New mums thank RDH Maternity staff
Two new mums who developed diabetes during their pregnancies have thanked a “fantastic” Royal Derby Hospital midwife and her team for helping them bring their babies into the world safely.
Claire Perrett and Sam Cammish both developed gestational diabetes soon after finding out that they were expecting and really benefitted from the care, support and advice provided by the joint Diabetes and Obstetrics team.
The team were able to offer constant support to Claire and Sam right through their pregnancy by helping them with dietary advice, insulin requirements and blood glucose readings, with both mums thankfully going on to deliver happy, healthy babies.
Claire gave birth to twins Olivia and Grace in March 2019, having previously been affected by post-natal anxiety following her first child, with the mum-of-three expressing her gratitude to Diabetes Specialist Midwife Leanne Bancroft for the constant support provided, both for her condition and her mental health.
She said: “When I was pregnant with the twins, I developed gestational diabetes and Leanne and the rest of the team understood the impact that would have on my mental health and dealt with everything so well and compassionately. I don’t know where I would’ve been throughout my pregnancy without the support and help of Leanne. She has been so much more than my midwife; she has been a really good friend to me too and I couldn’t have got through my pregnancy without the down-to-earth advice she gave us.
“This information was so important and she was always at the end of the phone; no question was ever too silly, no time was ever too early or too late in her shift for me to call. Being diagnosed with gestational diabetes was the best thing that could’ve happened for my pregnancy, as it allowed me to get the support I needed from this wonderful team.”
In contrast to Claire, baby Tabitha is Sam’s first child and she has now thanked the entire team for helping put her at ease during a “really rough” pregnancy that ended with her daughter arriving early at 34+3 weeks on 11 July.
She said: “I had a real bumpy ride throughout all of my pregnancy and was reallyorried about my blood sugar levels and how it would affect the baby. Tabitha was early but luckily I’d already been admitted to hospital before that and, thanks to the expert help, support and guidance of Leanne, Dr Dent and the rest of the team, she arrived safely. Leanne was fantastic and always kept me calm. Nothing ever felt like too much trouble and I just always knew I was in safe hands.”
Gestational diabetes usually disappears after a woman has given birth but hyperglycaemia, or high blood sugar, can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as a baby being born with a congenital abnormality, a miscarriage, or stillbirth.
Leanne said: “Diabetes affects around 5% of pregnancies in England and Wales. At the Royal Derby, our joint Diabetes and Obstetrics team see around 600 women each year; providing care right from pre-conception, throughout their pregnancy and into the post-natal period. We give advice on blood glucose readings, diet and insulin requirements to minimise the risks of pregnancy complications for mum and baby. I’m really proud of the service that we offer at our Trust and feel so fortunate to be in a position to be able to give support and continuity of care to our women to help them achieve a positive pregnancy experience.”
The Diabetes and Obstetrics team is made up of Obstetric and Diabetes Consultants, Dieticians and Specialist Nurses, while a second Diabetes Specialist Midwife has also been recruited at Queen’s Hospital Burton as part of UHDB’s Maternity Safety Staffing Plan.