Stories

Henlee

At 37+2 I was having back pain. I was told by others that it was just a symptom of being pregnant and that it would probably stick around for another couple of weeks yet until our baby was born. At first I just put it down to pregnancy but then I was hardly feeling baby move, being Frank Breech, movement wasn’t as frequent, although I had a feeling something was wrong.

I went in to hospital for monitoring, after two hours they sent me home as baby’s heart rate was stable. That night I could feel my temperature rising, pain increasing and I had cold chills. I made it until 7am the next morning before I said to my husband I needed to go back to hospital – something wasn’t right.

At first they sat me in the waiting room, I was covered in sweat yet felt freezing cold. They took me to a birthing suite and took my temperature it was 39.9. My obstetrician then came in, baby’s heart rate was all over the place because I wasn’t in a good way, there were suddenly frantic calls to organise an emergency C Section and for my husband to go check me in at the front desk. Off he went, not knowing what to expect when he returned. I was crying. I didn’t want a C Section, I was a perfect candidate for a Breech Birth and my obstetrician was supportive. As they were stripping me off and putting a drip in, they put me on my left side and baby’s heart rate stabilised to a point where they called off the emergency C Section, all attention went back on me.

They soon realised I had Pyelonephritis and I needed immediate fluids and antibiotics. Five days in hospital were to follow, there was no change in my condition until about day four as one dose of the antibiotics takes 48 – 72 hours to work. As I started to get better, I was constantly monitored to check if baby was stabilising. I went home for one day, only to see my obstetrician the next day, he advised me our baby needed to come out, sooner rather than later, and I would require a C Section. I was devastated but we wanted this baby to arrive safely and in the best of health.

I was back at hospital that following morning and Henlee Quinn was born at 38+1. 6 pound 9 ounces.  I had no amniotic fluid and they believed my placenta may not have been functioning properly for up to two weeks.

Had I not followed my instincts our baby girl may not have been here with us today.

As written by Henlee’s Mother, Nicole.