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LILY EVE — UK
Born March 4, 2003 Early-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested negative Gestational Age: Full-term (c-section) Age harmed: newborn |
I'll fast forward through the labour 27 hours, 2 bottles of gas and air, 3 epidurals, an emergency c-section and a bleed-out and onto the worst bit ~ my beautiful little girl was infected with a Group B Strep infection.
She wasn't feeding that well and was making a weird snorting noise. To be honest, being a first time mum and more than a little clueless, I'd vaguely mentioned it to the nursing staff, but they said it was OK, so I left it. However, by the time she was 30 hours old I needed some sleep and asked if she could go to the nursery as I'd not slept for 3 days at that point.
Luckily one of the midwives caring for her noticed something was wrong when they tried to feed her and she was rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit. I'm forever thankful that as I'd had the labour from hell and was still in the hospital. If we'd gone home I think she'd have died because it was such a quick decline. It turns out that if you have your waters broken and then are left in labour for over 24 hours (Note: some studes cite 12+ hours), the baby can contract it as you can be a carrier as one in four women are. Also, there is a test for it - which the NHS doesn't give!.
However, I didn't have a clue what Group B Strep was when I was woken in the middle of the night by a doctor telling me that my baby needed a spinal tap as she had Group B and possibly meningitis, and did I have anyone who could be with me 'in case of the worst'.
By the time I arrived in Special Care Unit (as quickly as I could shuffle down the corridor) I was welcomed by a really lovely nurse who sat me down and gave me a Polaroid picture of my daughter wired up to every conceivable piece of medical equipment. When I asked why she explained they took pictures to give the mother something to 'remember their child by'....at this point it sank in, my baby was probably going to die.
Thank God she's a great little fighter, and she had excellent care by a very experienced group of medics and she pulled through to be the sassy little bright button she is today, but it was needless and it shouldn't have happened.
— Liz Grayson, Cambridgeshire, UK
Lily Eve's mother has written about their experience on her blog.
She wasn't feeding that well and was making a weird snorting noise. To be honest, being a first time mum and more than a little clueless, I'd vaguely mentioned it to the nursing staff, but they said it was OK, so I left it. However, by the time she was 30 hours old I needed some sleep and asked if she could go to the nursery as I'd not slept for 3 days at that point.
Luckily one of the midwives caring for her noticed something was wrong when they tried to feed her and she was rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit. I'm forever thankful that as I'd had the labour from hell and was still in the hospital. If we'd gone home I think she'd have died because it was such a quick decline. It turns out that if you have your waters broken and then are left in labour for over 24 hours (Note: some studes cite 12+ hours), the baby can contract it as you can be a carrier as one in four women are. Also, there is a test for it - which the NHS doesn't give!.
However, I didn't have a clue what Group B Strep was when I was woken in the middle of the night by a doctor telling me that my baby needed a spinal tap as she had Group B and possibly meningitis, and did I have anyone who could be with me 'in case of the worst'.
By the time I arrived in Special Care Unit (as quickly as I could shuffle down the corridor) I was welcomed by a really lovely nurse who sat me down and gave me a Polaroid picture of my daughter wired up to every conceivable piece of medical equipment. When I asked why she explained they took pictures to give the mother something to 'remember their child by'....at this point it sank in, my baby was probably going to die.
Thank God she's a great little fighter, and she had excellent care by a very experienced group of medics and she pulled through to be the sassy little bright button she is today, but it was needless and it shouldn't have happened.
— Liz Grayson, Cambridgeshire, UK
Lily Eve's mother has written about their experience on her blog.
To learn more about Perinatal & GBS Misconceptions, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of Preterm Labor, click HERE.
To learn more about the Signs & Symptoms of GBS Infection, click HERE.
To learn more about Why Membranes Should NOT Be Stripped, click HERE.
To learn more about How to Help Protect Your Baby from Group B Strep (GBS), click HERE.