A mum-of-two and playgroup leader from County Durham fears that a mistake in her care might have contributed to her having stillbirth, leaving her devastated at the loss of her undetected baby. 

Amy Rennie, 39-year-old, was referred to the University Hospital of North Durham for an umbilical hernia last December, and within hours, doctors rushed her into emergency surgery - without first doing a pregnancy test. 

Neither medical staff, nor Amy herself, knew that she was pregnant, and without the test, the pregnancy went unnoticed until Amy went into labour five months later in April of this year. 

The hospital said that an investigation is underway at the hospital after Amy made an official complaint about aspects of her care, as she believes that being put under general anaesthetic might have contributed to her having a stillbirth. 

Amy, from Esh Winning, said: "In spring, after I started to have emergency surgery in winter, I started to feel really unwell. I called my friend for help, and she took one look at me and phoned an ambulance. 

"I don't remember anything else - but when I came round, I was in the hospital again, and was told that I'd had a stillbirth."

Amy's baby, a little girl, was born dead, at 32 weeks. 

(Image: Sarah Caldecott)

"Since then, I've spoken to people who were nearly 60 years old and were asked if they were pregnant before procedures. I don't understand why I wasn't - there was time to do a test before surgery because they ran blood tests on me.

"From everything I have seen, they should have done a pregnancy test when they took me into surgery. I worry that a general anaesthetic injection might have had an impact. 

"It's the sort of thing that you think about over and over, thinking whether this could have been prevented."

Now, months after her baby died, Amy has been left struggling with her mental health following the unexpected loss, whilst having to fight to get counselling from the maternity ward at Durham's hospital. 

Amy said: "I have been asking everyone for support. I know it's not grief in the traditional sense because I didn't know I was pregnant - but I have still gone through a loss. I am still hurting.

"Something needs to be done - I'd hate for something like this to happen to an 18-year-old girl. All women of childbearing age should have a pregnancy test as standard."

Amy, a group leader at Puddle Jumpers playgroup, and mum to Darbi-Ellys, eight, and Jonah, six, said: "I have been holding my friend's babies and just burst into tears and had to hand them back, even when I thought I would be okay."

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She added: "I am begging for help but no one seems to have taken any notice. The aftercare from the hospital has been diabolical - it has been 12 weeks, and I've just been put on a waiting list to see the maternity ward counsellor. The whole system has been rubbish."

A spokesperson for County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are very sorry indeed that Miss Rennie has concerns about aspects of her care, which she has raised through the Trust’s formal complaints procedure. 

"A thorough investigation is being undertaken, the outcome of which will be shared with Miss Rennie who can contact our Patient Experience Team should she wish to discuss her concerns of the investigation into them further:  cdda-tr.patientexperiencecddft@nhs.net or Freephone: 08007835774.”