Woman from gypsy family didn't know she was pregnant until she went into LABOUR

Party-girl, 29, who was born into a strict gypsy family didn't know she was expecting until she gave BIRTH (and now spoils her daughter because she feels guilty for boozing while pregnant)

Cilla Ward, 29, kept her relationship with the unnamed man a secret

Was going partying with friends most weekends and wearing crop tops

She had no symptoms such as morning sickness and still had her period

Was taken to hospital in pain but thought ulcers in her stomach had burst

Doctors found a heartbeat and she gave birth to a 6lb 2oz girl - Dollyanna

Published: 05:09 EST, 10 October 2016 | Updated: 06:09 EST, 10 October 2016

When Cilla Ward was rushed to hospital with stomach pain, the last thing she expected was to be told she was pregnant - and already in labour.

The 29-year-old, from Dublin, had no idea that she was eight months pregnant with her first child.

Born into a strict traveller family, Cilla had briefly been secretly dating a man from outside the traveller community.

Cilla Ward, pictured now with her daughter Dollyanna, said she had no idea she was expecting until she was rushed to hospital in 2011 with stomach pains

Cilla, pictured while she was pregnant, said she would go out drinking most weekends and had no symptoms that she was carrying a baby

Despite being four weeks early, Dollyanna, pictured in hospital after being born, weighed a healthy 6lb 2oz and had a head of dark, black hair

But, when the relationship had ended about three months earlier, after six months, she'd thought nothing more of it.

She enjoyed being single and often went out partying with her friends.

'The whole time that I was pregnant, I was out every single weekend. Just a few weeks earlier, on St Patrick's night, I'd fallen upside down on my wedges and hurt myself,' she said.

As she partied most weekends, when she spent a few days feeling out of sorts, she put it down to a bad hangover.

Cilla pictured with newborn Dollyanna. As Cilla partied most weekends, when she spent a few days feeling out of sorts, she put it down to a bad hangover

Cilla said she had no idea she was pregnant with Dollyanna, pictured. 'I had no symptoms and I didn't have any morning sickness or anything. I just didn't have any signs, so there was no reason to do a test,' she added

Cilla, pictured now with Dollyanna, never suspected she might be pregnant - especially as her monthly periods had continued and she hadn't gained any weight

Cilla, who is a single mum, said: 'She's the boldest of the bold and extremely spoilt. I spoiled her because I felt guilty about drinking and going out during my pregnancy'

She never suspected she might be pregnant - especially as her monthly periods had continued and she hadn't gained any weight.

Feeling run down, she'd even visited the doctor and told him she wasn't pregnant because she was having regular periods.

'I had no symptoms and I didn't have any morning sickness or anything. I just didn't have any signs, so there was no reason to do a test,' she said.

'I was skinnier when I was pregnant than I am now. I wore belly tops and little skirts and you just wouldn't have known I was having a baby.'

Cilla was rushed to hospital in 2011 with stomach pains by her mum Anna, 49, pictured now with Dollyanna, because she thought an ulcer had burst in her stomach

Cilla was worried that she would be shunned by the traveller community, but instead, Cilla's family had clubbed together to buy clothes, toys and equipment for Dollyanna. Pictured, Cilla's father Patrick with Dollyanna

On April 20 2011, she went into labour in her bedroom at home - but still had no idea what was happening.

Her mum Anna, 49, rushed her to casualty at Beaumont hospital, Dublin, because she thought an ulcer had burst in her stomach.

I was looking at her and it just didn't sink in. I thought she looked lovely, but I just didn't understand she was mine

'I was hysterical and I was so frightened. I thought there was something seriously wrong, because I was in so much pain,' she explained.

A doctor examined her and did an ultrasound scan, to try and detect the cause of her stomach pain, but they were all astonished when they discovered a heartbeat.

'I was so confused and I thought he meant it was my heartbeat, but then he showed me there were two,' Cilla recalled.

'"This is not a laughing matter" he said, "You're having a baby and you're having it today".

'I couldn't believe it. It didn't seem possible.'

Although her little girl, pictured now, was a big surprise, Cilla said the experience has been life changing

Speaking about seeing Dollyanna for the first time, Cilla said: 'I was looking at her and it just didn't sink in. I thought she looked lovely, but I just didn't understand she was mine'

A shocked Cilla was transferred to the Rotunda hospital maternity ward straight away.

