A young mum feared she would die after an ‘abnormal bruise’ on her stomach was the first sign something was seriously wrong. Shannon Brennan, 20, from Rhyl, went into Ysbyty Glan Clwyd on May 21 to be induced.
She was being induced a few days before her due date because of a liver condition called cholestasis – where the risks to the baby increase after 38 weeks of pregnancy.
She spent three days in labour before a decision was made for an emergency caesarean to be carried out as medical staff did not feel she was progressing quickly enough. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
A Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board spokesperson urged any patient to “discuss any concerns they have with their midwife or doctor”.
Baby Mabel was born on May 24. Shannon lost a lot of blood during the operation and had to have two blood transfusions.
She was discharged from hospital two days later but the family were warning about the level of pain she was experiencing.
In the days after this she said she was suffering from “excruciating pain” – but says she was told this was normal after a major operation like a C-section.
Shannon said: “I was in such pain and we noticed a small bruise on my stomach. It was faint at first but over the days it kept getting bigger and darker, I was petrified.
Shannon Brennan developed a large bruise above her C-section scar
“I raised this but the response I had was that it was normal to get bruising and normal to be in a lot of pain after a C-section.
“My instinct though was telling me that something wasn’t right.”
On May 31 she went for a check up. She said a midwife pressed on the bruise and it was rock solid so she was sent for immediate further tests, admitted back into hospital and placed on an anti-biotic drip.
There was a blood test and later a CT scan. She said this found two large hematomas and that she had had sepsis.
This saw her go for surgery on June 2 to treat her infection and she was opened up once again. She was later told the intensive care unit were on standby and that her small intestine had been pushing through her muscles. She said the surgeon said that her abdominal muscle was so damaged that every time he tried to tighten the stitch to stitch her up “my muscle just frayed away”.
Shannon Brennan at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd
She was bed bound in hospital for days after the second operation.
She said: “I thought I was going to die, I felt traumatised. I hardly remember anything from the first two weeks of my daughter’s life.”
Shannon was discharged on June 12 – nearly two weeks after going back into hospital.
The 20-year-old who lives with her mum Terri said: “I want to speak out because I want people to trust their gut when they think something is wrong. I honestly think I would have lost my life if I hadn’t kept pushing and kept saying that I thought something was wrong. If you feel something is wrong please get it checked.”
She added: “Thankfully Mabel is perfectly fine but I have missed out on those first three weeks with my daughter and even after coming home I could not hold her, feed her, or change her, because of the surgeries.”
The family say they are planning to raise their concerns with the health board.
Chris Lynes, Deputy Executive Director of Nursing, said: “We would always want the women in our care to feel encouraged to discuss any concerns they have with their midwife or doctor, as this open communication plays an important role in the delivery of safe, effective and person-centred care.
“We will contact Ms Brennan directly to discuss her specific concerns, as it is not appropriate for the health board to address them via a media response.”