Paisley mum urges women to be wary after maternal sepsis scare

A Mum from Paisley who survived maternal sepsis is urging other women to trust their instincts when something doesn't feel right.

In September of last year, Jenna Allcock started to feel “wiped out” the day after her baby shower ahead of daughter Mollie’s arrival.

The 32-year-old, who now lives in Falkirk, experienced pain across her stomach, which gradually became more severe.

Upon arriving at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital, the mum’s heart rate continued to rise. The following day, Jenna started to convulse, shake and vomit.

She said: “Mollie's heart rate was pretty much maxed out and so was mine. I could not control my shaking. I've had shivering with the flu before, but never anything like this."

“At that point, a doctor came in and said 'you are showing signs of sepsis.' When I heard the word sepsis, my heart just sank. I was really worried.”

Jenna had to undergo an emergency caesarean section to ensure the safety of baby Mollie.

Immediately after the arrival of her daughter, Jenna’s appendix was removed, and the infection was flushed from the area.

As she was wheeled into the operating room, Jenna said she was “terrified”.

“I had to go in by myself which was really tough. I felt so sick and I didn't know if I was going to wake up with her, or at all. But I just had to trust that everything was going to be fine."

The new mum did not get to meet her daughter, who was also affected by the sepsis infection, for more than 12 hours after she gave birth.

“The painful thing for me was I had three days without her."

“I'd thought about pulling out her outfits every night and what I was going to dress her in, and I couldn't do that. Pete Jenna's husband changed her first nappy, and he got that skin-to-skin contact time, and I didn't. It was tough."

Jenna is now urging pregnant women to “listen to their body” and recognise the signs of sepsis.

She said: “If something doesn’t feel right, seek help. Sepsis holds no prisoners, it can pick on the healthiest person: young, old, whatever. I went from eating rice crispies at 10am to convulsing on the bed at 12pm, and I dread to think if I'd just stayed at home, would I have been treated quickly enough?"

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