LIKE most people, when Happiness Temishe first developed a stuffy nose she brushed it off as allergies.
The mum-of-three, from Chatham, Kent, had no idea her ‘congestion’ would lead to her losing her baby son and her sight in one eye.
Happiness before losing eyesight[/caption]
The mum started to experience problems while pregnant[/caption]
Happiness’ eye was infected and started to bulge from her skull[/caption]
The 37-year-old was three months pregnant with her third baby in 2020 when she woke up with severe pain in her right eye.
“My husband came back from work and said we need to go to the hospital,” Happiness said.
While there, doctors discovered her blood sugar levels were really high, something that can happen in pregnancy and is often a sign of gestational diabetes.
However, they couldn’t find a cause for the “excruciating” pain in her eye.
They eventually decided it was likely a sinus infection, made worse by pregnancy hormones and told her to go home.
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology in 2022 explains that pregnancy causes immunological adaptations which allows the mother and fetus to “communicate”.
But these changes may also make pregnant women more susceptible to infections.
A week later, Happiness’ eye started to buldge from her skull.
“I couldn’t fully open my eyes on my own,” she recalled.
“I was crying, my husband was really scared.”
The couple rushed to the hospital again, where she was admitted for a week while things continued to get worse.
Until one day, she woke up unable to see.
That was when doctors decided to stitch her eye shut to keep her eyeball in her head, the mum claimed.
“The pain was worse than labour pain. I thought my head was going to split,” she said.
“I was awake all through the night in pain, just crying,” she added.
Even after surgery, her sight never returned.
Doctors had to stitch her eye shut[/caption]
‘The pain was worse than labour pain,’ the mum says[/caption]
Happiness was later told by doctors that her baby had died as a result of the infection[/caption]
“I was in pain from September until December, it didn’t stop at all.
“I was focusing on my health and not my pregnancy.”
In January 2021 she woke up bleeding heavily.
“We went to the hospital, they did a scan, they pulled me back and told my husband there was no longer a heartbeat, our son had passed.
“I was so depressed, I started crying.”
Happiness was later told by doctors that her baby had died as a result of the infection she had developed earlier in the pregnancy.
“I have two daughters and when they told me he had passed it got to me so much.
“I cried when I got home, my daughter asked me where her baby brother was. I told her he had gone to heaven.”
Why pregnant women are more susceptible to infection
DURING pregnancy, the immune system adapts to allow the mother and baby to co-exist, but these changes can also make women more vulnerable to infections.
Shifts in hormone levels add to the risk.
For example, progesterone relaxes the bladder and ureters, meaning urine can stay in the bladder too long, raising the chance of a urinary tract infection.
Higher oestrogen levels in the reproductive tract also make yeast infections, such as thrush, more common.
Pregnancy affects the lungs too.
Extra fluid builds up, putting more pressure on the lungs and abdomen, making it harder to clear.
This creates the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and can leave women more likely to develop chest infections, including pneumonia.
Source: Healthline
‘I have drastically changed’
She later had surgery on the left side of her nose to stop the infection reocurring.
She has since given birth again, to a heathly girl, who is now one.
But adjusting to life with one eye has been tough.
“Looking at myself in the mirror, I have drastically changed. One of my eyes is drooping so it changed my look,” she said.
“Everybody that sees me asks what happened. I used tinted glasses so people couldn’t see my eyes.
“I’d use my hairstyles to cover them. I don’t care now, I want to inspire others.
“Tribulations will always come, you need to find beauty in pain.
“Every January 18th I take time to celebrate because he [my baby] tried his best.”
Her sight never returned and one eyelid now droops permanently[/caption]
How to prevent infections in pregnancy
MANY infections in pregnancy are preventable.
Simple everyday habits can make a big difference to protecting both mum and baby.
Washing your hands with soap and water, especially after using the loo, preparing raw food or playing with children, helps stop germs spreading.
Food safety is also key – cook meat thoroughly, avoid undercooked hot dogs or deli meats unless re-heated, and skip unpasteurised dairy.
It’s best not to share cutlery, cups or food with others.
Pregnant women are advised to avoid changing cat litter and steer clear of rodents, while safe sex and regular STI testing reduce risks further.
Keeping jabs up to date is vital, and if you feel unwell or think you’ve been exposed to an infection, see your doctor quickly.
Source: Healthline
