Mum Naomi says,
“My son Elliott was born at 38+1 weeks following a textbook pregnancy but a very traumatic birth. I first went into labour the day before he was born when my waters broke at 5am in the morning. After a check in at the hospital, I was told to go home and labour and come back the following morning if nothing had happened sooner. It was here when I was first swabbed for GBS and told I was developing pre-eclampsia.
The next morning I arrived at the hospital at 6.30am with severe contractions, after 30 minutes of monitoring, they told me my son was distressed and his heart rate was of great concern with each contraction. My own blood pressure had spiked massively and I was now deemed as having severe pre-eclampsia. I had gas & air, fluids & an injection to slow my contractions down but as none of this had helped, there was no choice but to rush me into theatre for a caesarean section which I later learned was classed as a category one due to the major threat to Elliott’s life.
Upon delivery, my son Elliott gave an initial cry but was taken to the side immediately. He became blue, floppy and stopped breathing. He needed 5 rescue breathes via an oxygen mask and it was 5 minutes before he started to breathe on his own. I didn’t get to hold him and only saw him for a brief moment before he was rushed down to the NICU and placed on oxygen. It was 10 hours later when I was eventually able to hold him for the first time.
Two days later I was visited by a doctor whilst in hospital who informed me that the swab results had come back as positive for GBS, not only this, but it was detected in my blood meaning I needed 2 weeks worth of antibiotics via an IV to treat it. I was also told that I was being treated for sepsis which was part of the reason Elliott was in such distress in labour.
Later that night I was awoken at 3am and told that Elliott’s infection markers had spiked and he needed a lumbar puncture procedure to rule out meningitis. After a two day wait, I was told thankfully he was in the clear and the infection was put down to sepsis as well. He spent a total of 4 days in the NICU, placed on oxygen, fed via a glucose drip and was not able to have any milk for three days. After a week in hospital and a weeks worth of antibiotics, he was finally discharged and we could go home to start our life together.
What should have been the most magical day of my life turned out to be the most traumatic. I wish group B Strep was routinely tested for in pregnancy. Had I known I was a carrier then the birth of my son may have been completely different.
Thankfully, so far Elliott has not shown any long term side effects or delays from the infection and is a happy, healthy, thriving little boy.”