A clinical psychiatrist who was dismissed by her GP when she raised concerns about pregnancy swelling later required an emergency caesarean section as her organs began to fail. Frankie Harrison, a clinical psychiatrist, noticed swelling during her pregnancy and sought medical advice.
After securing an appointment, the GP advised her to 'stand in a different way' to alleviate the swelling. Many pregnant women dismiss swelling as 'normal retention', but it can signal a more serious condition.
Frankie said: 'I kind of pushed and then I went to my midwife. She took my blood pressure and my blood pressure was really very high. So I went to the hospital, [they did] a series of tests, but I guess I didn't really know why they were doing the tests.'
She was diagnosed with preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy-related condition caused by high blood pressure, typically occurring after 20 weeks of gestation or postpartum. It often involves signs of organ damage, commonly to the kidneys or liver, and can lead to severe, life-threatening complications for both mother and baby if left untreated.
Frankie added: 'I didn't know a huge amount about preeclampsia. I had protein in my urine and had these really intense headaches, which meant that my brain was swelling. I had a really intense feeling in my stomach. It meant that just organs started to kind of fail basically. But they try and keep you in for as long as possible because they want to keep the baby in for as long as possible. So they kind of keep a really close eye on you to just kind of make that final call of like, when is it now not safe for you and we need to get the baby out.'
Frankie shared her experience on the CBeebies Parenting Helpline Podcast with hosts Holly Hagan-Blyth and Charlie Hedges. She later gave birth to her son via emergency c-section at just 31 weeks pregnant, and he was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Following her own experience as a mother of a baby in the NICU, she changed her specialty to support other parents after traumatic or NICU births.
She said: 'I think I just dissociated, like, I think I just kind of blanked. Yeah. It was too much information to take in. I think I just went completely numb. I think for so many people, it isn't until you get home that it hits you, because you are in the hospital, and you are trying to look after this medically vulnerable baby, and you still have your own stuff going on. There's this rollercoaster of what's going on for your baby and how well they are. So then it isn't until you get home. Maybe you are like a couple of months into that and even like years for some people down the line and you go, what was that? What have I just been through? Like 80% of parents say that they struggle with their mental health after going through NICU. So it's a lot. And I think that the thing is, is that the support just really isn't there.'
Frankie explained that she asked a doctor for help with her mental health after giving birth, and was told: 'You're a clinical psychologist. You don't need the support.'
Frankie is now co-founder of Miracle Moon, a charity that supports as many NICU families as possible by creating a strong community where parents can find comfort, support, and the psychological tools they need to heal and grow. They also offer group therapy sessions and personalised consultations for both parents and professionals.
