Mary McK

In 1988, when 37 weeks pregnant I took a bath. Later when I got out I noticed a gush of water between my legs. Luckily this did not happen in the bath because I might not have realized that my water had broken. I called my doctor who told me to go to hospital immediately. By the time I arrived two hours later I was feverish. (Sepsis and Pregnancy & Childbirth) My contractions started but soon stopped. They tested my white blood cell count and it was highest level so they knew I had infection. Tests on my son indicated he was under stress, so I had a c-section a couple of hours later. I think I should have had emergency c-section. They did start me on I.V, two wide spectrum antibiotics, I think ,before surgery.

After my c-section Saturday night, I got much sicker. I remember telling my husband not to visit me on Sunday. He should have, but he didn’t realize how sick I was, so he didn’t. My parents hadn’t arrived yet since the baby came early. My fever rose to 104 degrees for two days. I had violent shakes and then so cold, back and forth repeatedly for two days. I thought about nothing but the shakes and the cold. I wasn’t alert enough to be scared. I remember begging the nurse for more blankets. She ended up giving me 7, I was so freezing cold. But she didn’t want to give me any. I remember my doctor coming in occasionally but was in delirium. Did not think about my new baby at all until Tuesday. He was also on antibiotics but did not get the severe sepsis from the uterine strep infection that I did. (Sepsis and Group B Strep) When I finally recovered my doctor told me they thought they might lose me.

I was healthy and 34, so survived with the help of the antibiotics. If I had had an educated doula, she might have advocated for me, to be in ICU. Later I learned baths are not recommended for pregnant women. At any rate, somehow I contracted a uterine strep infection and developed sepsis. This is less likely now as pregnant women are routinely tested for strep.