A mother’s child bump was so huge strangers thought it was “pretend” and joked she was carrying a “penthouse.”
Lauren Draper, 22, was delighted when she fell pregnant along with her fourth baby in June final 12 months.
She went for a scan at 24 weeks as a consequence of her unborn child’s decreased actions and was advised she had an extra quantity of amniotic fluid in her uterus.
Lauren was then identified with polyhydramnios — the place you may have an excessive amount of fluid throughout being pregnant — and monitored intently.
At 29 weeks Lauren began to appreciate how large her bump was — as a result of fluid construct up — and began to battle to stroll and roll over in mattress.
She was admitted to the hospital at 31 weeks pregnant — as a consequence of a danger of wire prolapse.
By 34 weeks pregnant her bump was so huge strangers thought she was carrying quadruplets and even joked “what’s in there — a penthouse?”
Lauren welcomed little Olyve, now three months, on Jan. 6, 2025, at 3:29 a.m. weighing 6lbs 1oz.
Lauren, a assist employee from Cardiff, Wales, mentioned: “Folks mentioned ‘OMG, what’s in there? A penthouse? A 3 bed room condominium?’
“I used to be a good measurement.
“Folks noticed the bump earlier than they noticed me.
“Within the elevate somebody mentioned ‘what number of are you having?’ I mentioned ‘only one’ and she or he requested ‘can I contact it?’
“Folks additionally thought it was pretend and mentioned ‘it’s AI.’
“When my waters went a nurse mentioned ‘look how a lot your stomach has gone down’. I used to be like a pancake!
“It took 10 days to go down.”
Lauren was already being monitored intently as a consequence of having a excessive danger being pregnant — after going by means of a miscarriage in 2022.
She had skilled polyhydramnios along with her first baby, now seven, nevertheless it was solely picked up at 38 weeks.
This time spherical medical doctors observed it was an issue at 24 weeks and the fluid was nonetheless growing at 29 weeks.
Docs realized little Olyve wasn’t swallowing the fluid — inflicting the construct up in Lauren’s uterus.
In December 2024, Lauren had steroid photographs to attempt to assist mature Olyve’s lungs and she or he was admitted to hospital.
The fluid build-up additionally left Lauren struggling to maneuver and even precipitated bruising on her ribs.
She mentioned: “I got here out in all these bruises — it was so tender.”
She spent three weeks there earlier than going into labor at 34 weeks and 4 days.
However when Lauren began gushing blood medical doctors realized she was having a placenta abruption and she or he was rushed for an emergency C-section.
She was capable of see her little lady seven hours later — after shedding 5 liters of blood herself.
Lauren mentioned: “They mentioned when she was born she wasn’t respiratory.
“She was blue. It was horrific to listen to.
“Seeing her in an incubator — it was horrific.”
Little Olyve continues to be preventing within the hospital — combating respiratory failure however mum Lauren has each religion she is going to pull by means of.
