London mum, whose first child was delivered using forceps, left with life-changing injuries
By Newsdesk
A woman from North London is still suffering from life-changing injuries 15 years after undergoing a traumatic delivery.
Geeta Nayar, 46, suffered a third-degree perineal tear and nerve damage when her first child was delivered by forceps, according to MyLondon.
After undergoing surgery, she experienced complications leading to symptoms arising from the traumatic delivery only a day later.
These symptoms included pain, scar tissue formation and incontinence, which is the inability to control the bladder or bowel.
Despite undergoing many more procedures to fix the problems, Nayar continues to suffer from symptoms that have changed her life forever. “When we got married we were overjoyed to be expecting our first child. We’d painted the nursery bright yellow, and my birth plan had been meticulously prepared. We were excited about what the future held,” the mum who is married to Ed, aged 49, said.
She added, “Initially when I went into labour my midwife was calm and put me at ease. However, after several hours it was clear I had stopped making any progress, I was exhausted with pain and there was a change of shift. It was at this point the situation started to deteriorate. I was concerned about the safety of my daughter, but any request to discuss options such as being moved to theatre were just dismissed.
“The situation continued to deteriorate until, there was marked foetal distress and what followed can only be described as a nightmare. Panic ensued, there were several failed attempts at trying to deliver my daughter by a ventouse suction cup followed by an extremely forceful and traumatic forceps delivery. My daughter was born with deep cuts to her face and I sustained a tear involving the entire length of the external and internal anal sphincter, and nerve damage.
“I was left completely traumatised by the experience. Instead of holding and feeding my daughter I was taken to theatre for several hours for an attempted repair. This unfortunately failed and I suffered my first episode of incontinence the very next day.”
After being discharged, Nayar disclosed that she had no medical support and could not leave the house as she was injured. She visited the GP several times but was referred to a specialist perineal trauma unit months later. After carrying out several tests, it was established that her injuries were serious, with her nerves being damaged and the initial surgery having failed.
“I went from being a resilient, independent woman to needing significant help,” she said.
She added, “While my friends were meeting in the park and attending baby groups, I was barely able to leave the house. I struggled on, but, after several months the situation was dire. It was only when I finally saw a specialist several months later I was told for the first time how serious my injuries were.
“It was horrifying to hear, but also, a relief to finally understand why my symptoms were so severe and debilitating. Since then I have undergone further surgical repairs which have also failed but I simply have had to adjust the way I live to cope.”
Despite having encountered hardships, Nayar wants to be there for others who are facing the same ordeal as her. She works as a medical negligence lawyer for Irwin Mitchell and represents other women who have suffered from Obstetric Anal Sphincter Injury (OASI). According to research from the birth injury charity The MASIC Foundation, around one in twenty first-time mums suffer an OASI during childbirth.
Several studies have revealed that ethnicity also plays a significant role, as women of Asian heritage are approximately six times more susceptible to experiencing an OASI than white women during a natural delivery.
Nayar is convinced that the outcome of her childbirth would have been different if healthcare professionals had considered the risk factors associated with a South Asian woman having her first child.
“It’s taken me many years to come to terms with and find the courage to speak about what happened to me,” she told MyLondon.
She added, “The issue of birth trauma is still relatively taboo, but I hope by speaking out I can help other women.
“While it’s too late for me and I’ll always be affected by what I’ve been through, it’s vital that other women are aware of the risks of OASI injuries in childbirth so they can make informed decisions about their care and potentially avoid years of trauma, surgery and loss.”
