Pregnancy adds to worry of flu

DON SCOTT/The Press

MELISSA MCDONNELL: A scan reassured her that her baby was doing well despite her infection with swine flu.

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Wheezing, sneezing, coughing, short of breath, aches, chills and a head cold and that was only the start of what was to be a miserable few days.

Feeling early symptoms late on Friday, I tossed and turned in my sweat-soaked bedsheets, begging for morning.

Come Saturday, my head throbbed, my nose was full and my body ached.

"It's just a cold," I said to myself. The fact I am six months pregnant meant I could not afford anything more.

Most flu medicines are out of bounds, so, left with two paracetamol tablets every six hours, I lay on the bean bag, with a hot cup of fresh lemon and honey, drifting in and out of sleep.

Later, feeling better, I attempted to make dinner.

Bad idea.

Constant nausea meant I had not eaten much that day.

I had to lean on the bench as stars came flying towards my eyes.

Back on the bean bag, next to a roaring fire and wrapped in at least five clothing layers, I felt cold.

I knew I had to get to bed and tossed with hot, cold, sweats, chills, dreams and hallucinations until Sunday dawned.

After hearing about the impact of swine flu on pregnant women and their babies, I called the Christchurch flu hotline and was given an appointment for the flu centre that day.

I entered a large, isolated and cold warehouse in the city centre where about 10 others, all wearing masks, were waiting.

The staff wore masks, hats, gloves and disposable cloaks; only their eyes were visible. I was told to wait as a "bottleneck" of extremely sick people were taken to hospital.

I was eventually seen by nurses and a doctor, who diagnosed flu and told me 80 per cent of cases were swine flu.

A scan at Christchurch Women's Hospital reassured me the baby was fine, the heart was beating strongly.

I decided against a swine flu test after learning it required a tube up my nose that scraped down the back of my throat to take a swab.

Whatever I had, the only cure was to go home, stay home, take plenty of fluids, rest, monitor symptoms, and not let anyone near me.

It was Monday afternoon before I started to improve.

I'm glad I caught swine flu now.

I've been told that I have built up a basic immunity to any mutant form the virus may take. I hope so.

FOUR MUMS SENT TO INTENSIVE CARE

Four pregnant women or new mothers with swine flu have been treated in Christchurch's intensive care unit as expectant mothers are warned to be vigilant. Christchurch intensive care specialist Geoff Shaw said his unit treated at least two women expecting babies and two new mothers.

Last weekend, a 19-year-old Australian woman lost her unborn child at 36 weeks because of swine flu complications. Shaw said it was not clear why pregnant women were more vulnerable but recommended they stay away from anyone who was coughing or unwell.

Fran McGrath, of Public Health, warned pregnant women not to take anti-viral medicine without seeing a doctor.

- with KIM THOMAS

- © Fairfax NZ News