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MIDNIGHT DOUGLAS — AUSTRALIA
Lived October 24, 2007 Prenatal-onset Mother's GBS Status: Tested positive Gestational Age: 21 weeks Age Harmed: 21st week of pregnancy |
At 21 weeks of pregnancy my water broke. I rushed to my obstetrician. He gave me an ultrasound that revealed little amniotic fluid left. He told me to go to hospital.
We went to hospital, and the doctor again confirmed there was a little amniotic fluid left, and also tested for group B strep- the results showed 'moderate growth'. The doctor did not tell me this (I later found out through freedom of information.)
The doctor would not admit me to the hospital because there "is beds shortage" and because she "wouldn't anyway because we can't stop nature." I was sent home and promised the doctor would call me in the morning to organise/discuss inducing the labour.
The doctor told me as I left the hospital, that PROM can cause infection so she will have to induce labour the next day and that "you probably have an infection now.
I went home for the night expecting the arranged call in the morning.
As night became morning, then day I became extremely sick. Aching in every joint in my body, I could barely bend my fingers or walk. I was freezing cold and covered in painful goosebumps.
The doctor never rang me as arranged. She would not return my calls. I rang the hospital all day telling the maternity staff how sick I had become. My temperature went right up and heart was beating really fast. At one stage an admin staff called on behalf of the doctor. The staff member told me not to go to another hospital because I would "have to just go through the admissions procedure again". I was really scared and almost felt like I was going to die. I just hoped Midnight was ok as I really wanted the pregnancy to continue.
By nighttime the doctor had simply not called me knowing I had group B strep and was really sick. She went home from her shift.
I was really weak and breathless, and when my family came to help me they rushed me to a local hospital, a different hospital than before.
By then, my blood pressure had dropped to extremely low numbers I and had a white blood cell count of over 25000. I now had 'heavy growth' of group B strep.
The doctor had to induce the labour immediately or I would 'risk death'.
The labour was the scariest and saddest part. My sister and partner were in the room with me. It lasted 45 minutes. Pure agony.
Midnight came into this world just after 12.00am. I felt his hot body laying against me, I could not bear to reach down and touch him, because I knew he would soon die, yet my instinct to touch him was overwhelming.
I lay there while my sister screamed and ran for a nurse or doctor to come into the room. When she came back Midnight started to make loud short crying type sounds. My sister had to try to cough to cover up the sound so I could not hear him. It did not work. Those sounds were the loudest, most penetrating cries I have ever heard in my life. They will be with me forever.
A nurse ran in and took Midnight who was still laying against the back of upper legs. I saw my sister look down at him in absolute shock, horror and sadness. I could tell from her face she would never forget that moment.
The nurse took him over to her trolley and was very gentle and kind to him. She spoke to him. I don't know if he was still alive.
The next day they brought Midnight into meet us. He had died. He was dressed up in blue knitted clothes. He was adorable. A full term baby, just small.
The infection caused by group B strep kept me in hospital for a week on an antibiotic drip.
It is nearly a year ago, and every day I think about how scared I was when I was sick with infection. I think about little Midnight laying by himself while I wouldn't touch him in his final moments. And most of all my endless frustration and sense of powerlessness that I feel toward the first hospital that would not treat me, knowing I had premature rupture of membranes and growth of group B strep.
Get tested EARLY in pregnancy.
— S Turner, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Midnight's mother tells others to get checked.
We went to hospital, and the doctor again confirmed there was a little amniotic fluid left, and also tested for group B strep- the results showed 'moderate growth'. The doctor did not tell me this (I later found out through freedom of information.)
The doctor would not admit me to the hospital because there "is beds shortage" and because she "wouldn't anyway because we can't stop nature." I was sent home and promised the doctor would call me in the morning to organise/discuss inducing the labour.
The doctor told me as I left the hospital, that PROM can cause infection so she will have to induce labour the next day and that "you probably have an infection now.
I went home for the night expecting the arranged call in the morning.
As night became morning, then day I became extremely sick. Aching in every joint in my body, I could barely bend my fingers or walk. I was freezing cold and covered in painful goosebumps.
The doctor never rang me as arranged. She would not return my calls. I rang the hospital all day telling the maternity staff how sick I had become. My temperature went right up and heart was beating really fast. At one stage an admin staff called on behalf of the doctor. The staff member told me not to go to another hospital because I would "have to just go through the admissions procedure again". I was really scared and almost felt like I was going to die. I just hoped Midnight was ok as I really wanted the pregnancy to continue.
By nighttime the doctor had simply not called me knowing I had group B strep and was really sick. She went home from her shift.
I was really weak and breathless, and when my family came to help me they rushed me to a local hospital, a different hospital than before.
By then, my blood pressure had dropped to extremely low numbers I and had a white blood cell count of over 25000. I now had 'heavy growth' of group B strep.
The doctor had to induce the labour immediately or I would 'risk death'.
The labour was the scariest and saddest part. My sister and partner were in the room with me. It lasted 45 minutes. Pure agony.
Midnight came into this world just after 12.00am. I felt his hot body laying against me, I could not bear to reach down and touch him, because I knew he would soon die, yet my instinct to touch him was overwhelming.
I lay there while my sister screamed and ran for a nurse or doctor to come into the room. When she came back Midnight started to make loud short crying type sounds. My sister had to try to cough to cover up the sound so I could not hear him. It did not work. Those sounds were the loudest, most penetrating cries I have ever heard in my life. They will be with me forever.
A nurse ran in and took Midnight who was still laying against the back of upper legs. I saw my sister look down at him in absolute shock, horror and sadness. I could tell from her face she would never forget that moment.
The nurse took him over to her trolley and was very gentle and kind to him. She spoke to him. I don't know if he was still alive.
The next day they brought Midnight into meet us. He had died. He was dressed up in blue knitted clothes. He was adorable. A full term baby, just small.
The infection caused by group B strep kept me in hospital for a week on an antibiotic drip.
It is nearly a year ago, and every day I think about how scared I was when I was sick with infection. I think about little Midnight laying by himself while I wouldn't touch him in his final moments. And most of all my endless frustration and sense of powerlessness that I feel toward the first hospital that would not treat me, knowing I had premature rupture of membranes and growth of group B strep.
Get tested EARLY in pregnancy.
— S Turner, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Midnight's mother tells others to get checked.
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.