Emily Siddle, 34, from Elgin, Scotland, developed sepsis after her mastitis treatment was delayed, and later gave birth to a surprise third child. She had sailed through her first pregnancy, giving birth to Elsie in 2020, with postpartum complications limited to two bouts of mastitis, both quickly treated with antibiotics.
Falling pregnant again three years later, Emily gave birth to Bella in October 2023, hoping she would be the middle child of three. “It all went downhill from there,” she says.
Delayed antibiotics and a soaring temperature
Weeks after giving birth, she struggled to feed from one breast, which had become hot and lumpy. Recognising the symptoms of mastitis from her previous experience, she sought medical help. A nurse practitioner at her GP surgery advised her to wait 24 to 48 hours to see whether symptoms worsened before prescribing antibiotics.
Emily followed the advice and waited 24 hours. By the time she started the medication, her temperature had soared to 40C, and she sought emergency help. She was prescribed further medication, but the infection failed to clear. A visiting friend from Liverpool found her collapsed on the sitting-room floor.
“It was a Sunday morning, and I don’t know how I did it. I don’t remember bringing the baby downstairs, but somehow I put her in the Moses basket and I collapsed. He found me and said I needed to get to hospital,” says Emily. She was rushed to Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin and put on drips for mastitis; no one mentioned a breast abscess.
Abscess and sepsis diagnosis
Feverish and delirious, Emily remembers little of that time. Her friend was told that Bella should feed from the infected breast to help clear the infection. On a drip and in severe pain, Emily refused, while her husband, Alex, suggested giving newborn Bella formula instead.
“We weren't ever told what my temperature was. When I tried to feed Bella yellow gunk came out and I was still told to feed after I spoke to nurses,” says Emily. “I was broken. I was in so much pain. I couldn’t even cuddle my baby. It was throbbing, like being consistently stabbed in the breast.”
Discharged in November 2023 for what she thought was mastitis, it was confirmed two weeks later that she had a breast abscess, drained multiple times. The abscess grew back four times before Emily begged the GP for help in December, leading to surgery in January. Following the procedure, a ‘pocket’ formed beneath the skin.
“The fingers went into my breast and he popped it. The abscess had gone so far back that even the surgeon couldn't quite believe it was so big,” she says. “I was so sore that I was beyond pain at that point. It was genuinely bigger than a Granny Smith apple.”
It was during this time at Aberdeen Breast Clinic that she discovered from her medical notes that she had suffered sepsis. “They told me, ‘Aren’t you lucky to be here?’ and I thought that was because we’d travelled a long distance to get there. I had no idea that I’d had sepsis. They told me, ‘You’re so lucky to be alive.’ I believe it could all have been avoided had I been able to take antibiotics the minute I fell ill.”
Surprise pregnancy and the birth of James
Karen Bell, unit operational manager at Dr Gray's Hospital, said: “We are sorry to hear about Ms Siddle's experience. Speaking generally, we encourage anyone with any concerns about their care or treatment to raise them with our Feedback service as soon as possible. We will then investigate, make changes if necessary, and respond in full to the complainant.”
As Emily recovered, she and Alex began to accept that they might have to give up hopes of a third child. She had endured 16 rounds of antibiotics, was two stone heavier than usual, and in a lot of pain. Struggling with agonising stomach pain due to endometriosis, a scan in June 2024 revealed severe cysts. Her gynaecologist suggested a partial hysterectomy. After seeing an advert online, she began taking a natural hormone balancer supplement called Golden Pill from Elle-Sera.
“After a year of taking it, I felt great. My weight had dropped and I no longer suffered from the swelling.” Doctors had told her she would be unlikely to conceive again, so she and Alex gave up hope of a third child and focused on her health. But as she waited for an appointment ahead of planned surgery and braced herself for the possibility of early menopause, she suddenly fell ill while working at a wedding.
“I was filming at a wedding and I felt so unwell. At first, I thought it might be nerves because it was an important project, but, the following day on our own wedding anniversary, I took a test,” says Emily. “It didn’t even take the full three minutes to show up that I was two weeks pregnant. To this day, I still don’t know how it happened. The only thing that had changed in my routine was taking the Golden Pill, and I’m still taking it now.”
Baby James was born earlier this year, named after Emily’s brother. His arrival meant the couple unexpectedly had the third child they had dreamed of. Though exhausted, Emily and Alex say they are over the moon that he arrived safe and sound.
“We made peace with having just two children. But after James was born, I couldn’t imagine life as a family of four. He just completed the family. The girls are completely besotted,” says Emily. “He is named James Alexander – James after my brother, one of the most amazing men you’ll ever meet, and Alexander after my husband, who is one of the strongest people you’ll ever meet, and my grandad - gaga - the best father figure I could have ever had.”
