New mum ‘eternally grateful’ to midwife who spotted serious pregnancy condition which can be FATAL

In recognition of her good work, Quarrington midwife Mary McGillivray has been chosen as the Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of the Year 2019 for the Midlands region. The accolade is one of the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards.

Mary was nominated by Ruskington mum Sophie Ransen for helping to spot a serious condition in the final days of her pregnancy last year.

Sophie was suffering with ‘sudden pre-eclampsia’ - which Mary spotted at her last 40-week check-up. It quickly became anemergency situation - with Sophie needing to be taken to hospital immediately. Unfortunately, the so-called’ Beast from the East’ snowstorm was causing disruptions on the roads.

Sophie explained: “I was experiencing a lot of swelling and sickness in the last week of my pregnancy, which I had simply put down to being heavily pregnant. When I realised my situation was serious, I knew I needed to get to hospital. The weather had been getting progressively worse and I feared it was going to cause a problem. Mary phoned for an ambulance and called my partner, Ryan. he also began conversations with the labour ward, explaining the severity of the situation and the need for a bed despite not yet being in labour. Mary was calm and reassuring during the three-hour wait for the ambulance, constantly checking my blood pressure and my baby’s heart-beat. She stayed by my side for the entire time. Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, test results confirmed pre-eclampsia and that Noah was in distress. The team decided that an emergency C-section was the safest way to bring Noah into the world, which they did and for which I am eternally grateful.’

“Mary continued to visit me at home for the next five days to check on my heath, help me with my injections and remove my staples. Mary made a huge impact on my entire pregnancy and was so professional and calm. Despite everything, I had a really positive experience and it would not have been the same if I hadn’t had Mary as my midwife. I cannot thank her enough for what she did.”

On winning the award Mary, who works for United Lincolnshire Hospital NHS Trust adds: “I felt very emotional when I heard about Sophie’s nomination and winning the Emma’s Diary Mums’ Midwife of The Year award for the Midland’s region. I am totally amazed that someone could remember the care I gave with such clarity. It means so much to me to be recognised in this way and to know I had such a positive impact on Sophie’s pregnancy and birth experience. Thank you, Sophie.”

The NHS says that pre-eclampsia rarely happens before the 20th week of pregnancy and that most cases occur towards the end of pregnancy. Although most cases cause no problems and improve soon after the baby is delivered, there’s a risk the mother will develop fits called ‘eclampsia’ - which the NHS says can be ‘life threatening for the mother and baby’.

The symptoms of pre-eclampsia include:

Rapid weight gain caused by a significant increase in bodily fluid.

Abdominal pain.

Severe headaches.

Change in reflexes.

Reduced urine or no urine output.

Dizziness.

Excessive vomiting and nausea.

Increased swelling in feet, ankles, face and hands.

Vision changes.

For more information about pre-eclampsia, visi the NHS’ website.