To not want to be a medical guinea pig whilst being treated for suspected sepsis, one day postpartum whilst very unwell

[Februaryblooms]

In hospital after being induced with DD who was born yesterday morning. DD has jaundice and is on a blue light in the crib but she's doing ok as per monitoring.

It was a quick labour that ended up with me having a second degree tear and stitches. I've been losing alot of clots, am weak and have been told I have some retained placental products.

I've had cannulas galore, constant blood tests etc and somewhere among that lot I've contracted an infection that they won't yet call sepsis but have strongly hinted toward that being what it is and said they are screening and treating me for it "just in case"

I'm currently laid up having a blood transfusion after rushing through two IV doses of antibiotics, multiple bags of fluid, and am told I may need to go to theatre to remove the retained products if they don't expel themselves/If the antibiotics don't work soon. I'm incredibly poorly, sweating, have poor (high heart rate, blood pressure, temperature) and can't leave my bed or tend to my newborn, fortunately my partner is here and is being brilliant.

I'm positively terrified to be honest and have never felt so vulnerable in my life after hearing the word "Sepsis"

My AIBU is:

AIBU to not want my treatment process used to teach the student midwives/staff. Every procedure and obs I have is being undertaken by the student staff over seen and walked through by senior staff who are all absolutely lovely but it's making me feel like a guinea pig laying here helpless, whilst my condition is being used to train the students.

I haven't said anything, I don't know if I have any right to. I'm being treated regardless aren't I and can't afford to go private.

Am I being ridiculous and over reacting because of my current state? How would you feel? Is this the norm?

Nobody has asked whether I mind so I assume I don't have a choice.

I'm not bashing the NHS and I'm grateful I'm being looked after. I'm

Are you still online Febuary and are you any better yet?

February - thinking of you and wishing you and your newborn the very best.

Sounds so stressful and hard going for you . On the plus side, it also sounds like your body is hanging in there and actually fighting the infection as you aren't just getting worse. I pray a full and speedy recovery for you and DD.

Hi guys, my blood culture came back as positive for strep A

Not A cause for concern in the community but potentially fatal for mums and babies post birth if it gets into the blood which it has.

The doctors were happy with my obs and considering moving me to oral antibiotics until the microbiologist confirmed the diagnosis and now they want to keep me on an IV.

Yet another different type of antibiotic has been added onto my treatment plan.

DD is doing well were still waiting for her culture to tell us whether she has it or not. On a positive note her jaundice is 8 boxes below the line so she may be able to come off the light therapy later.

I've had a terrible headache since the early AM and im not sure if that's the antibiotics or the bright light from DDs light therapy, I have bad eyes in general.

Had a short lived episode of shaking with cold randomly in the night but midwife assured me it wasn't fever as my temperature was ok and that my room was just really cold.

I miss my other son so much I can't stop crying I just want to see him

I keep looking online at the reported cases where mums have died, and worrying myself.

Everyone I've asked here said I'm going to be ok which provides temporary comfort then I think they're just saying that so I don't worry.

As you can tell I'm a worrier

I certainly don't look like I'm at deaths door which has to count for something doesn't it? Plus I'm eating, drinking, I've been able to bathe, take short walks into the garden for 5 minutes of air a few times a day. It's all very positive on paper.

The flipside being I'm quite weak, a little bit dizzy and forgetful, contageous, there's this headache, the random bouts of shivering etc. Ugh this is one of the worst weeks of my life. My little boy is 15 months being cared for by my elderly mum and I'm missing him terribly and wondering whether it's all too much for her.

Congratulations!

Try not to be too worried - it sounds like you’re on appropriate treatment and the team are on top of it. And it sounds like you’re doing well with what you’re able to do, even if you feel ill.

You’re well within your rights to request no more students - and no-one would be offended, and you haven’t offended anyone here. You are going through quite a difficult time, and quite rightly you want the focus for the staff to be on yourself, not on educating others.

And stop googling horror stories. Although the awareness, recognition and management of sepsis have vastly improved, delays in diagnosis and treatment are major contributors in the relatively tiny numbers of high profile cases, and it sounds like your team are really on the ball with you.

Hope you feel better soon!

You have an infection...that's making you feel like shit. You are in an at risk category, but mostly because people don't get into hospital fast enough. You are already there and getting what must be effective treatment if you are up and about.

Of course its stressful and I'm sorry you are missing your son so much. Sickness is way more scary once you have children!

I got a life threatening infection when I was 16. It was actually blissful in comparison to your experience because I didn't at any point understand how ill I was until I was well on the mend. But I remember the endless tests and the endless switching around of medications...

If they have cultured the bug then they will have a much more precise idea what kills it now. Its a good sign that they are switching your meds over - they aren't just trying something else at random anymore.

I spoke to infection control on the phone just now and as we were signing off she said "I hope you recover"

Gee thanks for the vote of confidence hey

Oh dear. I'm sure she meant to add soon onto the end of the sentence.

