I found out I was pregnant at 4 weeks, we were so excited to be having our second baby a brother or sister for our little boy – Isabella’s story. My whole pregnancy I thought something was wrong. Maybe I was just paranoid because just months before, at 8 weeks I had a miscarriage which left me so heartbroken. I didn’t want to lose another baby. At 10 weeks I started bleeding. I was so scared, I didn’t think this baby was going to make it either. Daddy rushed home from work 2 hours away and took me to the hospital.

I had an ultrasound and that was the first time I saw my baby. Beautiful little blob bouncing around in my tummy, happy as can be. I want on bed rest for the next couple of weeks, at 11 weeks I had another scan, there she was again so cute. Everything was pretty uneventful until 13 weeks when my blood results came back, the doctor thought I had developed Rh Antibodies from my previous pregnancy. I was so scared but then at 16 weeks it was confirmed that this was a mistake. We were so relieved.

Everything was great and at 20 weeks we found out ‘ITS A GIRL!!!’

Oh my god it was just amazing – the news we were hoping for, now we had one of each! Then at 24 weeks my blood pressure started creeping up. Not a good sign as I had high blood pressure with my son and was induced on my due date after a week in hospital. 24 weeks was too early for this to be happening. But luckily even though for the rest of my pregnancy it stayed a bit high it never got too bad. Until the end, at around 37 weeks it got right up there. So at 39 weeks the doctors finally decided to do something about it. The midwife gave me an internal as I had been cramping for a few days and I was only 1 cm dilated, so I was sent home with my induction date, a few days later on Monday the 8th of March. When I got home I went to the toilet and noticed I had a lot of dark red blood down there. Called the hospital who said it was normal after an internal.

On Sunday the 7th of March my partner and I dropped my little boy off at his grandparents and drove to the hospital. I was admitted to the delivery suite and was to have the balloon catheter inserted in my cervix in preparation for the next day. While the doctor was attempting to insert the catheter she broke my water by accident. Not good as my daughters head was still floating high. This put us at risk of cord prolapse. We were told we would have to stay in the delivery suite overnight. After an uneventful night I was taken to another room to be put on the Syntocinon drip.

My midwives were so lovely.

After a while of sitting there getting small irregular contractions, my middy suggested that I try the fit ball. I gave it a go. Wasn’t really watching the monitor at all, just chatting to my partner and watching TV. Contractions got a bit stronger but not painful. The midwife came in to check on me and as soon as she saw bubbas heart monitor she told me to quickly get off the ball and lie on the bed, Bubbas heart rate was dropping with each small contraction and the midwife thought bubba was in distress maybe from compression of the cord from no amniotic fluid or even cord prolapse. I was given an internal but nothing was found.

An obstetrician came and saw me and he said that I should lie down for a while off the syntocinon and give bubs a rest. I was given a shot to stop contractions. Things were looking up and they were almost about to start the syntocinon again. I started having contractions on my own. Each time bubbas heart rate would drop lower and lower. The decision was made then and there to do an emergency caesarean. I was rushed into the anaesthetic room and was waiting for a spinal when my precious baby’s heart nearly stopped. They pushed me into a different room again and put me under general anaesthetic straight away. I was so scared because they barely had time to explain anything to me. All I remember is them putting the mask on me and my eyes getting heavy.

At 11:10 am on the 08/03/2010 Isabella Grace was born.

The beautiful little thing was only 6lb 9oz and 50.5cm long. She was so tiny. It took me a while to come around and to begin with I didn’t know what had happened. Then I remembered that I had just had my baby and started asking about her. They told me she was fine and she was chillin with her daddy. Finally at around 2pm I got to meet my princess. She was everything I imagined her to be and more. Just like her big brother. I cried when I gave her that first cuddle I was just so glad to be holding her. My mum and partner’s mum were there as well as my son but I started getting really sick throwing up so they were sent home.

A little while later the doctors who delivered Isabella came to visit me.

They had some interesting and scary news. I turns out my baby girl is a miracle. The doctors told me that somebody of a higher power was definitely looking out for Isabella and that I was holding a miracle in my arms. She was extremely lucky to be alive. She had this rare condition called Vasa Previa and Velamentous Cord Insertion – a rare condition that affects about 1:3000 pregnancies.

It is only diagnosed through coloured Doppler ultrasound and if left undiagnosed until labour like Isabella’s case it has a fetal mortality rate of 99%. If she had of been born naturally of if I had of dilated any more her unprotected blood vessels would of torn and she would of bled to death before we know it was even coming from her. That is because her cord wasn’t inserted into her placenta correctly and her blood vessels ran through her amniotic sack and weren’t protected by her cord. I actually found out that when Isabella was getting delivered the senior Obstetrician came in a business suit and delivered the placenta and said to get a camera. They had never seen this before and were taking photos.

After finding out what could have happened, it has changed my life forever. I feel sick thinking about how badly it could of turned out and that if it weren’t for the quick thinking of those wonderful doctors and midwives present that day I wouldn’t have got to see alive. I am so thankful to them.

Page revised on 22nd December 2021