New mum's covid nightmare: "I couldn't remember having my baby"

After finding out they were expecting, Charlene Jones and Daniel Edwards hoped for a trouble-free pregnancy but after a routine scan, some concerns were raised.

Finally, after many tests, they were given the all clear.

Charlene, 35, said: “For the first 16 weeks of the pregnancy we didn’t know if we were going to have to terminate or if he was going to be compatible with life, dying in childbirth or only living to a certain age.

“Thankfully, everything came back normal. But I was constantly in and out of hospital, with reduced movements of the baby. I was in constant pain.”

But the mum-to-be remained excited, looking forward to bringing baby home to her three other children, Megan, 15, Tomos, 11 and four-year-old Freddie.

After being admitted to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital in November and confirmed to have early onset labour, Charlene was kept in hospital for steroid injections. At this time she tested positive for covid but tested negative a few days later.

It was considered either a false-positive or that she had come to the end of it.

Megan, Tomos and Freddie with new baby brother Harri.

She was again admitted on December 19, with constant pain and back ache. Once attached to a monitor, baby’s heart rate was seen to be “through the roof”.

After having been told she’d have to stay in and be put on a drip, Charlene can’t remember much, until December 23 when she was told she would need an emergency c-section.

“I didn’t remember anything then until waking up in intensive care on January 4, wondering just what the hell had happened,” she recalls, sounding like something from a sci-fi film.

“I couldn’t remember testing positive for covid, and I said to the staff ‘why am I here?’.

“I was told I’d had covid pneumonia and was very lucky to be here.”

Charlene had been put onto a ventilator on December 29, and had received plasma treatment, which thankfully was effective.

Eventually things started to come back to her but initially Charlene couldn’t remember Harri being born. Then his name, his weight or even what she’d had.

Her partner Daniel kept her updated with pictures and videos.

Harri went to stay with Charlene’s sister-in-law, as Daniel, struggled to cope, eventually suffering from covid himself.

Charlene was naturally worried about her bond with baby Harri.

Making up for lost time, Charlene Jones and baby Harri.

Now on the Bromfield Ward of the Wrexham hospital with some of the other new mums, she said: "I kept thinking ‘everyone’s got their baby, I haven’t got mine’.

“I knew why he wasn’t allowed to be there but it was so frustrating. Face timing helped but it just wasn’t the same.”

She finally left hospital on January 13, after having to learn to eat, talk and walk again.

Her rehabilitation had gone well, with Charlene determined to get home to her children.

Within about a week Harri was taken to the doctor over constant diarrhoea. He was sent straight to the children’s ward.

Initially it was suspected to be a lactose intolerance but a covid test came back positive. Fortunately his symptoms were more like those of a common cold.

Despite her ordeal Charlene feels physically fine, occasionally getting breathless or tired if she does too much.

But mentally, she’s been diagnosed as having a form of PTSD, manifesting itself in depression and anxiety.

There is support and she has been referred for counselling but like many services just now, there is a wait for things to return. And as a domestic assistant at the hospital, Charlene can also receive occupational health support.

Despite her ordeal, Charlene wanted to speak out in the hope of reaching those who still don’t take the pandemic seriously.

She said: “I want to share my story. Some people still think covid’s a joke, and they need to know it is real.

“I nearly lost my life to it.”