Mother reveals how catching Covid-19 while she was expecting her daughter 'destroyed her pregnancy' - after she gave birth to baby who weighed just 1.9lbs and suffered a brain haemorrhage

  • Stacey Jones, from Plymouth, has revealed 'traumatic' Covid-19 experience
  • Was unvaccinated and in the early stages of pregnancy when she caught disease
  • She was rushed into theatre on July 29, 2021 and gave birth to daughter Sienna
  • The baby weighed just 1.9lbs and was given 60 per cent chance of survival 
  • She said the infection 'broke her family in half' and 'destroyed her pregnancy'  

By Harriet Johnston For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

A mother has revealed how catching Covid-19 while she was expecting a baby 'destroyed her pregnancy' and 'broke her family in half'.

Stacey Jones, from Plymouth, who had not been vaccinated when she caught Covid last year, was concerned with the lack of movement from their unborn baby after the infection. 

She was rushed into theatre on July 29, 2021, when her baby Sienna Rita Elizabeth Dennett was born weighing just 1.9lbs.

The baby was delivered via an emergency C-section, three months prior to her expected due date. She was given a 60 per cent chance of survival. 

Sienna spent 79 days in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, suffered a grade four brain haemorrhage and now has cerebral palsy and learning difficulties.

She and her fiancé Greg Dennett have now revealed how they have been left devastated by the infection, with the mother-of-two saying: 'What I have learned with Covid it's not just a virus, it absolutely breaks people's lives to pieces- it shattered us.'

Stacey Jones, from Plymouth, has revealed how catching Covid-19 while she was expecting a baby 'broke her family in half' and 'destroyed her pregnancy.

Stacey Jones, from Plymouth, has revealed how catching Covid-19 while she was expecting a baby 'broke her family in half' and 'destroyed her pregnancy.

Stacey said: 'All my life I've always wanted a little girl, like, she's the first born girl in my family. 

'My partner's dad has seven grandsons and my mum and dad have four grandsons so she was wanted so much. 

'I really wanted to enjoy this pregnancy, it is my last one and when I found out it was a girl I was inconsolable with happiness.'

Both Greg and Stacey contracted Covid-19 at the same time and due to the rules in hospital at that time regarding Covid, Stacey only met her daughter for the first time three days after giving birth.

Stacey was  nearly 26 weeks pregnant when she was rushed into hospital for an emergency C-section and she didn't breath for four minutes

Stacey was  nearly 26 weeks pregnant when she was rushed into hospital for an emergency C-section and she didn't breath for four minutes

She said: 'I went in for a scan at Derriford Hospital at 9am and she was born at 3pm the same day. 

'I was nearly 26 weeks pregnant and within half an hour I was rushed into an emergency C-section and she didn't breath for four minutes - they had to work on her for a bit.

'I didn't prepare for that kind of journey and when they told me I had to give birth. I thought no baby could make it that early and never knew the NICU world existed.'

As a family, which included three-year-old Stanley, they spent 79 days in total in Derriford Hospital's incredible Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. 

As a family, which included three-year-old Stanley, they spent 79 days in total in Derriford Hospital's incredible Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

As a family, which included three-year-old Stanley, they spent 79 days in total in Derriford Hospital's incredible Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

They are now fundraising to raise money for an internal charity known as 'Keep Me Close' as a way of giving back. 

They also discovered Sienna suffered trauma white she was in the womb and had a grade four bleed to the brain and doctors advised the parents due to the damage, she will unfortunately face motoring issues on the left-hand side of her body.

What is cerebral palsy? 

Cerebral palsy is the name for a group of lifelong conditions that affect movement and co-ordination. It's caused by a problem with the brain that develops before, during or soon after birth. 

The symptoms of cerebral palsy are not usually obvious just after a baby is born. They normally become noticeable during the first 2 or 3 years of a child's life.

Symptoms can include:

  • delays in reaching development milestones – for example, not sitting by 8 months or not walking by 18 months
  • seeming too stiff or too floppy
  • weak arms or legs
  • fidgety, jerky or clumsy movements
  • random, uncontrolled movements
  • walking on tiptoes
  • a range of other problems – such as swallowing difficulties, speaking problems, vision problems and learning disabilities

 There's currently no cure for cerebral palsy, but treatments are available to help people with the condition be as active and independent as possible.

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'We sat down and were told she had a grade four brain haemorrhage, a substantial bleed by her ventricle so her brain was filling fluid daily and she wasn't able to flush it through,' she said. 

'They said her outcome will be cerebral palsy and learning difficulties - so we need to just take every day as it comes.

'Sienna had her first brain surgery at just two weeks old. 

'We had to go up to Bristol and me and Greg have never been away from our son ever, that was difficult because his world was flipped upside down but also leaving your baby in intensive care is such an unnatural thing- it's awful.'

Stacey said before Sienna could have a second surgery for a VP Shunt, she needed to be 2.5 kilos and every day they had to use an Ommaya reservoir, which meant they had to insert a needle into her head to drain fluid. 

Stacey said it took her a while to be able to watch that procedure. When she was in NICU Stacey said she was nicknamed Sienna's Boss because of how feisty she was.

