A student who had a tummy ache got the shock of her life when she found out she was pregnant only as her baby began to crown.
Ellie Johnson had been suffering from abdominal pains but claims she had no idea she was carrying a baby after taking three pregnancy tests which were all negative.
Ellie, 24, said she visited six doctors and even had an ultrasound scan which all confirmed she wasn't expecting - and she was also taking the contraceptive pill.
The history student first started feeling unwell in August 2018, but she claims doctors told her she had a "blockage" in her body.
The mum from Essex said: "I was on the contraceptive pill. I was taking it every day and even through my pregnancy, I was taking it every day.
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"I didn't really have any symptoms. I was still having periods every month and didn't have a bump or anything like that."
When she first saw a gastroenterologist in October, Ellie claims she had blood tests which didn't detect any hormones that indicated she was expecting.
She recalled: "The only reason I started going to the doctors was because I had stomach pain, was really uncomfortable and felt like I was putting on weight.
"I did a pregnancy test at home and thought 'oh, it's negative, it can't be that' and had six doctors say that I wasn't pregnant.
"I went to the doctors and they looked me over, sent me for some blood tests and gave me a pregnancy test while I was there, and it came back negative.
"They thought it was something to do with my digestive system so I was sent to specialists. All of the easy stuff was being ruled out by tests and they thought it was quite serious and that I basically had a blockage somewhere."
She even claims she had an ultrasound scan on 20 December which didn't detect anything in her womb - but the following day she realised that wasn't the case.
After going out for dinner to celebrate her grandmother's birthday, Ellie went to bed but woke up hours later with excruciating stomach and back pain.
After throwing up for the next four hours, Ellie's mum called an ambulance at 2am and she was rushed to A&E.
Ellie recalled: "I went for a wee and it felt like all of my lower stomach muscles were just pulling and I thought 'there's something there, there's something going on that's not quite right'."
While on the toilet, Ellie screamed out to the nurse who rushed in to examine her.
"I said the pain was really bad and worse than it ever had been and they basically pushed me onto my side and her head was born, and that was the first time I knew that I was one, pregnant, and two, in labour," she recalled.
"Her head came out and the doctors recoiled back from the bed and said 'we need to get a midwife' and pulled the panic button. At that point I had another pain and she was delivered on the bed behind me.
"I didn't quite believe it. I thought I was hallucinating at that point as well because of the pain and then I had this bundle put next to me and cuddled up with me, and there was a little baby face. And that was the first time I kind of fully believed that this was happening to me."
Ellie's daughter Alicia was born at 5.40am on 22 December 2018 weighing 6lbs 12oz.
Ellie claims she had been taking the contraceptive pill for six years and was advised by doctors that this meant that it wasn't as effective as it should have been.
She was also told it was regulating her hormones, which is why her pregnancy wasn't detected via tests.
Ellie believes her pregnancy wasn't spotted on the ultrasound because Alicia's back was against her spine, which also explains the excruciating back pain she experienced during labour.
After Ellie's friends and family got over the shock, they rushed to her aid to provide the new mum with nappies and baby equipment - seeing as she'd not had time to get anything ready for Alicia.
Ellie said: "Because I was still in that panic mode, my first reaction was 'I can't be a mum, I can't do it, please don't.'
"I spent 20 minutes alone with her and said 'you know what, if my body could have done that, I can do it, it's meant to be' and I just fell in love with her at that point anyway.
"I rang my friends and they didn't believe me, so they had to come to the hospital and they all cried. I think I was the only person that didn't cry, because I was still in a bit of a blur."
Now Ellie couldn't imagine her life without Alicia, who she describes as a "whirlwind of energy."
She said: "She's an absolute little fighter, she had nothing wrong with her and we joke that she was pickled through the pregnancy.
Did you have a surprise/miracle baby? Email jessica.taylor@reachplc.com
"But she is incredible, smart and she started walking when she was 11-months-old. She is just amazing and full of beans. I can't imagine my life without her now. It's crazy."
