My birth story is pretty scary and I certainly feel there was a lack of care at my hospital, I feel steps should have been taken to keep my baby safe. It all started at around 41 weeks, I woke up and felt a gush or fluid. It was enough so soak my underwear but that’s all. I didn’t leak again throughout the whole day so I phoned my hospital who advised me it was normal discharge. The next again morning the same thing happened, this time I had an appointment with my midwife anyways. She sent me straight to triage department to be examined as she believed my waters had gone. After examination ( a speculum and has a look for any water build up ) I was told to go home as it was normal discharge. I was due to be induced 4 days later. The leaking kept happening every morning but I trusted the health professional that it was all normal.

25th November when I was induced. At 3pm a pessary was inserted and was to stay in for 24 hours in hopes this would soften my cervix. That night around 4am I woke up with cramps, I went to the bathroom horrified to see my pad covered in green gunk! I immediately though it was meconium ( baby poo ). I ran and showed a midwife in the ward who assured me it was just a “show” before labour started up. I continued to have this discharge throughout the day, 3 pm came on the 26th November and my pessary was removed. Before the next stage of my induction the baby’s heart had to be monitored for 30 mins. Baby’s heart rate wasn’t were it should have been it was low. I was monitored continually for about 3 hours where I was assured baby was just asleep that’s why it was low. They eventually got a doctor in to examine me, the first thing he said was there’s meconium present! He tried to break my waters to discover there wasn’t any waters to break. This is what I was trying to explain to the triage nurse a few days ago that my water had gone.

Anyways I got out straight through to labour ward and baby was again straight on a monitor. This is when things got scary, baby’s heart rate dropped to 40! I was moved it loads of different positions the red buzzer was pushed doctors flew in the room preparing me to get rushed to theatre then all of a sudden baby’s heart rate stabilised. I was a wreck by this point terrified for my baby’s wellbeing. The doctor refused sending me for a c section as baby was normal again I was assured meconium is very common and shouldn’t cause any harm. I was then put on the pitocin drip to bring labour on faster and harder. After a couple of hours I got an epidural, not because of extreme pain but incase of an emergency situation. I had been in labour for only 7 hours when baby’s heart rate began to dip again I was then rushed for an emergency c section.

I was so relieved for my baby to be born and out of harms way, or so I thought. While being sorted back up after my section I could see my baby surrounded by doctors and nurses then an emergency alarm was sent to neonatal unit. My baby was whisked away, me being told it’s just to give her a little help getting breathing properly. I was taken back to my room. Hours passed by I was told the reason it’s taking so long is because the doctors are doing their rounds in the neonatal unit. Another two hours passed and a doctor and consultant came to my room, I was told she had inhaled a large amount of meconium in to my baby girls lungs which is too thick and hard to suction out. I was told she will need to be rushed to a hospital almost an hour away to receive treatment. I was devastated, I hadn’t even met my baby and she was being transferred to another hospital. The doctor brought me up 2 photos of her, I honestly thought she wasn’t going to make it after seeing them.

I had to be strong and was assured they would find a space for me also to be transferred later that night to be close to her. My partner went up with our daughter in the ambulance, about an hour later I received a call from my partner, when I answered it was a doctor from the hospital she was at explaining to me she would need to be put on a lung bipass (ECMO) machine as her only chance of survival. Of course we agreed it was our only chance of our daughter coming home with us.

That night as I arrived at the hospital our girl was just out of surgery. I have never seen anything so terrifying as a baby on that machine. Two large tubes out of the neck to remove blood and put oxygen back on to her body. It was terrifying to see, she had to be totally sedated for a week as any movement could cause extreme internal bleeding. Our baby was extremely lucky and has overcome everything without any lasting damage to her lungs or any other organ in her body. She is still in hospital and still requires oxygen to keep her levels up but is coming home in a couple of days! We are overjoyed and extremely thankful for neonatal nurses ❤️ here is a few pictures of our angels journey from birth to 5 weeks old! If you made it to the end, thanks for reading!

Our precious girl Isla Harper Blair 💕💕💕

Update: baby girl is now home and doing great 💕