Life threatening illness in blood stream and sepsis after giving birth. Could this be the hospitals fault?

[Februaryblooms]

Induced by pessary on Saturday night due to reduced movements, DD born Sunday morning. Vaginal delivery resulting in second degree perennial tear and stitches.

Multiple vaginal examinations since.

We were both fine until 24 hours later when I became extremely unwell on the ward, sepsis was suspected and I was placed on antibiotics and fluids before being moved from maternity to a HDU room on labour ward where sepsis was confirmed.

A blood culture was taken to find the type of bug that caused the sepsis and results returned today showing me as having streptococci A which is fatal for mums and babies if it enters the blood stream and can cause death. Basically the worst case scenario, I have it.

I'm in isolation and am being treat as highly infectious, and rightly so. I'm worried about the potential of other mums and babies becoming unwell so am plagued with guilt aswell as worry.

I appear to be responding well to antibiotics according to my OBS so I'm hoping I'm making my way out of the woods, I'm lucid and mobile, eating and drinking and don't 'look' like I'm about to drop anymore, but it's still a case of treat - wait - see.

Before being put into isolation i was speaking to the mum of a young woman who was induced here a day after me. This young woman also ended up having stitches then contracting sepsis and was awaiting the results of a culture to determine which 'bug' had caused it, however her symptoms are exactly the same as mine.

AIBU to suspect for even a second that hygiene factors in the hospital could be to blame for what's happened to us?

If relevant, the hospital is in a deprived area of London and some of the wards have seen better days.

Highly unlikely I'd imagine - unfortunate you are both so unwell but until you ask the medical team further questions there is no one on the internet who will be able to tell you an answer to this!

Strep A also causes throat infections so potentially anyone with a sore throat who coughed on their hand and then touched something that you touched could have passed it on. It could have been a visitor or another patient just as easily as a member of staff. Lots of women who have postpartum strep A sepsis catch it after they go home. It’s not a hospital-specific bug and it’s unlikely to be caused by negligence .

The fact that you have been diagnosed and treated quickly with strong antibiotics and are showing signs of recovery actually suggests that the hospital are doing a good job. The worst case scenario is when a woman gets this infection after childbirth and it is missed and not treated until it’s too late.

I hope you make a speedy recovery and are feeling better soon.