Theo’s mum Elysia writes,
“It all started back in December 2016. I was 34 weeks pregnant with Theo everything was going amazing up until this point. I was in work, sat at my desk and felt a huge discomfort in my lower back and suddenly felt like I had a fever. I went to the bathroom and collapsed. I had to ring my friend from work to come to the bathroom and get me off the floor.
From there everything was a blur. My manager was being told to see if she could deliver the baby (on the works bathroom floor). Ambulance/paramedics brought me out of the building on a stretcher and I was rushed straight to the hospital, where I spent the next five days. Everybody thought I was in labour but it turned out to be group B Strep. I went into natural labour on the 12th of February 2017 at 2:00am. Theo didn’t make his arrival until 14th of February 2017 11:01 am.
It was a huge worry trying to get him here. I couldn’t dilate and we lost his heartbeat a few times. He was very distressed. I was in a bad way and told my mum if it came to it to save the baby not me. Turns out we both contracted group B Strep infection again. Theo wasn’t too unwell. We were both put on an IV drip for six days. Fast forward five weeks, Theo was unwell – screaming, crying, not taking feeds with a high temp of 41. He had contracted group B Strep again. This time it was serious, and he almost lost his life. If it hadn’t been for my quick response to him being unsettled he probably wouldn’t be here today.
We ended up staying in hospital for two weeks. I still remember feeling so guilty for thinking it was my fault that I had this horrible infection, blaming myself for a very long time. The fear of losing your child is a feeling I would never wish upon anybody. I’m so grateful to still have him here with me today! He’s the happiest little boy and you would never know he’d been through such a horrific experience. He makes me proud every day.”
