Lauren’s baby bump was so big due to a rare condition that people thought it was AI when she shared images – some people thought she was pregnant with quadruplets
A mother has shared how strangers were shocked and refused to believe she was having just one baby after getting to such a large state – some even believed her bump was “fake”.
People jokingly asked Lauren Draper whether she was carrying a “penthouse” after she happily fell pregnant with her fourth child in June last year. The 22-year-old attended a scan at her 24 weeks mark as her baby showed signs of reduced movements. She was informed that she had an excess amount of amniotic fluid within her uterus and was later diagnosed with polyhydramnios (caused by the over-retention of fluid during pregnancy).
At 29 weeks, the mother began to notice just how large her bump had become due to the increase of fluid. After struggling to walk and roll over in bed, she was finally admitted to hospital at the 31st week of her pregnancy due to a risk of cord prolapse.
By 34 weeks her bump had gotten so large that strangers questioned whether she was having quadruplets and joked. Lauren welcomed little Olyve, who is now three months old, on January 6, weighing at 6lbs 1oz – an average weight.
The mother from Cardiff said: “People said: ‘OMG [oh my God], what’s in there? A penthouse? A three bedroom apartment?” I was a fair size. People saw the bump before they saw me.”
Working as a support worker in the Welsh city, Lauren recalled: “In the lift someone said ‘how many are you having?’ I said ‘just one’ and she asked ‘can I touch it?'” She added that “people also thought it was fake and said ‘it’s AI'”. implying the mother created an artificial image or ‘deep fake’ of her pregnancy bump.
Being closely monitored due to her pregnancy being high risk, and because of a previous miscarriage in 2022, Lauren explained how she had already experienced polyhydramnios with her firstborn, now seven, but that it only became obvious very late at 38 weeks. With this pregnancy, her doctors noticed 10 weeks earlier than the last.
Lauren’s doctors realised baby Olyve was not swallowing the fluid, causing it to build up in Lauren’s uterus. In December 2024, Lauren had steroid shots in order to mature the foetus’ lungs, and was admitted to hospital. The fluid build-up was also the reason why Lauren struggled to move and even caused her ribs to bruise. She said: “I came out in all these bruises – it was so tender.”
Lauren remained in the hospital for a total of three weeks, before going into an early labour at 34 weeks and four days. Terrifyingly gushing blood during the process, doctors realised she was experiencing a placenta abruption and took her straight in for an emergency C-section.
Seven long hours later, Lauren was able to see her fourth child, a blessing after losing a shocking five litres of blood. A recovering Lauren shared: “They said when she was born she wasn’t breathing. She was blue. It was horrific to hear. Seeing her in an incubator – it was horrific.” Olyve remains in hospital, where she is fighting against respiratory failure, however her brave mother Lauren has claimed she has every faith she will pull through.
