Jenna Allcock, 32, was 35 weeks pregnant when severe stomach pain, vomiting and rapid deterioration led doctors to discover she had sepsis caused by appendicitis, putting both her and her unborn daughter at risk.
She underwent an emergency caesarean at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Paisley to deliver baby Mollie before surgeons removed her infected appendix. Now recovered, she is sharing her story to warn others about the signs of sepsis and urge people to trust their instincts.
Baby shower to life-threatening emergency
Jenna had her baby shower on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The next day she felt exhausted and began experiencing severe stomach pain that moved to her right side. She phoned triage and was asked to come in around 11pm.
Her heart rate and blood pressure were high, and her stomach was tender, so she was kept for monitoring. By lunchtime the next day, she began shaking, convulsing and vomiting green bile. Her heart rate reached 160, and her baby had not moved for hours.
Doctors ran tests and told her all symptoms pointed to sepsis, likely from her appendix. A CT scan confirmed the infection originated in her appendix, which was close to rupturing. Antibiotics alone would not be enough.
Emergency surgery under general anaesthetic
Doctors explained she would need surgery to remove her appendix and flush the infection, but because of the appendix's position during pregnancy, Mollie would need to be delivered first via caesarean, followed immediately by appendix removal, all under general anaesthetic.
Mollie was born at 9:47pm on September 22, but Jenna did not meet her until 11am the next morning. Her oxygen levels needed to stabilise, and Mollie was taken to NICU as the sepsis had affected her slightly.
Jenna said: 'I had spent months imagining the moment I would finally meet my baby girl, holding her for the first time, seeing her little face, counting her fingers and toes. Instead, I woke up from surgery without her there.'
Recovery and message to others
When Jenna finally met Mollie, she felt a mixture of relief, love and sadness. She missed some early moments she had dreamed about, and establishing feeding took longer because she was so unwell.
She praised the team at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital: 'They truly saved our lives. I will never be able to thank them enough.'
Jenna was told that if treatment had been delayed any longer, it could have been fatal for both her and Mollie. She urges others: 'Always listen to your body and trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, seek help and don't ever worry about wasting anyone's time.'
