Married At First Sight star Laura Vaughan has revealed she suffered a devastating cryptic pregnancy, that she didn’t discover until the third trimester.
The reality star, 35, who recently announced that she had found love again after her failed union on the show, opened up about the traumatic experience, which happened in 2016.
She was forced to undergo a medical abortion after unknowingly putting her foetus at risk of ‘extreme harm’ and defects with the drug she was taking to treat her acne.
Laura told The Sun: ‘It was very difficult because I went from not thinking I was pregnant to being seven months pregnant to then having a very prolonged abortion and where I was so far gone.
‘Then, when I got home from the procedure, my milk came in, which, as you can imagine, was just really hard to deal with.
‘I hunkered down at home for weeks and didn’t talk to anyone.’
Laura appeared on Married at First Sight in 2023 when she was paired with Arthur Poremba, but their union was not to last after she realised he couldn’t give her what she wanted in a marriage.
Reflecting on her cryptic pregnancy, Laura said she thought it was ‘impossible’ when she first discovered that she was pregnant.
This shock was only worsened when she was told that she was in the third trimester.
While the star had sought treatment for her missing period and stomach cramps, her GP told her it was the result of a ‘ruptured cyst’ and not a pregnancy.
However, she admits she was referred for an additional scan at the time but failed to book it in.
Laura said that despite being so far along, she was able to fit into six 6 to 8 dresses, which also left her convinced that her GP’s diagnosis was the correct one.
She added: ‘It was literally the week I decided to test that my stomach popped, and I remember thinking “this isn’t right”.’
The situation went from bad to worse when Laura discovered the effect that her acne drug, Isotretinoin, is responsible for birth defects.
Laura speculates that the pregnancy was the result of an expired condom as she remembers using protection.
Those taking the acne drug should be advised to use two methods of contraception because of the immense risk to an unborn unborn foetus, according to dermatologists.
Laura said that due to the advanced stage of her pregnancy, she was offered a medical abortion and it impacted her ‘heavily’.
Some of the issues she faced were the pain of the procedure itself, which lasted a week instead of a day and a half, and an alleged lack of support from medical staff, who she claims forgot to feed her on occasion.
The star is hoping that by speaking out about her experience, she can dispel some of the shame that exists around planned abortions.
Referring to her stint on MAFS, she said she chose not to tell producers about the ordeal but was forced to confront it anyway when discussing future family plans with husband Arthur.
Laura, who said she is smitten with her new partner, said they have discussed the possibility of having children and neither of them see it in their future.