Sophie Ellis Bextor on pre-eclampsia
Friday 17 April 2009
Sophie Ellis-Bextor was overjoyed when she fell pregnant with her second child, but her health was sent into turmoil after her pre-eclampsia resurfaced.
The Murder On The Dancefloor singer suffered from the condition with her first child, Sonny, and was hoping that the condition wouldn’t appear again during her second pregnancy.
She wrote a heartfelt piece about her battle with the condition on her blog, stating: “I wouldn’t say it was easy having a premature baby – it’s a traumatic experience”
Sophie had been having regular scans to prevent the condition from resurfacing in her second pregnancy, but noticed some changes in the final few months of her pregnancy.
Given that Kit was due in April, Sophie was shocked to find that complications had arisen almost three months before her due date.
She said: “I was supposed to travel to Moscow to play a gig and my consultant was due to give me a letter permitting me to fly as I was over 28 weeks pregnant, after which most airlines won’t take you without a doctor’s note.
“But when I went to see her to collect the letter on February 2nd, she was concerned as I was displaying some classic signs of pre-eclampsia; mainly very high blood pressure and swollen ankles - very glamorous!”
She was eventually admitted to hospital on February 5th, and Kit was born via an emergency Caesarean section on the 7th.
Life wasn’t easy immediately after the birth, though. "Kit spent the first week in an incubator, which was hard for me and Richard as we weren’t able to cuddle and hold him."
Kit spent five weeks in the hospital before he was allowed home, but is now healthy and happy.
“Kit looks so like Sonny when he was a baby it’s uncanny! Like Sonny, Kit looks nothing like me and both boys take after their Daddy,” said Sophie, who is now enjoying motherhood to the full.
Pre-eclampsia, a form of high blood pressure in pregnant women, causes symptoms such as sharp pain in the chest (which can commonly be confused with heartburn), swollen ankles and high blood pressure.
If you have any doubts about any symptoms you might be feeling during pregnancy, contact your GP or midwife – don’t use the Internet to diagnose yourself!
Sophie has been writing her blog alongside her new campaign with Shloer. View the blog in its entirety at www.sparklingpregnancy.com.