Our story 💕

I had a few scares whilst I was pregnant with Evelyn. I had shingles at around 12 weeks which was not fun and then I had three bleeds between 14-17 weeks. Apart from being terrifying when they where happening they didn’t affect her at all. I first felt her kick at around 17 weeks (I say kick but it was more like little bubbles popping). From then on she would normally kick away as I drove to work every morning and then she would have her own little party in my womb around 9pm every night. I’m not sure if she loved or hated the bath but she also kicked constantly every time I got in it.

I had a scan at 32 weeks to check that the blood clot from the previous bleed had resolved and thankfully it had! After that I was classed as a low risk pregnancy and I finally felt like I could breathe and enjoy my pregnancy.

I finished work for maternity leave at week 35 as I thankfully had holidays to take and I began painting the nursery getting everything ready for our little girl.

Week 36 after my midwife appointment (Tuesday) I felt like I was getting the flu but that same night I noticed I couldn’t smell my vicks! Off to the test centre I went and sure enough it came back positive for Covid. Apart from having a high temp and some muscle aches and fatigue I felt like I could manage at home. By the Saturday I felt fine just heavily pregnant and tired! 

Sunday morning I noticed Evelyn wasn’t her lively self so I took myself off to the women’s just to check. Sure enough as soon as I went on the monitor she started kicking away nicely! I was in there for a couple of hours and everything seemed fine so back home we went. Monday was uneventful.

On Tuesday 27/10/20 I noticed that again Evelyn hadn’t been kicking as much as usual so I got in the bath but still no kicks. Back to the women’s I went (although I felt like a hypochondriac).

I was seen right away and put on the monitor again, she began to move and she had a good heartbeat. I had been on the monitor for about 3-4 hours when I was told I would be induced. “You’re 37 weeks, you’re covid positive and you’re not happy with baby’s movement. Let’s just get her out.”

I was going to give birth alone (covid positive) and I was terrified. But I was also so excited, I remember saying to the midwife “Will she be born on Halloween? It’s my mums favourite holiday, she goes all out every year!” and the midwife laughed and exclaimed she’d be here before then!

I was on the monitor for a little while after that with no communications that Evelyn was in distress and she still had a heart rate of 150. I was taken off the monitor at 16:50pm and walked to delivery suite to begin my induction.

Once there the midwife tried to find her heartbeat to put me back on the monitor but she was having some difficulty (I should mention the previous midwife had to hold the trace by hand for four hours because Evelyn wasn’t in the best position). Unable to find it she scanned me but again she was having some trouble locating it so she would get the doctor in. Then the SHO scanned me and she was also having trouble. By this time a few people had come into this huge room and I remember thinking they must be taking me for an emergency section. Then the consultant scanned me, the room was quiet and I looked at the screen, I could see her spine and I knew her heartbeat should be right there as I’d seen it many times before. There was silence and then I was told “I’m sorry, she’s died.” I had been off the monitor for 15 minutes and I was alone. 

I gave birth to our beautiful baby girl on 30/10/20 with Warren by my side. Evelyn was perfect.

We waited just under 12 weeks for all the results to come back and the results didn’t surprise me but they shocked the consultant and the staff at the hospital. 

Evelyn didn’t have covid but covid had obliterated my placenta. Examination of the placenta revealed massive perivillous fibrin deposition with hystocytic intervillositis and positive immunohistochemistry for SARS-CoV2. The placenta stopped functioning and Evelyn died.

We need more information and research in regards to covid and pregnancy and hopefully our story and case will help that research.

The reason I’m asking for donations to Tommy’s is because they conduct masses of important research. They research the placenta (a vital organ we still don’t know much about) and they also conduct all sorts of other research with an aim to prevent miscarriages, stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

They also provide much needed support to families like ours and many others who have to go through something as heartbreaking as this.

Thank you 💕