Woman Gave Birth to 3rd Child, Says She Didn’t Know She Was Pregnant

A Virginia woman recently welcomed her third child — but says she didn’t even know she was pregnant. 

Becca Johnson of Chesterfield County, located just south of Richmond, woke up with back pain on Tuesday, Sept. 9, per local news outlet WWBT.

She said she and her husband headed to the local ER, where the pain steadily intensified.

“I can’t sit at this point. My back is killing me,” she recalled to WWBT. “I’m telling them it’s my back, but it’s now radiating to my front. They’re [the hospital staff] thinking kidney stones or cysts.” 

Johnson told the outlet she then felt the urge to go to the bathroom, so she headed to the toilet — where she felt something between her legs. Confused, she told a nearby nurse.

“She [the nurse] looks over and she goes, ‘That’s a head,’ ” the mom of two said.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“My husband’s face just goes blank. I’m just stunned,” she continued, adding, “I’m not a speechless person, [but] I went speechless.”

She said the nurses brought her back over to a stretcher, where she delivered a healthy baby girl in about three pushes. The baby — whom the couple named Carlee Evangeline — weighed 7 lbs., 6 oz., per WWBT.

Johnson told WWBT that she experienced no symptoms during the pregnancy, and even doubted whether she could have more children due to past fertility issues.

She said she struggled to get pregnant with her first child, who was born in 2016, and claimed doctors even told her she may never conceive again without medical intervention due to polycystic ovary syndrome, also known as PCOS.

However, Johnson said she gave birth again in 2024 before her most recent delivery.

Her advice to other women currently struggling with fertility issues?

“Never give up hope and prayer,” she said. “Don’t give up.”