MEDIC BLUNDER
I could have died when NHS left a swab ROTTING in my body – the smell was so vulgar I was showering four times a day
Read on for what is and isn't normal to experience after giving birth and when to get urgent help
A HORRIFIED mum realised there a "rotting" swab lodged inside her body after complaining to hospital staff about a foul smell - and fears she may have died if she hadn't discovered it sooner.
After giving birth to her daughter Sophie, first-time-mum Aisha McCracken, 29, noticed an “extremely offensive odour” coming from below, coupled with “excruciating” pain and unusual bleeding.
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She raised her concerns to nurses at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, but claims they “dismissed” her.
Aisha went home but the smell and pain only worsened.
That’s when the new mum decided to check in the mirror and was left “horrified” by what she saw.
“I was made to feel like a paranoid first-time mum,” the childcare worker, from Glasgow, said.
Read more on surgical birth
“I felt sick, scared and let down.
“At first, I thought it was a huge blood clot or a piece of placenta that was left – then I saw the swab.
“I understand mistakes happen, it’s human error.
“But I could have died, leaving my baby without a mum.
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“Two days after giving birth, I had suffered excruciating pain when sitting down, standing up and walking.
I was told bleeding after giving birth was normal - then I went to the loo and made a horrifying discovery
“And there was such an offensive odour coming from me, too.
“It was totally rotten and vulgar. The scent will haunt me forever.
“On day four, I started to feel really unwell and quite dizzy.
“But when I told the nurses, it seemed like they couldn’t be bothered and acted like I was dramatising the pain.
“I was given two basic checks, which mostly consisted of checking my stitches rather than internally.
“I believed them when they said everything looked okay.”
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Aisha and her husband, David, 31, were “over the moon” when they found out they were pregnant.
While the pregnancy was relatively normal, little Sophie arrived just over a month early.
The birth in June 2024 was quick and performed via a forceps delivery procedure with an episiotomy cut.
But the newborn had signs of infection – she was jaundiced and unable to regulate her body temperature – and had to stay in hospital for nine days.
Meanwhile, her mum was struggling with her own symptoms at home.
On day eight, after giving birth, Aisha realised the true horror of her situation while at home.
She said: “I was showering up to four times a day and changing my pad every half hour due to the smell.
I understand mistakes happen, it’s human error. But I could have died, leaving my baby without a mum.
Aisha McCracken
“Even after all of this, you could still smell it through my clothes – even David noticed it. It was horrific.
“When it had been eight days since giving birth, I wanted to check my stitches. I thought they may have burst.
“As soon as I noticed the foreign object, I called the maternity triage and described the look of it.
“I was asked to go in and be checked over... and this is when they told me what it was.
“I had already been showing signs of infection and if this was left any longer, there’s a chance it could’ve developed into sepsis or toxic shock syndrome.
“And I would no longer be here.”
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What's normal and what's not after giving birth
Your body goes through a lot when giving birth and it's normal to notice some lingering symptoms from it - from soreness, to tiredness and emotional changes.
Stitches
If you've had stitches after tearing or an episiotomy (cut), bathe them every day to help prevent infection. Have a bath or shower with plain warm water then carefully pat yourself dry.
If your stitches are sore or uncomfortable, tell your midwife.
Stitches usually dissolve by the time the cut or tear has healed, but sometimes they have to be taken out.
Going to the loo
You probably won't have a poo for a few days after the birth, but it's important not to let yourself get constipated.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, salad, wholegrain cereals and wholemeal bread, and drink plenty of water.
Talk to your midwife or GP if you have constipation that won't go away. A gentle laxative may help.
Also tell your midwife or GP if poo is leaking or you're pooing when you don't mean to.
Also tell your midwife if:
- you're finding it really difficult to pee
- you feel very sore
- you notice an unpleasant smell
Bleeding
You'll bleed from your vagina after the birth, which will be quite heavy at first, and you'll need super-absorbent sanitary towels.
Change them regularly, washing your hands before and afterwards.
You may notice the bleeding is redder and heavier when you breastfeed. This happens because breastfeeding makes your womb contract. You may also feel cramps similar to period pains.
The bleeding will carry on for a few weeks. It will gradually turn a brownish colour and decrease until it finally stops.
If you're losing blood in large clots, tell your midwife.
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'Utterly heartbroken'
Aisha claims she hasn’t been given a reason for why the swab was missed and left in her body.
She alleges the swab count was signed by two people and that all items were counted in and out.
The mum is receiving therapy and counselling due to the traumatic ordeal, and says that it’s made the first few months of her daughter’s life “very unhappy”.
She added: “I have no idea how this happened and still have no answers, even though I’ve demanded them.
“It’s had a huge toll on my mental health.
“The situation has stripped away my hopes of future children as I can’t physically or mentally put myself through that again.
“I was a very unhappy, angry and sad person to be around for a long time after the birth.
“It made my relationship with Sophie difficult too, as I found it harder to bond with her due to being so depressed.
“I now have no faith or trust within certain services of the NHS.
“I feel disregarded, disrespected and utterly heartbroken.
“Stricter checks to count swabs in and out need to happen – and having a third person check that everything is correct.
“Most importantly, to be listened to when new mums raise concerns.
“I really hope the NHS learns from this and doesn’t put any other women through what horrors I’ve had to endure.”
Jam Press contacted Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital for comment, along with the NHS for Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Dr Claire Harrow, deputy medical director for acute services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We would like to apologise unreservedly to Mrs McCracken for the distress she has suffered.
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“The circumstances of this case are the subject of a detailed investigation, and we are currently implementing a new system to prevent such incidents happening again.
“This includes a new reporting tool in all birth rooms, a new standard operating procedure and enhanced training for all staff.”
The cost of surgical blunders
Blundering doctors who left surgical tools inside their patients have cost the NHS more than £30m in five years.
A total of £34million was splashed on settling 692 claims between 2018 and 2023, including £15.8m in damages to victims.
The average payout for the surgical disasters – which happen twice a week on average – was £22,000, although at least 35 were settled with no financial payment.
But each successful bid cost a further £27,000 in legal fees for both sides paid from the public purse, taking the total blunder price to £49,000.
Figures obtained by The Sun show at least five of the blunders happened during plastic surgery, while a dozen items were left behind in orthopaedic surgeries or examinations.
Devices most commonly left inside NHS patients include swabs, clips and plastic tubes.
Read more here.
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