A consultant gynaecologist and obstetrician, Dr. Abosede Lewu, has said that cryptic pregnancy is a genuine medical condition but is often misunderstood and exploited by fraudsters to deceive desperate women seeking to conceive.
Lewu, who is the Chief Medical Director of ORB Women’s Clinic, Lagos, disclosed this while speaking with journalists. She explained that cryptic pregnancy refers to a real pregnancy in which a woman remains unaware of her condition until about five months into gestation or even until labour begins in some cases.
“Cryptic pregnancy is a real pregnancy. The major difference between it and other pregnancies is awareness. The woman is pregnant but does not know,” she said.
According to her, the condition is more common among women with irregular menstrual cycles or those who go for extended periods without menstruation. Women approaching menopause, she added, may also experience cryptic pregnancy because their cycles are often irregular, occurring once in three or six months.
“In such situations, when they become pregnant, they may assume the symptoms they are experiencing are simply part of the changes associated with nearing menopause,” Lewu explained.
She noted that breastfeeding mothers were also at risk, pointing out that many women do not resume menstruation until they stop breastfeeding effectively.
“As a result, such women can become pregnant without knowing, because they believe their period has not yet returned,” she said.
The gynaecologist warned that cryptic pregnancy carries specific risks because it is usually unplanned, with affected women failing to make the necessary medical and emotional preparations.
She further cautioned that the concept of cryptic pregnancy is being exploited by unscrupulous individuals who use it to scam women struggling with fertility.
“Some scammers take advantage of women by claiming to see a pregnancy and continue to administer medications to stop their periods. When such women go for scans at diagnostic centres, there is usually no evidence of pregnancy, unlike in genuine cryptic pregnancy where a real pregnancy exists,” she said.
Lewu advised women to be vigilant, stressing that if only one individual claimed to detect a pregnancy without confirmation from independent medical tests, it was most likely a scam.
“As a woman, if you are working with someone who claims to be helping you get pregnant and only that person can see the pregnancy, then you are being scammed,” she warned.
She also highlighted the dangers of receiving care from unqualified persons, noting that the use of unregulated hormones could expose women to serious and life-threatening health conditions, either immediately or later in life.
According to her, there is no secrecy surrounding genuine cryptic pregnancy, and the condition cannot be induced.
“One way these scammers remain relevant is by forcing women into secrecy. The entire experience of the so-called pregnancy and baby delivery is shrouded in secrecy, and the women are discouraged from sharing their experiences,” she said.
Lewu observed that the journey to parenthood varies from woman to woman and from family to family, advising women experiencing delays in achieving pregnancy not to allow desperation to push them into the hands of unqualified practitioners.
“For women and families facing fertility challenges, it is important to consult a qualified gynecologist for proper evaluation and to explore safe, acceptable and medically sound options for achieving pregnancy,” she added.
