When Sophie Burch gave birth to her first child, she expected the normal anxieties of new motherhood. What she didn't anticipate was fighting for her life against a silent killer that medical staff initially dismissed as mere anxiety.
The First Warning Signs
Just days after bringing her newborn son, Rowan, home to Chelmsford, Sophie began experiencing terrifying symptoms that went far beyond typical postpartum recovery. "I felt like I was dying," the 33-year-old recalls. "I had overwhelming dizziness, couldn't stand up, and felt completely detached from reality."
Despite her deteriorating condition, medical professionals at her local GP practice attributed her symptoms to new mother anxiety. "They made me feel like I was being dramatic," Sophie reveals. "But as a former maternity care assistant myself, I knew something was seriously wrong."
A Race Against Time
Sophie's instincts proved correct when her condition rapidly worsened. Her husband, Alex, discovered her collapsed and unresponsive at home, sparking a frantic emergency response.
The diagnosis: septicemia, a life-threatening bloodstream infection that claims thousands of lives annually in the UK.
- Racing heart rate of 160 beats per minute
- Dangerously low blood pressure
- Organ failure beginning to set in
- Emergency hospital admission required
The Road to Recovery
Sophie spent five gruelling days in hospital receiving intensive intravenous antibiotics. "The doctors told me I might not have survived another 24 hours," she shares. "Hearing those words while thinking about my newborn son was utterly terrifying."
Now recovered, Sophie is determined to raise awareness about sepsis symptoms in new mothers. "Trust your instincts," she urges. "If you feel something isn't right, keep pushing for answers. That persistence saved my life."
Recognising Sepsis: Key Symptoms
- Slurred speech or confusion
- Extreme shivering or muscle pain
- Passing no urine in a day
- Severe breathlessness
- Mottled or discoloured skin
- Feeling like you might die
Sophie's story serves as a crucial reminder to both new parents and healthcare professionals: postpartum symptoms should never be automatically dismissed as anxiety without proper investigation.
