then they might accidentally get vaccinated while pregnant, just like they might accidentally deploy while pregnant.

I mean, even if they gave you the pregnancy test the day before you left, it's still totally possible to go home that night, have sex, and get pregnant. There is no foolproof way around this.