Courtney H.

Last year I had an induction to go into labour for my first pregnancy, I gave birth and then got sent to the ward. I had to stay at the ward myself as my partner went home. It was about 11pm at night where I started feeling like I had the flu. I felt so unwell and dehydrated, during this time my newborn baby was crying all night and I didn’t get any sleep until 8am. When I woke up about 10am I told the nurse I had a temperature, I remember dripping of sweat uncontrollably and shaking. (Sepsis and Pregnancy & Childbirth)

All the nurses come in and told me to get up and get breakfast. I could barely walk. Few hours later I got discharged but something felt wrong, I didn’t know how serious it was or what sepsis was. When I was on my way home in the car I just had a sense of impending doom. That whole night I couldn’t eat, my heart was racing, I was shivering one minute the next I was sweating. I still thought I had the flu. Next day, woke up and midwife had come. Told her I was really unwell and she said I had suspected sepsis and that I needed to get to the hospital within the next hour. So I got to the hospital. At this point I couldn’t walk. I got straight in and they took my bloods and put me on a drip. Got sent to my own hospital room where I was treated. I was there for 3 days and finally recovered but had to take blood thinners for a week at home. I am very lucky I caught it in time. I wish I listened to my body and spoke up more that something didn’t feel right. It’s been a year since this happened but I do think this could have been prevented a lot sooner if I knew the signs.