A MUM who thought she was hungover after a night out downing vodka was stunned to discover she was pregnant – and in labour.
Carla Macpherson, 22, from Swansea, South Wales, who has endometriosis believed she would never be able to have kids.
Despite having the contraceptive injection regularly, after a night out clubbing and drinking, she developed excruciating stomach pain – which she thought might be appendicitis.
Just a few hours later, Carla gave birth to a baby boy, Oscar, now two.
Carla, a customer development manager, says: “Since I was 15, I believed I couldn’t have kids.
“Luckily my boyfriend, Jaiden had never wanted kids anyway.
“So, like most 20-year-olds, we spent our weekends partying.
“I never expected I would go on a night out and end up with a baby. I am just so thankful he was born healthy.”
In February 2018, Carla met Jaiden Mathias, 24, an electrician and they became a couple, regularly enjoying a boozy night out together.
One weekend in May 2019, they planned to go clubbing with friends.
I thought it was just the alcohol, so Jaiden fetched me painkillers and I tried to sleep it off but I lay in bed for an hour in agony
Carla Macpherson
Carla says: “I slipped into a black bodysuit and skinny jeans.
“That night, my friend bought us all vodka shots, then I drank eight vodkas and orange.
“We danced the night away and had the time of our lives.”
But, after arriving at Jaiden’s parents’ house at 6am, Carla developed stomach pains.
She says: “My face started burning up and within minutes my entire body was soaked in sweat.
“I thought it was just the alcohol, so Jaiden fetched me painkillers and I tried to sleep it off but I lay in bed for an hour in agony.”
Eventually, in excruciating pain, Carla crawled out of bed in tears, convinced that something much worse was happening.
How alcohol can impact pregnancies
Sun Doctor Carol Cooper says:
Heavy drinking during pregnancy can be harmful to an unborn child.
Alcohol in pregnancy is also linked with the risk of miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth, restricted growth in the womb, and an increased risk of illnesses in infancy and childhood.
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) is the most well-known condition.
It can cause heart defects, facial abnormalities and poor growth as well as severe developmental problems.
While Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is milder, it can still mean learning and behaviour difficulties or physical problems.
Of course, that doesn’t mean that every baby will be affected.
She added: The contraceptive injection is a good option for many women who find it difficult to remember a daily pill. It contains the hormone progestogen. This works by preventing ovulation, and also by thickening the mucus in the cervix, forming an obstacle for sperm.
One of its many advantages is that it still works if you ever have to take antibiotics.
But the injection is not failsafe. Overall, it’s more than 99% effective, leaving a small chance of falling pregnant. It’s impossible to predict which women that could happen to. In theory, endometriosis often causes trouble conceiving, but that doesn’t mean pregnancy is off the cards.
It’s also worth remembering that the contraceptive injection has an expiry date. There are several brands, and they last for either 8 or 13 weeks, at which point another injection is needed.
The more a mum-to-be drinks, the greater the risk of serious problems.
The snag is where to draw the line.
Many women enjoy an occasional glass when they are expecting and, by and large, their babies don’t come to any harm.
Science can’t say for sure how much is safe.
So, in the absence of a proven safe limit, experts come down on the side of caution and advise women to avoid alcohol entirely during pregnancy.
She says: “The pain was so bad, I thought it must have been appendicitis.
“Jaiden suggested I try going to the toilet.
“I was about to tell him it was more serious than that when I felt an overwhelming urge.
“I sat down on the toilet and began to push, I was terrified, I had no idea what was happening.”
Five minutes later, Carla looked down and there was blood covering the toilet bowl.
She says: “I started to feel something heavy between my thighs and then a head appeared.
“I screamed for Jaiden, who then went to fetch his mum, then I braced myself against the wall and continued to push.
“Seconds later, Jaiden burst through the door and quickly held out his hands to catch the baby.”
As Carla waited for an ambulance to arrive she gave birth to a baby boy weighing 8lbs 5oz.
Carla says: “I was hysterical.
“I didn’t believe this could be my baby and felt unable to even hold him.”
Carla was taken to Singleton Hospital, where the baby was given the all clear, despite her months of drinking while pregnant.
She says: “I was so relieved to hear this, as I knew I had been out drinking.
“Moments later, my mum Fiona, 61, arrived at the hospital.
“She gave me a big hug and told me everything would be fine and that she would help me look after him.
“But we were both in a complete state of shock.
“The doctor had told me that the baby was lying with his back against my back which is why I had no bump.
“I couldn’t get my head around the fact I was supposed to be infertile, taking the contraceptive injection and was getting periods, yet I managed to get pregnant.”
Doctors explained that while it was extremely rare but there was a one per cent chance that the contraceptive injection could fail.
They also believed that Carla’s endometriosis, which caused her to have regular periods, explained why she continued to bleed during her pregnancy.
My heart melted as I held his tiny hand. I realised this was really my baby
Carla Macpherson
But despite finally having answers for her surprise baby, Carla couldn’t face holding her baby for the next few hours.
She says: “Just a few hours ago I had been a normal 20-year-old clubbing with friends.
“Now I was a mother with a newborn baby. It was surreal.”
Eventually, the midwife convinced Carla to hold her child.
She says: “My heart melted as I held his tiny hand. I realised this was really my baby.
“And Jaiden promised we would get through it together.”
The following day, Carla, Jaiden and the baby moved in with her parents but in the months that followed the new mum found herself struggling to adjust.
She says: “I was constantly crying.
“I didn’t want to leave the house or let anyone hold Oscar.”
In time, Carla was diagnosed with postnatal depression and PTSD.
Carla says: “After months of therapy and medication, I started to feel like myself again.
“Oscar is now two and thriving.
“I couldn’t be happier being a mum and can’t wait to tell Oscar the story of how he came into the world.”
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