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SOLOMON ABBEY — USA
Stillborn March 8, 2000 Prenatal-onset Mother's GBS Status: Not tested Gestational Age: 20 weeks Age harmed: 19 1/2 to 20 weeks gestation |
Solomon, my first child, was born still on March 8, 2000 at 3:27pm. He was perfectly formed but only 5 months along. Technically, he was 19 weeks 6 days, not the full 20 weeks that is used as a guideline to sometimes determine viability.
My water had broken at 19 weeks 3 days. I had no symptoms of anything except a general cranky feeling and some lower back pain which I attributed to a rigorous cleaning job I'd done on my house that day. I knew this wasn't a good thing but what I didn't know was how bad it was.
I was seen in the ER of my local hospital and admitted. I will never forget the look on the Resident's face: it told me I would not have this child.
Blood was taken, IV was inserted and all sorts of lovely procedures were performed. When my cultures came back, everything was within normal limits, except I tested positive for Group B strep.
What was Group B strep? I had no idea. My OB explained it was an infection, but there was no way he could determine if it was present prior to my water breaking or if it occurred after.
As I delivered my child, my heartache exploded exponentially, and I thought I would never recover from the grief. I didn't see or hold my child. If I knew then what I know now, things would have been differently.
I endured three additional pregnancies resulting in two living children. I didn't test positive for GBS in my subsequent pregnancies. I began speaking and continue to do so at loss groups and pregnancy after loss groups. To heal myself further I wrote a book, Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy After Loss. Written for parents by parents who have had a successful subsequent pregnancy after loss, we hope it helps anyone, regardless of their loss experience, who takes the same journey.
Thank you for letting me share Solomon's story.
— Amy Abbey, USA
Solomon's mother has written a book, Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy after Loss.
My water had broken at 19 weeks 3 days. I had no symptoms of anything except a general cranky feeling and some lower back pain which I attributed to a rigorous cleaning job I'd done on my house that day. I knew this wasn't a good thing but what I didn't know was how bad it was.
I was seen in the ER of my local hospital and admitted. I will never forget the look on the Resident's face: it told me I would not have this child.
Blood was taken, IV was inserted and all sorts of lovely procedures were performed. When my cultures came back, everything was within normal limits, except I tested positive for Group B strep.
What was Group B strep? I had no idea. My OB explained it was an infection, but there was no way he could determine if it was present prior to my water breaking or if it occurred after.
As I delivered my child, my heartache exploded exponentially, and I thought I would never recover from the grief. I didn't see or hold my child. If I knew then what I know now, things would have been differently.
I endured three additional pregnancies resulting in two living children. I didn't test positive for GBS in my subsequent pregnancies. I began speaking and continue to do so at loss groups and pregnancy after loss groups. To heal myself further I wrote a book, Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy After Loss. Written for parents by parents who have had a successful subsequent pregnancy after loss, we hope it helps anyone, regardless of their loss experience, who takes the same journey.
Thank you for letting me share Solomon's story.
— Amy Abbey, USA
Solomon's mother has written a book, Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy after Loss.
