I had an amazing pregnancy with everything going to plan, even with a diagnosis of Group B Strep at 12 weeks, our baby and myself we’re doing well.

I turned 29 weeks pregnant, 3rd trimester, on the home run, when I experienced my first session of reduced movements. I’d not felt our girl move since the night before and I spent all night reading article after article and different websites until I came across Kicks Count. I read the information and knew what I had to, I called my local hospital who asked me to come straight in. As soon as I got in the car to drive to the hospital, she started wriggling and kicking, little tike!!! I arrived and they popped me on the monitor, straight away there she was! They took all observations and checked us both over, everything was perfect so they let me go on my way and booked me in for a growth scan to check all ok.

Fast forward to 39 weeks when I suffered my second round of reduced movements, so after reading Kicks Count again I called the hospital and went straight in. Sure enough, she wriggled away and all was well in observation. This time the doctor came to see us and she advised that due to me being so close to my due date and it being the 2nd episode of reduced movements, she suggested having a sweep or be induced! This came as a shock to me but after some consideration I went for the sweep and was sent on my merry way to wait! We were back two days later for another growth scan and were told baby was completely healthy but was measuring on the large side so the doctor suggested I come in to be induced the following morning which I agreed to.

Monday morning arrived and myself & my hubby trotted on down to the hospital, I was induced at 8.30am and the long wait to see our baby girl was nearly over, or so I thought! Fast forward to Tues afternoon, 1 pessary and 2 gels down and baby girl was nice & comfortable in there but I had started to feel unwell. I mentioned to my midwife that I felt like I had flu, all over aches with a headache and she said it was possibly due to being induced but they would monitor me over the coming hours. 8pm that evening and I was curled up in bed, shivering but overheating, my hubby went to get help from a midwife. She soon realised I was ill and needed help ASAP, they took bloods and they came back that I had Sepsis.

They immediately put me on strong antibiotics and explained that baby would require special care baby unit once delivered due to her having the antibiotics in her system too. I was a little crushed as my ideal birth was going out of the window, they also mentioned i’d need help with forceps to deliver her but first they would need to break my waters to get baby delivered as soon as possible.

Our beautiful baby girl was born happy and healthy, all 8lbs 3oz of her, our gorgeous Olivia Grace arrived. They gave us about 20 minutes with her then took her down to special care for antibiotics. Unfortunately for me it wasn’t over just yet as I continued to bleed. I had to have two blood transfusions later that evening and we stayed in hospital for a couple of days, checking the infection had gone and not passed to Olivia, which it hadn’t! Her antibiotics were working and my infection was cleared so we could go home!

Fast forward 14 weeks and we have a healthy, determined, cheeky little girl who ia the light of our lives! I’m so glad I read the Kicks Count advice or it may have been a different story, we’re both healthy and loving getting to know one another.

Thank you xxx