Norfolk woman who thought she was bloated was pregnant
A woman who blamed her gurgling stomach on trapped wind, caused by a mainly vegetable-based slimming regime, was shocked to discover she was almost seven months pregnant.
Mother-of-five Nicola Robles-Hewson, 36, of Long Stratton, Norfolk, started the Ketopia diet – which allows some meat and fish, but mainly consists of vegetables, salad and fruit - in October 2016, aiming to lose three stone.
By January, she'd lost a stone and her arms, legs, bottom and face were visibly smaller, but her stomach remained stubbornly large.
Then, in February, when she described her constantly gassy stomach to a fellow slimmer, her friend suggested she should take a pregnancy test.
To Nicola's complete shock it was positive and she gave birth to Andres a month later at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital - nine weeks early.
Nicola Robles-Hewson, 36, thought her bloated tummy was caused by a vegetable based diet, but in fact she was pregnant with her fifth child. Here she is pictured the day before her son was born, prematurely
Nicola with her baby son Andres, who was born nine weeks prematurely
'I really thought I had trapped wind and never for a second thought I could be pregnant,' said Nicola, who is married to IT technician Denny Robles Cedeño, 35.
'I was freaking out. We already had four kids and a three-bed-house, so I had no idea how we'd cope with one more.
'But Andres is the most perfect little boy and I feel so blessed we had him. We can't imagine our lives without him.'
Nicola, also a mum to Efrain, 11, Santiago, nine, Elias, seven, and Noelia, four, had assumed her stomach movements were caused by eating so many vegetables – never dreaming it could be as a result of carrying a baby.
Nicola with her husband, IT technician Denny Robles Cedeño, 35. The couple already had four children before her surprise pregnancy
Denny holding his newborn son Andres in hospital. At first he thought Nicola was joking when she told him she was unexpectedly pregnant again
Andres was a surprise, but Nicola says she feels blessed by the arrival of her fifth child
'I started the Ketopia diet as I wanted to get rid of my belly and lose at least two or three stone,' she explained. 'At 5ft 5incs tall, I was a size 16-18 - much bigger than I wanted to be. '
Joining a gym in Long Stratton, Nicola used the treadmill three times a week and even started lifting 8kg weights.
But, by January this year, the stay-at-home mum was looking visibly slimmer everywhere but her stomach.
According to Nicola, the arrival of Andres feels like a soap opera, not real life
Born nine weeks early, weighing just 2lb 7oz, Andres was taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit
For the first few days of his life, Nicola wasn't able to pick up her newborn son and had to hold his hand through the incubator
'I couldn't understand why my belly seemed to be getting bigger. I'd complain to my husband that it made no sense,' she said.
'It was like a middle-aged spread. Some people suggested getting a corset and I tried wearing control pants to look slimmer too.'
But on February 28 this year, everything changed when Nicola innocently asked her friend about the side-effects of the vegetable diet.
Nicola was shocked to learn she was pregnant late last year
'My friend Rachel was on a shake diet, so I asked her if she suffered from trapped wind, describing what it felt like,' she said.
'I told her it might sound weird, but I kept feeling movement in my stomach, like the butterflies you feel when you are pregnant.
'Immediately, she said I should take a test.'
Nicola took a test, but only really to satisfy her friend – only to be taken aback when it proved positive.
'I started freaking out. How could I have another baby? I already had four,' she recalled.
Nicola showing off her baby bump, ten days before her son was born
Nicola with her husband Denny, on their 12 year wedding anniversary, the weekend before she discovered she was pregnant
'I wouldn't have weight lifted in the gym if I knew I was pregnant, but luckily I don't smoke and drink so no harm was done to him.'
Sending Rachel a Facebook message, telling her the result, Nicola then phoned her husband, breaking the news.
'He thought I was joking,' she said. 'He is a very calm bloke, so said everything was going to be OK and we would work it out.
'I was panicking. We've only got a three bed house and haven't got any baby clothes, as my youngest was three.'
Andres weighed just 2lbs 7oz when he was born and will remain in hospital for another few weeks
And Nicola knew from experience, that if the movements were actually her baby kicking in the womb, that she must be at least 20 weeks into her pregnancy.
Phoning her local medical centre, she made an appointment and two days later an ultrasound confirmed she was 27 weeks pregnant - meaning the baby was at least 14.5 inches long.
Nicola, who took her friend Tina, 50, to the appointment, was given a May 30 due date, leaving her just two months to prepare.
'Listening to the baby's heartbeat was such a magical moment,' she said. 'It all became so real.'
Nicola with her newborn baby son Andres. Family and friends have donated clothes and a pram after Andres arrived unexpectedly
A week later Nicola had full-day appointments at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, to catch-up with all the checks she had missed.
'They told me I was having a boy and he was healthy and happy. Denny and I were over the moon. Of course our family were surprised, but so happy for us.'
Friends and family overwhelmed them with donations of baby clothes, a pram and nappies for their boy's arrival.
Then, on March 29, busy mum Nicola had errands to run with Santiago and Noelia, when she started feeling unwell.
'I was in a medical appointment with Santiago when I felt a real pressure, a pushing down feeling in my stomach,' she said.
Andres was born just one hour after Nicola arrived in the delivery suite
'I called the hospital, who said to do some pelvic floor exercises and not to worry, as I was only 31 weeks' pregnant.'
But as the day progressed, the feeling got worse.
'Suddenly, my contractions started. I'd already had four children so knew what was happening,' she explained.
Her contractions intensified to three to five minutes apart, while Nicola was driving her young children home, so she quickly phoned the hospital again.
'They told me I needed to get there quickly and I called Denny, who picked up the kids from school and then met me at home where my friend Rachel was waiting to look after the boys,' she said.
Nicola thought she had trapped wind from a vegetable diet, but it turned out she was pregnant
Rushing to the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital with Denny, she was immediately rushed to the delivery suite - already nine centimetres dilated.
With Denny by her side, she gave birth an hour later to their little boy, who they called Andres.
Born nine weeks early, weighing just 2lb 7oz, Andres was taken straight to the neonatal intensive care unit, forcing Nicola to wait five hours until she could see him, but it would be two days until she could hold him.
She explained: 'He was on oxygen for two days and in an incubator.
Nicola, pictured with her son Andres after he was born, on 29 March this year
'He'll be in hospital for another few weeks. It was so hard leaving him there, but the staff have been amazing, and he's in a cot and doing really well.
'Everything that's happened to us feels like a soap opera, not real life.
'I'd not had a period since the birth of my daughter Noelia, three years earlier and I've never got to the bottom of why. So, I didn't think anything of not having a period.
'After having Andres, friends told me they'd always thought I was pregnant.
Nicola complained to husband Denny that despite going to the gym and losing weight from her legs, arms and face, her stomach wouldn't budge
Although Andres was born premature, he's now doing well
'I couldn't believe they hadn't said anything to me.'
And Nicola says she has been so touched by the kindness of people, some strangers who have offered to help .
She said: 'I really am so blessed to have such a happy and healthy baby. Our family don't live nearby so we are so lucky to have such amazing friends in Norfolk too who have helped us so much.'