By Vanessa Dellaway, London England
PROM at 14 weeks + 3 days. Delivery at 20 weeks + 2 days.
Story added: 2003-09-03

Hi my name is Vanessa and Im 38 and have two children 15 and 14 in a previous relationship.
I discovered I was pregnant after 10 months of trying and my partner and I were delighted to both be parents again and was so looking forward to the future.
Sadley one day I experienced a bleed and was petrified from this moment on as I was just 14 weeks pregnant
I called my doctor and as it was a friday I was told to bed rest until I could see a Doctor on the monday as this could be a threatend miscarriage.
On the Monday just a 5 minute walk away I went to see my Doctor who discovered that I had a water infection and was given antibiotics and was told that an appointment for an ultrasound would be arranged in within 24 hours.
As I went to the chemist to collect my prescription I felt a warm gush and immediatley thought it would be blood loss and that I was miscarrying.
I hurried home as slowly and carefully as possible and felt another gush and was absolutley terrified at what I might find.
When I arrived home I immediatley checked at what was happening and to my horror I realised it was amniotic fluid,I really didnt know what was worse bleeding or fluid loss,so I called my Doctor who told me to sit and wait for the call from the ultrasound department.
They called after and hour and I was told to get to AE immediatley which I did.
After a wait I was seen by a Doctor who examined me with a
spectrum and to my relief he discovered that I was not bleeding,he then advised me to have the ultrasound appointment straight away and when we did,we found that the babys heart beat was still beating and that I had lost nearly all my fluid.
I then was seen by a doctor who gave a very poor prognosis but he still gave hope that it may be possible for me to continue the pregnancy as long I was aware of infection and that I could possible go into labour in the next 72 hours,in which I did not,and had a scan the following week and things seemed ok considering the circumstances.I continued to be monitored for a further 6 weeks we were given a very low 1% chance of my babies survival.
But at 19 weeks 4 days I developed a water infection and went to AE and got some antibiotics in which I hoped would clear the infection yet again.In fact at 20 weeks I had my routine scan and was seen by a professor at Kings College Hospital and he found that my fluid was infact 1.9cm at the deepest pool and that my baby was in breech posistion,growth normal and he suggested as I had not got an infection as yet that I infact have a 40% chance of survival rate in which we were delighted.
We went away feeling much more positive about the future of our baby.
Unfortunatley that night I went home and had adominable pain
in which I thought must be the water infection still playing
havoc and yet again went to AE in which I was admitted.
I was put in the labour ward and was in excruciating adominable pain and was given a pessary for pain relief up my back package and the pain still continued in waves.
The pain eased off in periods and I was put on the ward.
I was surprised that I was not monitored at any stage knowing my condition.
I then stayed over night in hospital with frequent pain in was I was administered Paracetomol.
On Friday night I was having more adominable pain and was complaining to the nurses who gave me just the same pain relief.
On Saturday morning at 7.30am I was in agony and pleading with the nurses to help me in which no one did,and was told to wait for a doctor as they were all busy on the labour ward.
I called my partner to ask the hospital to help as I was in agony and even two ladies on the ward asked for help and no one came and I was in a terrible state.
Eventually a Doctor came at 11.35am and felt my tummy and I asked to check if my urine test was back to see what kind of infection it was and was told it takes 3-4 days.
I was crying and asked for pain relief and the doctor said that it would harm the baby and just walked away to the next patient to my astonishment.
My partner called to say he was on his way and as he arrived I realised I was bleeding and he went and informed the nurse who then did not tend to me until 30mins after, and with another call of distress from my worried partner.
As the midwife came she stressed she thinks I might need to go to the Labour ward and as she pulled the curtain away,my babys bottom appeared and my baby was delivered and sadley had died.....
We always knew that God was to decide our babies fate but in such traumatic circumstance makes it all hard to bear.
Im proceeding to complain and seek legal advice as I feel I was totally neglected in my hours of need.
I just wanted to thank this site and everybodys stories of support in which got me through the most delicate and hardest days of my life..
I had a boy called Anthony and he is now our Angel above.
I dont regret my fight and my sons fight for us and advise anyone to do like wise as there are so many success stories

God Bless You all

Vanessa and Anthony and Anthony Jnr