Pregnant Woman Was Told Baby Died in the Womb – Next Day Her Intuition Makes Her Return to Hospital
A pregnant woman was rushed to the hospital when her waters broke early at five months. Upon running a scan, the doctors revealed that her baby had passed away, but her gut feeling made the mother think otherwise. It wasn’t until the next day that the doctors realized they were wrong.
Hannah Cole was due to give birth to her second baby in February 2023 but was rushed to the hospital on October 9 when she felt her waters break. The doctors at Bradford Royal Infirmary in Bradford, England, UK, ran tests on the mom-to-be before revealing that her baby had died
Feeling devastated after hearing the doctor’s words, Hannah returned home. The next day, she arrived at the hospital because the doctors said they would induce labor to remove her dead unborn baby, but she felt that was not the right thing to do.
The mother believed her baby was still alive and requested the doctors to scan for a heartbeat again. Accepting the mother’s wish, the doctors ran a second scan only to learn that they had made a misdiagnosis. Hannah’s gut feeling was right. Her baby was alive.
“It’s been absolutely crazy. I don’t know how they got it wrong,” the young mother said later in an interview. She revealed she could feel her little one move inside her womb after the doctors told her they found no heartbeat.
Things Could Have Taken a Different Turn
Learning that her baby was alive after the doctors told her he had died was an unpleasant experience for the young mother. She never thought the hospital could misdiagnose her unborn baby.
In December, the Trust issued another apology while explaining what caused the incorrect diagnosis.
Had Hannah not followed her intuition, things would have turned out completely different. She confessed to feeling nervous about delivering her baby at the same hospital but couldn’t afford to go to another one because of her critical condition.
She Finally Welcomed Her Baby
After experiencing a rollercoaster pregnancy, Hannah gave birth to her baby boy, Oakley Cole-Fowler, on October 30. Since the little one was born prematurely, he had to stay at the hospital for months before Hannah could take him home.
The doctors monitored his condition, while Hannah felt relieved that her baby was alive. “He is my Christmas miracle,” she said while expressing gratitude for having him.
Eight days after his birth, little Oakley underwent surgery to treat his inflamed intestine tissues. He was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis, which mainly affects premature babies. The doctors planned to keep him at the hospital until February 9―the date he was supposed to enter this world
Meanwhile, Hannah felt a bit upset about being unable to take her baby home, but she felt happy about his presence in her life. After all, she gave birth to her baby boy post the doctor’s scary claims about his death.
About two months after his birth, Oakley could breathe without needing a ventilator. His health improved with time, and he didn’t look too tiny after gaining some weight. Hannah, who couldn’t wait to take her son home, revealed:
“He’s now eight weeks old. He’s a really settled baby (but) he loved pulling his tubes through. He can be very cheeky.”
Learning that her baby was alive after the doctors said they couldn’t find a heartbeat was a stressful experience for Hannah. When the incorrect diagnosis was made in October, Sarah Hollins, director of midwifery at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, wrote an apology to Hannah for the “distress and anxiety caused.”
In December, the Trust issued another apology while explaining what caused the incorrect diagnosis. It said:
“I cannot imagine the upset and devastation hearing this news, especially when you would later be informed this diagnosis was incorrect.”
The Trust explained that a defect in Oakley’s heart didn’t allow the machines to sense his heartbeat. They were sure it would have been detected if the scan had been prolonged.
The hospital aimed to improve its services after Hannah complained about her unpleasant experience. We hope and pray no mother experiences what Hannah went through during her prenatal scans.
