Iowa mom gives birth 3 hours after learning she's pregnant

AMES, Iowa -- An Iowa family is celebrating its newest addition: a baby girl. The thing is, no one knew the girl was coming - not even mom.

WOI reports that it all started to unfold last Friday, when mom went to the hospital with a stomach ache. While Christian Hughes was at work last Friday, he got a phone call that would change his life.

"She was in pain, couldn't really sleep that well," he recalled.

His wife, Stephanie, was in the hospital.

"The hospital just called, you need to leave right away your girlfriend or your wife is in labor. I was like...that part, it just threw me for a loop," he said.

That's right. Neither he or Stephanie or anyone else knew she was pregnant.

"She didn't crave anything, stuff like that, when I found out I asked her you didn't feel anything? She said no," he said.

Three hours later, the little girl made her first appearance. Picking her name came naturally.

"Someone asked have you picked out a name yet, I kept looking at the unity sign of the hospital," he said. "Came through the A's and seen Ames - not for the cyclones even though I'm a cyclone fan - it said Ames in French meant to be loved, Ames Unity Hughes. Yep."

Ames will go home in just a few days with a family that's more in love than they ever imagined.

Stephanie said she didn't have any of the classic pregnancy symptoms over the last nine months. Eleven years have passed since the birth of her next-youngest child.

Now, the family is quickly catching up with the help of family and friends, who have donated diapers and clothes for baby Ames.