Central Queensland mum tells how bush baby crisis nearly killed her daughter

A central Queensland mum who lost a prematurely born baby in a rural hospital almost lost another when she haemorrhaged during early labour in an area without blood supplies.

A CENTRAL Queensland mum who lost a prematurely born baby in a rural hospital almost lost another when she haemorrhaged during early labour in an area without blood supplies.

Mother-of-six, Melissa Middleton, lives in Moura, a small coalmining town 170km southwest of Rockhampton.

The 26-year-old said she and her now four-month-old daughter were “lucky to be alive”, after her local hospital couldn’t treat her during a traumatic early labour.

It was a scenario all-too familiar for the young mum, who lost her fourth child, Jasper when he was born at 28 weeks.

“When I went into labour early again, I was so scared, I was having panic attacks,” she said.

“I can’t get the care I need if something like that was to happen again.”

With her local hospital unable to cater for an expectant mother, Ms Middleton had antenatal care at Biloela and ultrasounds two-hours away in Rockhampton.

Five weeks early Ms Middleton went into labour at home and was haemorrhaging seriously.

She was taken by ambulance to the nearby Moura Hospital and assessed by local doctors, but told The Sunday Mail she waited four hours without a nurse or doctor checking her progress.

A midwife and doctor were flown in from Rockhampton Hospital, with a “couple of bags of blood”, while a Biloela doctor also attended.

Melissa Middleton with baby Ariel Rose Clark, whose early arrival almost cost them both their lives. Picture: Stephen Vit

“The Biloela doctor was the only one who asked if my dilation was checked,” she said.

“He said, ‘you are all getting ready for a baby that’s not even coming, she’s not dilating, by the time she gets to Rocky, you would probably lose both of them’.

In the end Ms Middleton was rushed under lights and siren and police escort to Biloela Hospital, an hour away, for an emergency C-section.

“If it wasn’t for that doctor, I still sit here and think about what would have happened,” Ms Middleton said.

She said after C-section she was panicked that her daughter hadn’t survived, and upon seeing her child administered oxygen she thought, “this is where it all begins”.

Newborn Ariel Rose was then flown to Brisbane and in the following days, Ms Middleton followed.

“You’ve got to leave your baby behind and there’s nothing you can do,” she said.

Ms Middleton said there had to be better birthing services in rural areas, or more children and mothers would die.

“Even if it’s just one midwife, we just need to have preparations, like blood,” she said.

“Having to travel to Gladstone or Rocky is really not okay when you’re at the end of your pregnancy, or the middle of giving birth.

She said making those simple changes would be enough to make mothers feel safe.

“I still get told every day, ‘you’re very lucky you and your daughter are still alive’.”

Executive director at Gladstone-Banana Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Sandy Munro, said there was a “safe level of service for the women and babies within our region”.

“Safe birthing services need specialist facilities and enough births to support accredited teams of clinicians,” she said.

“CQ Health provides birthing in Biloela, Emerald, Gladstone and Rockhampton hospitals, where there is access to 24/7 obstetric and anaesthetic services.

“In Biloela and Emerald this has been achieved through the development of a rural generalist service.

“All other small multipurpose health centres, including Moura, are equipped and staff are trained to provide imminent birthing.”

Originally published as Central Queensland mum tells how bush baby crisis nearly killed her daughter