Sienna is now eight months old and Stacey said she is hitting her milestones as she's laughing, smiling, chatty and interactive but they have noticed the Cerebral palsy starting to kick in as her left arm is starting to become stiff. 

However this doesn't stop Stacey from trying to give her a 'normal life' and often takes her to physio, swimming and sensory classes.

Talking about the charity, Keep Me Close, Stacey said: 'Without them, I don't know how we would have coped with it all.

'They give you snuggles in the incubators, they give you a diary, they give you charity support, counselling support, Keep Me Close accommodation for families and they also give £5 vouchers to use every day.'

Father and estate agent, Greg has set up a Go Fund Me page with a target of £3,000 to raise for Keep Me Close after all of the free support they gave them throughout their families tough experience. 

When her daughter was in NICU, Stacey said she was nicknamed Sienna's Boss because of how feisty she was

When her daughter was in NICU, Stacey said she was nicknamed Sienna's Boss because of how feisty she was

Greg, who described himself as a 'normal guy' and 'not athletic' will be hiking the three highest peaks in the UK in just 24 hours.

He said that he is 'forever grateful' to Keep Me Close' and believes it helped create a sense of direction for their daughter and build a good foundation for her future. 

He will be taking on the challenge on June 9 2022. Greg also created a short video opening up about his experience and their gratitude to the charity.

Stacey said she is so proud of her fiancé Greg and as the man of the family she thinks he doesn't realise how much he held the family together by supporting Stacey and the children, returning to work after five weeks and keeping a roof over their heads.

Stacey is now urging other pregnant women to make sure they are vaccinated to prevent 'daunting' outcomes like her families

Stacey is now urging other pregnant women to make sure they are vaccinated to prevent 'daunting' outcomes like her families 

She also feels very proud of him for speaking out about mental health- especially men's.

Talking with Stacey about how Covid affected her pregnancy she told PlymouthLive: 'It's not just a cold or a flu, it broke my family in half and it destroyed my pregnancy.

'It's such a serious thing that it has to be taken way more seriously. As soon as we were discharged from hospital I went and got my jabs. 

'I can't stress enough that people need to get their vaccines because if I had mine, maybe the outcome wouldn't have been so daunting.

'Doctors told me Covid gave my placenta a virus, therefore Sienna wasn't getting everything she needed from it. 

Meanwhile the mother-of-two said she is determined for Covid infections to be taken 'more seriously' for pregnant women

Meanwhile the mother-of-two said she is determined for Covid infections to be taken 'more seriously' for pregnant women 

'When my placenta went for testing, they said it was like cured, dried meat- just awful.'

She added: 'I think people Covid is like the flu, but it attacks all the organs in your body. 

'It needs to be taken way more seriously especially when you are pregnant. 

'So many people around me were pregnant at the time and because of what happened to me, they got their jabs, because it frightened the life out of them and they went on to have healthy pregnancies and babies.'

Pregnant women who catch Covid are TWICE as likely to have a premature birth, study reveals 

Pregnant women who catch Covid are twice as likely to give birth prematurely, a study has found. 

US scientists monitored 43,000 expectant mothers over the year to March 2021, including 1,300 who tested positive. 

As well as the increased risk of having a premature birth, Covid-infected mothers were more at risk of sepsis and blood clots. 

Experts speculated that Covid infections may exacerbate underlying conditions like problems with the uterus and cervix, making an early birth more likely. They said children born before their due date may be at a higher risk of suffering from mental and heart problems.  

Researchers said the study should be used to encourage mothers-to-be and women planning to have a child to get vaccinated. 

Almost half of pregnant women in England (48 per cent) were vaccinated when they gave birth in November 2021, the latest date available.

The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, was carried out before vaccines were offered to pregnant women in the UK and US. 

Pregnant women were initially told not to get Covid vaccines when they were first rolled out, as is standard practice with most medicines. 

Original jab trials didn't include them for ethical reasons, so experts had to wait for more data to accrue.

A mountain of studies have since shown them to be safe and effective in the group, prompting campaigns to encourage mothers-to-be to get jabbed.  

Scientists extracted data on patients from healthcare provider Kaiser Permanente. Infections were only included if they were PCR-positive.  

Results showed 143 Covid-positive women (10 per cent) gave birth before the 37-week mark.

For comparison, 3,438 expectant mothers (eight per cent) who did not have Covid gave birth early.

But after analysis taking into account age, deprivation and body weight, scientists said Covid-positive women were at much higher risk of an early birth.  

Senior researcher and lead author Assiamira Ferrara said: 'These findings add to the growing evidence that having Covid during pregnancy raises risks of serious complications.

'Coupled with the evidence that the Covid vaccines are safe during pregnancy, these findings should aid patients in understanding the risks of perinatal complications and the need for vaccination.'

She added: 'This study supports the recommendation for vaccination of pregnant individuals and those planning conception.'

Previous research has also suggested pregnant women face an increased risk of complications if they catch Covid.

Edinburgh University scientists also found in a paper published in January that expectant mothers who caught Covid within 28 days of their due date were twice as likely to give birth prematurely.

And they were up to four times more likely to have a stillbirth.

In the paper, experts did not speculate on why mothers-to-be who catch Covid late in pregnancy are most at risk — but the internal stress of carrying a baby can weaken the immune system. 

 

 

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