A FERMANAGH woman who was rushed for an emergency c-section to save her baby’s life after she experienced reduced movement during her pregnancy is encouraging other pregnant women to seek medical attention if they have any concerns, even if they are isolating due to Covid-19.

On Friday, December 4, at 30 weeks and four days pregnant, Lesa Moffitt from Ballinamallard became concerned when she didn’t feel her baby moving.

“I had a busy morning putting up Christmas decorations and I didn’t feel the baby moving during this time which was usual for me when I was busy,” said Lesa.

After trying different methods she had been advised in her first pregnancy to try to get her baby to move, Lesa still didn’t feel anything, and knew that she needed to seek medical attention.

However, two days prior she had been notified on the track and trace app that she had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for Covid-19, and was therefore instructed to isolate until December 11.

Protocols

“I was unsure about how this affected me going to hospital, and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be seen. Looking back, it was an irrational thought but my mum and my friend, who works in the SWAH, told me to ring as they have protocols in place for this and not to worry,” she said.

After contacting the maternity ward and explaining her situation, Lesa was told she would be given a call back as soon as possible to let her know when she could be seen.

“I was waved into the hospital around 7pm by a midwife and brought into a room where I was connected to a trace machine to monitor the baby’s heartbeat and movements,” explained Lesa.

She recalled the relief that she felt when she heard her baby’s heartbeat, but as the midwife monitored it, the heart rate dropped quite low then rose again.

“She was told to continue monitoring to see if it was just an isolated incident but it happened again and it took longer for the heart rate to come up, so a doctor had to be called,” said Lesa.

The doctor decided to scan Lesa but no matter how many times she went over the baby, it still didn’t move.

A second doctor was called for another opinion, and it was decided that Lesa should be connected to the trace for an hour to get a good read of what was happening.

“After 20 minutes the doctors came back in and told me the baby’s heart dipped three times and this shouldn’t be happening, so they decided they wouldn’t be able to wait the hour, that I had to be rushed to theatre for an emergency c-section,” she said.

Lesa quickly messaged her partner, Daniel Verner, to come up to the hospital as they didn’t have time to wait for him as the baby had to be delivered immediately.

Wheeled into theatre

“It was a strange experience, doing everything alone, and I would be quite an anxious person but the doctors and midwives couldn’t have been nicer and they explained everything so well to me every step of the way,” she noted.

Fortunately, Daniel managed to get up in time to see Lesa as she was being wheeled into theatre, but he wasn’t able to go in with her.

After waking up from her general anaesthetic following the c-section, Lesa was told the news that she had had a little girl.

“Robyn was born at 10.49pm weighing 3lb 4oz. Eventually Daniel was allowed in to see me and he told me he got to see her on her way to neonatal, that she was so beautiful and so, so tiny,” said Lesa.

As Robyn was under 34 weeks, she had to be moved to Antrim Area Hospital for specialist care but, unfortunately, as Lesa’s negative Covid test result didn’t come back in time, she wasn’t able to see her newborn daughter before she was transferred.

“The midwives were very good at getting me pictures of Robyn, which was lovely to have but it was very hard, not seeing her,” recalled Lesa.

She added: “My doctors from the previous night came in to get me up to date on everything and informed me that the cord was around Robyn’s neck twice, and this could have been the issue, but they couldn’t rule out a placenta issue either so it had to be sent for tests.

“They would like to get me back in 12 weeks to let me know what they found out and update me on everything.”

Robyn spent three days in Antrim Area Hospital before they managed to find her a bed in Craigavon Area Hospital.

“She was doing really well and was stable so they thought with it being a little closer to home they’d offer us the chance to move her, so we agreed,” explained Lesa, noting that Daniel was then able to visit Robyn but, because she had to isolate, she was unable to see her baby until she was eight days old.

“Not seeing my daughter when she was born, or at all for eight days, was so hard. The doctor in the SWAH told me the enormity of everything that had happened could hit me in a few days, or weeks, or it might never,” added Lesa.

She explained that originally her fear for delivering her baby in February was that Daniel would only be let in when she was in active labour and for only an hour after the birth.

“I was so anxious about all of that but what happened was worse than any of that, but the care I received by everyone was brilliant and they really did put me at ease,” said Lesa.

Stressing how important it is for women to not be put off ringing into the hospital if they feel that their baby hasn’t been moving as much, Lesa said: “They [the doctors and midwives] told me numerous times that if I hadn’t have come up when I did, they’d have been dealing with a different situation.

“The doctor stressed to me that women should never feel like they are wasting anyone’s time, that the best thing they see is a mum leaving the hospital again with a healthy baby who was just having a sleepy period.

“I nearly let the fact that I was isolating stop me ringing in, and if I had, my little girl wouldn’t be here. They saved her life that night and I’ll be forever grateful,” she told this newspaper.

Robyn continues to do really well and the couple hope to get her back to Enniskillen when she is the right age.