Massachusetts woman learns of pregnancy only after going into labour

A 47-year-old woman from Massachusetts who attended hospital complaining of abdominal pain received the surprise of her life when medical staff told her she was actually in labour.

Beverly resident Judy Brown, who believed at first the pain was caused by a bowel blockage or gall stone, was notified of her pregnancy an hour prior to giving birth to baby daughter Carolyn Rose.

"It was a little bit scary getting into the hospital thinking something really bad was going on," she told ABC News.

"To understand and take in that was I pregnant and was about to go into labour… it was very overwhelming.

"After being married for 22 years, it really wasn’t coming up being pregnant.

“It was not really there in my mind."

Ms Brown and her partner were so caught off guard by the surprise birth that they had to borrow a car seat and bassinet before departing the hospital.

While a woman’s chances of conceiving are lower after the age of 40, doctors recommend still using contraception to guard against accidental pregnancies.