Caity, 25, put her sore back and cramps down to exhaustion. She was 35 weeks pregnant.

Caitlin Mason remembers the moment she found out she was pregnant. It was only a few days before she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy.

The Pakenham woman had no inkling that she was expecting a baby in the lead up to the news.

Caity, 25, said she had been taking the birth control pill and was getting a regular period every 28 days. The only symptoms she experienced were tiredness, soreness and a slight weight gain that she put down to her busy lifestyle.

Questions about childbirth (answered by mums and non-mums). Post continues after video. 

“At the time, I was working for a debt collection company and had a 5am start in the city every morning. I was exhausted, but I put it down to my stressful, high demand position. I never really had a break,” Caity said.

“I also had a sore back sometimes, but I thought it was from playing netball or water skiing.”

Even when Caity began experiencing stomach pains, she still did not suspect she could be pregnant.

“I sometimes get cysts on my ovaries, so I thought they were the cause of my tummy pains,” she said.

“But they got worse and by the next day and I felt sick. I drove myself to the hospital that evening and was in excruciating pain.”

On January 21, Caity was admitted into triage, administered morphine and had blood tests done.

“At around midnight, the nurse and doctor came in the room and told me I was around 35 weeks pregnant. At first, I was dumbfounded. I was in complete shock,” she said.

“Then I began to worry about whether the baby was going to be okay. I drank during the pregnancy, took migraine medication and had no prenatal care.”

Hosts Monique Bowley and Bec Judd chat with our resident obstetrician, Dr Joseph Sgroi about what happens next once you find out you’re pregnant. Post continues after podcast. 

Caity also feared her family would be angry. Fortunately, they were incredibly supportive.

“My parents aren’t together and neither of them live nearby. I had called my mum first when I went into the hospital to tell her I was in pain and didn’t know what was going on and she thought something was terribly wrong. So, when I called her back at 1.30am and told her I was pregnant, she was thrilled,” Caity said.

“I called my dad at 6.30am and by lunchtime he had booked a flight to be with me.”

Caity then called her best friend Megan, who immediately leapt into action gathering donations for the impending arrival.

Megan was even by Caity’s side on 23 January, when Caity had to be induced due to low amniotic fluid. At 5.18pm, Flynn Mason was born using forceps, weighing 2.79kg.

“It was such an overwhelming, surreal experience,” Caity said. 

Though Caity has had to go through a huge adjustment, she has settled into her new role as a single mum with ease.

“My work was fantastic and accepted my maternity leave,” Caity said. “So many people donated important baby items, and me and Flynn moved into a townhouse. While some days are a struggle, I wouldn’t change a thing. Flynn has changed my life for the better."

Lia Spencer is a Canadian-born writer who now lives in country Victoria. Having spent more than a decade working in print media, Lia now juggles creative writing, freelance reporting and mum duties to her two young children.