This photo provided by the family shows, from left, Kaila, Suze, Ryu and Andrew Lopez at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles in August 2025. (Lopez family via AP)A woman in California has given birth to a healthy baby after doctors discovered that her pregnancy had been developing outside her womb. Suze Lopez, a 41-year-old emergency room nurse from Bakersfield, delivered her son, Ryu, through surgery in August.
Doctors later confirmed that the baby had been developing in her abdomen as an ectopic pregnancy and had been hidden behind a large ovarian cyst. Lopez learned she was pregnant only a few days before giving birth after taking a routine test during a hospital visit.
What is an ectopic pregnancy
An ectopic pregnancy happens when a fertilised egg grows outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tube. It cannot develop normally and is normally treated early because it can be dangerous for the mother. In Lopez’s case, the pregnancy developed in her abdomen, The Guardian reported.
Doctors at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles said the case was extremely rare and they plan to record it in medical journals. Dr John Ozimek, who leads the hospital’s labour and delivery department, told the Associated Press (AP): “Pregnancies outside the uterus that reach full term are essentially unheard of far, far less than one in a million.” He added: “I mean, this is really insane.”
Lopez had been monitored for months for a 22-pound ovarian cyst and had not experienced typical pregnancy symptoms. She said in a Cedars-Sinai statement, quoted by The Guardian: “Because of the large ovarian cyst that had been growing for years, it could have been a false positive, even ovarian cancer.” She also said: “I could not believe that after 17 years of praying and trying for a second child, that I was actually pregnant.”
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Days later, Lopez returned to hospital with abdominal pain and high blood pressure. Doctors found that her uterus was empty and that the baby was located in her abdomen, The Guardian reported. Baby Ryu was born on August 18. A team of about 30 doctors also removed the cyst during the same surgery.
Lopez lost a large amount of blood, and the baby spent two weeks in neonatal care, according to SFGate, cited by The Guardian. Both later recovered.
A spokesperson for Cedars-Sinai said, “The family is doing great. Mum and baby are all thriving.” Lopez later shared a message on Facebook, writing: “Praise the Lord. Our family has a very special and surprising Christmas gift this year.”
