By Howard Lloyd

Copyright walesonline

A mum underwent a £9k tummy tuck without knowing she was pregnant after tests came back negative. Gemma Williams, 42, had saved up for an abdominoplasty – known as a tummy tuck – after years of feeling insecure about the “saggy pouches” on her stomach, following the birth of her three children, ages 14, 17 and 20. She opted for a procedure in the UK for “peace of mind” and sought a reputable private hospital in Swansea . On August 15, 2024, Gemma arrived at the clinic surgery, where medics took a urine sample to check her health which “didn’t detect anything” concerning, she claims. After undergoing the four-hour operation, Gemma returned home the following day and continued her recovery. Over the next few months she experienced “bloating” and “nausea” – which Gemma put down to “side effects” of the procedure. In December 2024, while on her first shift as a newly qualified nurse at Singleton Hospital, Swansea, a colleague noticed her discomfort and suggested Gemma might be “pregnant”. This comment prompted Gemma to take a pregnancy test, and she was “beyond shocked” when it came back positive. An ultrasound two days later, at the same hospital, confirmed she was 21 weeks along. Gemma believes the urine test before surgery did not detect the pregnancy because of a false negative, due to low human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) levels – a hormone produced during pregnancy that can be measured in blood and urine to confirm and monitor pregnancy. After a “normal” pregnancy, her son was born on May 2, 2025, weighing 7lbs 10oz. Gemma, a nurse from Swansea, said: “I hadn’t been on contraception for three years. “I thought the extended bloating and nausea were down to the procedure – so did the clinic. When my friend suggested that I do a urine test, I thought at least I could rule it out. “It’s very likely the urine sample I took before my tummy tuck didn’t pick up on the pregnancy because my HCG levels were too low. At the beginning of pregnancy, they typically rise. “I had conversations about my options, but I knew in my heart that I wanted another baby. The thought that I was pregnant when I was under anaesthetic made my heart drop. Thankfully, my baby is happy and healthy. It’s definitely a story for the book – I don’t think I’ll ever be as shocked again in my life.” Gemma was already mum to three kids from a previous relationship and had not planned on having any more children. She completed her five-year course to be a nurse in August 2024 and decided to treat herself to a tummy tuck she’d been saving for to fix the “saggy pouches” on her stomach. The procedure flattens and tightens the abdomen by removing excess skin and fat and repairing weakened abdominal muscles. Recommended a private clinic in Swansea, Gemma underwent a consultation before booking in her procedure for 21 August, costing £9,500. According the NHS , there is an increased risk of miscarriage in patients who have had an anaesthetic and surgery during pregnancy. Undergoing the four-hour procedure, Gemma spent a day at the clinic before returning home on 16 August, where she continued to recover. “I felt nauseous and bloated but I put it down to the tummy tuck,” Gemma said. “As did the clinic when I contacted them about it.” However, by December 2024, four months post-procedure, Gemma’s discomfort persisted, prompting her to take a urine pregnancy test. Gemma said: “I took 10 other supermarket pregnancy tests – all confirmed I was pregnant. I kept staring at the tests in disbelief.” An ultrasound the next day confirmed she was 21 weeks pregnant. She believes the low HCG levels detected in her blood by the clinic pre-surgery meant the pregnancy was missed. Despite discussing her options of termination, Gemma decided she wanted to keep her baby, whom she gave birth to naturally on 2 May 2025, weighing 7lbs 10oz at Singleton Hospital. Once a size 16, Gemma is now a size 12. Speaking now, Gemma said: “Looking back, I can’t believe it. It’s been turbulent. I never expected to have another child, let alone not know for 21 weeks. “But I’m grateful – my baby boy is adorable. He had a good set of lungs on him in the early days. He’s getting his little personality and has started to laugh and smile. Little did I know that I wouldn’t just be dropping a few dress sizes but gaining another little one to my brood.”