After a normal labour, lasting around eight hours, her little girl, Dollyanna, was welcomed into the world.

Despite being four weeks early, she weighed a healthy 6lb 2oz and had a thick head of dark, black hair.

Cilla said: 'I was so worried about all the partying I'd done when I was pregnant and I thought she might not survive, so I was so glad to have a healthy baby.'

When Dollyanna, now five-and-a-half, arrived, Cilla struggled to come to terms with what had happened.

'I was looking at her and it just didn't sink in. I thought she looked lovely, but I just didn't understand she was mine.

Cilla said a psychiatrist came round to speak to her after Dollyanna (pictured now) arrived, and she helped her to realise how much love she had for her daughter

Cilla, pictured while pregnant, said: 'When the doctor told us I was pregnant, my mum was relieved in one sense, because it meant I wasn't dying'

'The psychiatrist came round to speak to me and she helped me to realise and then I just felt so much love for her,' Cilla explained.

'She was such a stunner. She had really long black hair, lovely little bushy eyebrows and long eyelashes. She was just beautiful.'

As she prepared to go home after three days in hospital, Cilla was concerned she was going to be shunned from her traveller family.

'When the doctor told us I was pregnant, my mum was relieved in one sense, because it meant I wasn't dying,' she explained.

'Then she kept crying, because she was worried about what my family would think. I was so worried about what they would do.'

Dollyanna's unexpected birth has not put Cilla off having more children with the right person, but it has influenced her behaviour towards her daughter, pictured, who she says she now spoils because she feels guilty for drinking during her pregnancy

Cilla said of her daughter, pictured: 'I've always been really overprotective because of that and I've always been reluctant to leave her with anyone else'

Instead of shunning her, Cilla's family had clubbed together to buy clothes, toys and equipment for Dollyanna.

'I thought having a baby would ruin my life,' she said.

'I thought everyone would be talking about me, but my family were amazing and had sorted everything. I just couldn't believe it.'

Dollyanna's unexpected birth has not put Cilla off having more children with the right person, but it has influenced her behaviour towards her daughter.

Cilla, a stay-at-home single mum, said: 'She's the boldest of the bold and extremely spoilt. I spoiled her because I felt guilty about drinking and going out during my pregnancy.

'I've always been really overprotective because of that and I've always been reluctant to leave her with anyone else.'

Although her little girl was a big surprise, Cilla said the experience has been life changing.

She said: 'I wouldn't change her for the world. Having Dollyanna changed everything and made my life complete.'

HOW WOMEN NOT REALISING THEY ARE PREGNANT IS MORE COMMON THAN YOU THINK

One in 450 pregnant women in the UK don't know they are going to have a baby until week 20 of their pregnancy (half-way through), and one in 2,500 women are oblivious to the fact until they go into labour.

It's a phenomenon known as cryptic pregnancy. 'It'll be happening every week somewhere in the UK,' says Dr Helen Stokes-Lampard, a clinical senior lecturer and spokesperson for the Royal College of General Practitioners.

In her 20 years as a GP, Dr Stokes-Lampard has seen half a dozen cases of this sort. 'These are often women who are very busy, leading crazy lives and so they often miss the signs that they are expecting.'

Cryptic pregnancies typically affect either young women, who have never experienced a pregnancy, or women who believe they've gone through the menopause and who choose not to use contraception.

Women with erratic menstrual cycles are also more likely to miss signs they are expecting. This is especially true among women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), where small cysts grow on the ovaries; the hormone imbalance often leads to irregular or non-existent periods.

Yet there are some women who will continue to have monthly bleeds throughout their pregnancy. In this case, a scan at the local GP may be the only method of confirmation.

'I had one case in my own family, who already had three young children, and was a busy professional,' says Dr Stokes-Lampard.

Throughout her pregnancy, she had occasional bleeds and thought these were periods, so was caught unawares when she went into labour. 'She complained of an upset stomach one morning and three hours later called her husband to tell him she was in hospital, having given birth to a perfectly healthy 8 lb baby. She had gained some weight, but otherwise, had no symptoms at all.'

Women who are on the Pill continuously will not have monthly bleeding, which can mask the fact they are pregnant. As Klara was a regular swimmer, she had been taking the combined oral contraceptive pill, Microgynon, with no break to avoid having periods.

Furthermore, women may simply not expect to find they are pregnant if they are taking the Pill - but then those taking it religiously can still become pregnant.