What was the longest human pregnancy ever?
Some people have a rather difficult time during pregnancy, and many babies come early or late depending on a variety of factors. Why could this be, though, and how lengthy was the longest-ever human pregnancy?
Most people look forward to the end of their pregnancy, waiting to welcome their brand-new bundle of joy into the world.
What happens if the bun stays in the oven just a little too long, though? And just how many months can it actually take? The length of time for some longer-than-usual pregnancy periods might surprise you!
So who holds the world record for longest human pregnancy ever, and was the baby OK?
TAG24 takes a look at the longest recorded pregnancy and how it compares to the normal human gestation period.
How long is pregnancy in the human gestation period?
Human pregnancy usually lasts for around 280 days, or for about 40 weeks.
A premature birth is defined as one that has occurred before the 37-week mark, and a late birth is one that occurs after more than 42 weeks. If a baby is born early or late there are a number of potential health consequences.
It's important to note that these consequences relate to both the health of the child and the health of the pregnant person. If you are pregnant and experiencing either of these situations, it's important to be in constant contact with your doctor and make plans for immediate action if the baby comes, or if you experience any problems before delivery.
What is the longest human pregnancy?
The longest-ever human pregnancy was experienced by Beulah Hunter in 1945. Giving birth to a healthy female in Los Angeles, the only thing that ended up being troublesome was the length of her pregnancy, which ended up lasting more than a year.
Things seemed to be getting a little odd when Hunter's doctors noted that she had only started feeling the baby move around the six-month mark of her pregnancy. Mothers will generally start to feel a baby move around 20 weeks into a pregnancy and, indeed, most medical experts suggest a call to your doctor if you haven't felt movement by week 24.
Hunter's intensely lengthy pregnancy became a controversy back in the 1940s, with people claiming that she had lost her first pregnancy before quickly becoming pregnant again. Doctors disproved this theory by showing that her menstruation cycle had stopped at a time consistent with a pregnancy this long.
How long was the longest pregnancy ever?
Born on February 21, 1945, Penny Diana was a whopping 100 days overdue when she was born, bringing the length of Beulah Hunter's pregnancy to 375 days. Medical papers reported on by Time Magazine in 1945 stated that there was "apparent cessation of growth" until around the six-month mark, when Hunter felt those first movements.
Hunter's pregnancy still stands as the longest-ever human pregnancy, beating the previous record holder by 58 days. She was challenged in 2016, however, by a woman in China who claimed to have been pregnant for 17 months. While not medically disproven, there are serious doubts over the legitimacy of this claim.
The longest pregnancy in the world ended well
Beulah Hunter's pregnancy may have been more than one hundred days overdue, but it ended with the birth of a beautiful and healthy baby. Penny Diana was born at about 7 pounds and grew up to be incredibly healthy, and in no way effected by her extraordinarily long period in the womb.
It seems that all's well that ends well - even a pregnancy that lasted more than an entire year!
Cover photo: Unsplash/Glitch Lab App