I appreciate the support here you lot thank you. It's therapeutic to get some of my feelings out into words iykwim.

Regarding the sepsis, the doctor yesterday said he now considers me to have what they call 'resolving sepsis' so it sounds like they have that well under control and it's just the strep A they've got to target and blast.

hope you and your dd feel better soon OP

So that all in as was expected from the medical POV, course you'll feel shite squared for a while as yet but your on the mend and it may as yet take a while for you to fully recover.

Might be a thing to think and reflect l that your in a time when we can treat these things, not that long ago a differing matter;(

I expect your mum is doing stirling work with the little boy and not surprising that you miss him, suppose your perhaps too contagious for him to come to the ward fror a breif visit, can you see what the doctors say re that?

Sure it will make you feel a bit better?.

Say something!!!

With my 1st, I had a student do my stitches after delivery. 6 months later saw a different OB for an IUD and he took one look down there and said Who did this to you!?!?!!!

Switched over to a midwife for my second pregnancy and made it very clear during my first appt that I didn't want any students involved - they could observe routine check ups but they couldn't touch me and could not be present during labour/delivery. It was no problem at all and I didn't have to provide any explanation.

You have to advocate for yourself ❤️

I haven't seen any more students since before, I suspect perhaps because I'm contagious and now they know that for sure they don't want to expose them to me perhaps.

I'm still waiting for the doctor to come and have a talk with me.

My antibiotics have been changed again, two have been taken off and another two added on in their place (Vancomycin clyndomicen) which the midwife says she thinks I'll be on through an IV until the 6th.

She can't quite remember what was said so is going to try and find the doctor so he can come and talk me through it.

The thought of another 4 days minimum in here is driving me mad. Not much chance of seeing my son whilst being treated for this I wouldn't have thought. I was told no yesterday

You can definitely say you do not want students present.

You poor thing, it sounds horrific. I had a strep A infection that started as a sore throat but then affected my kidneys. I felt totally shit and I hadn't had just had a baby!

You're in the best place OP, even though it won't feel like it. At least they can monitor you properly and adjust your meds promptly. It sounds as though they've stopped using you as a teaching resource, so hopefully you'll be able to get some proper rest and start to feel better soon.

Did it travel to your kidneys through your blood by any chance @LakieLady sorry to hear you had a form of it too, it really can be a nasty bug and yet whenever I've heard of it before I've always thought nothing more than strep throat etc

hmm I think mine might have been Strep too...

I think its when normally okay bugs get where they really shouldn't be. Lots on your skin...totally fine...sore throat...slightly annoying but fine. gumming up the valve of your heart with their little bug empire...not fine!

Anyway I'm really glad you seem to be moving forward!

Did your baby turn out to be infected in the end?

Ah sweetheart, sending you a huge big virtual hug. Sounds like things are improving for you albeit slowly. Wishing you and your LO a speedy recovery. Take care of yourself xxx

Hope you’re on the mend soon

Still not received the results from DDs culture but was told we'd have them by tonight.

Saw a doctor today who said my second culture (after antibiotics began) is now showing as negative, no sign of the strep-a in this culture. God knows how that can be the case, but that's what I'm being told. Looks like the antiBs blasted it quickly, or have worked so efficiently that it's now so little left it's undetectable.

Despite that I have to stay in hospital on the IV antibiotics until at least the 6th. Preventative measure I guess, to stop it coming back? The current plan is to watch and wait.

I'm still feeling absolutely terrible, attempted a walk downstairs last night and had to be brought back up in a wheel chair by a lovely doc after having a funny turn in the hallway

I asked how can I be feeling this bad if the infection is going/gone and am told they think that's because of my anemia and haemoglobin levels being so low. I'm on daily iron tablets so I hope they take effect soon. It's weird how I felt more able to walk around a couple of days ago, than I do now.

Any experience of postpartum anemia?

Hopefully were moving in the right direction now...

I had anaemia after the birth of my first child just below the level for a transfusion. I remember going for a pint of milk and needing to sit down about 3seconds after I set off the tiredness and exhaustion was unreal. It did resolve reasonably quickly with iron tablets.
You’ve been through so much, be kind to yourself and know that lots of us are thinking of you & wishing you well

I had a transfusion a few days ago and oddly enough felt better during that than I do now! Isn't it a bizarre and debilitating thing to have @MrsFrTedCrilly

I used to think it was just one of them things, how naive was I.

Thank you for the kind words I appreciate them.

@Februaryblooms I think we can all be terrifically blasé when it’s just a word and not something we’ve experienced! Don’t be so hard on yourself.
I was a gibbering wreck after DS was born and I hadn’t had a quarter of what you’ve experienced, you are obviously stronger than you give yourself credit for.
Hoping that very soon everything that’s happened will be a distant memory and you’ll be enjoying snuggles with your beautiful children and in total Mumsnet fashion xx

I was in a similar situation to you 6 months ago and it was actually a student midwife who noticed me deteriorating. Sometimes those with the most recent training are the most alert/ most keen to see potential issues