Pregnant Barwon Heads mum Kelly Farrell haemorrhages in Big W Geelong

A Barwon Heads mum says she “wouldn’t be alive today” if staff at a Geelong store didn’t rush to help her when she started haemorrhaging in the bedding section at 35 weeks pregnant.

Kelly Farrell from Barwon Heads was 35 weeks pregnant and shopping in Big W when she started bleeding. Picture: Supplied

A Barwon Heads mum says she “wouldn’t be alive today” if Big W staff didn’t rush to help her when she started haemorrhaging in the bedding section at 35 weeks pregnant.

Kelly Farrell thought her waters had broken but when she looked down realised she was bleeding heavily while Christmas shopping at Westfield in Geelong on November 22

“There was blood everywhere and I was in the middle of the store,” she said.

“I went into shock quite quickly.

“I called my midwife straight away who told me to call out to someone for help.”

Ms Farrell asked a customer to help her who then alerted staff.

Big W employee Karla Jardine came to Ms Farrell’s aid, calling triple-0 and placing stock trolleys around her for privacy.

Big W Geelong employee Karla Jardine helped Barwon Heads mother Kelly Farrell when she started bleeding in store.

A store manager and another staff member also rushed to help.

“They were comforting me and keeping me calm,” Ms Farrell said.

“They were talking to the paramedics and my midwife on the phone.”

Paramedics arrived about five minutes later at the store and took the 37-year-old to Geelong hospital.

She was rushed into surgery as she had suffered a placental abruption, which is when the placenta detaches from the inner wall of the womb before birth.

It is extremely rare and occurs in less than one per cent of pregnancies.

If not treated promptly, it can have extreme consequences for a mother and her unborn child, including death.

“We still don’t know what caused it or why it happened,” Ms Farrell said.

“We were all is complete shock and panic.

“They got me in (to surgery) and they took bub out, she was a bit stunned and shocked.

“They then worked on me to stop the bleeding.”

Ms Farrell lost about 1.7 litres of blood during the ordeal but her baby Gigi, her third child, was born healthy.

Ms Jardine said she was so relieved to find out later that evening that Ms Farrell and Gigi were doing okay.

“If I wasn’t shopping in Big W, baby and I wouldn’t be here,” Ms Farrell said.

A few days after giving birth, Ms Farrell returned to the store to pick up the Christmas shopping she had left behind.

Kelly Farrell with her newborn bub Gigi. Picture: Supplied

Big W staff had not only paid for her shopping but gifted her and bub some presents including baby rompers and blankets.

“I’m so grateful to them,” Ms Farrell said.

“They were incredible.

“One minute I was Christmas shopping then the next there was a threat to mine and my baby’s life.

“Because they acted quickly and how close I was to the hospital, they saved me and my baby’s life.”

Originally published as Pregnant Barwon Heads mum Kelly Farrell haemorrhages in Big W Geelong