My names Jemma Thompson and I had the best pregnancy possible. Every midwife appointment was fine, my blood pressure, urine samples, bloods and baby’s heart beat each time perfect. Low risk pregnancy and planned a birthing suite birth.
At 39+2 my waters went early hours, I did as advised and waited until the morning to call the birthing suite and went in to be checked and to confirm my waters had gone. Went in around 9.30am and again, urine was fine, baby’s heart beat strong and advised to go home for labour to kick in and if it hadn’t then I would be induced the next morning at 7.30am. My little boy didn’t want to wait until then and that evening I had pains in my back and went to bed to try and get some rest. Woke up around 2am with contractions and made our way to the hospital. We we’re so excited thinking we would leave hospital as a 3.
When they were doing the usual checks my pressure was fine, but they couldn’t find his heart beat. Initially I didn’t panic as it was a student midwife so she passed over to a midwife, who couldn’t find it either. At this point they all rushed out and one popped back in to say I needed a scan and that “this could go either way now you know”. I looked at my partner and felt petrified that this could possibly be happening.
We we’re taken to triage for a scan where it was confirmed my little boy had passed. I screamed and we cried.
The next bit was a blur, I was contracting and couldn’t cope that I wasnt going to get my little boy at the end.
After a smooth labour I gave birth to my little bout Brody Allen Thompson, the most perfect little boy and a good weight of 8lb5oz.
I remember the midwives saying my bloods they took whilst I was in labour showed high level white bloods which indicated an infection.
We spent 6 hours after birth with our boy and our family. He really was perfect.
We declined post mortum but tests from myself on the day (swabs And bloods) and swabs and tests from the placenta came back with severe infection and confirmed GBS infection as the cause of his death.
I had never heard of group B Strep before being told I had lost my baby to it! I never received any leaflet or information for it. This is why I now talk and share information about group B Strep, to ensure others don’t have to experience the worst imaginable loss that we have.
I am now pregnant with his little brother and plans are in place for antobiotics in labour or when my waters go.
However the pain is still there and always will be.
Please ensure you pay for the test. It really could save your babies life. I just wish I had the knowledge to do so.