Pasadena mum lucky to be alive after traumatic birth

An Adelaide mum has told how she is lucky to be alive after losing five litres of blood and having an emergency hysterectomy following the birth of her daughter.

Pippa with her mum Sharee Christian. Picture: Keryn Stevens

What seemed like a perfect pregnancy for Sharee Christian ended with her almost ­losing her life and any chance of having more children.

The 35-year-old has type 1 diabetes and never thought that she could become pregnant naturally.

Then just before the couple’s wedding in 2021, she and future husband Craig Christian discovered they were expecting.

“A week before the wedding, I just felt really tired and we were about to go on a three-week honeymoon,” Ms Christian said.

“I thought I would just go to the doctors and get everything checked before we go, and I was pregnant.”

The Pasadena couple didn’t tell anyone they were expecting and their wedding day and honeymoon went ahead.

“I had to pretend to drink alcohol so that no one would know,” Mrs Christian said.

On arriving back in Adelaide, they announced their pregnancy to their family.

“We did a lot of testing because of my health problems, a lot of genetic testing and things like that, and we found out we were having a little girl,” Mrs Christian said.

Pippa with her mum Sharee Christian. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Apart from morning sickness, the pregnancy went well, and because of her diabetes she was induced at 37 weeks at Ashford Hospital but had to have a caesarean due to not having contractions.

“We went into theatre and that all went really smoothly, and we came out of theatre and went into recovery,” she said.

Baby Pippa arrived on November 22, but her mum’s journey was far from over.

Mrs Christian was haemorrhaging, and the bleeding wouldn’t stop.

“They said they were going to take me back into theatre and put a balloon in to stop the bleeding and take it out the next day,” she said.

This was unfortunately not the case, and while Mrs Christian was under anaesthetic, she kept losing blood. In total she lost around five litres.

“My husband was up in the nursery and he heard them say ‘code blue medical emergency theatre two’, which is where I was,” she said.

“Within a few minutes, the obstetricians were through the doors and said ‘I’m not asking you, I’m telling you I have to perform a hysterectomy or she’s going to die.’

“I woke up in ICU the next day and I knew something wasn’t right … I was in complete shock.”

After staying in the ICU for a few days, the new mum and baby were finally able to come home.

But Mrs Christian felt a huge loss of her identity.

“My biggest struggle was having the choice of adding to our family taken away from me,” she said.

“From the outside no one can tell that I have type one diabetes or a hysterectomy but in reality, I’m connected to a machine 24/7 to keep me alive and I can no longer carry any children.

“After everything that has happened, it has brought Craig and I even closer together, and he and my family have been my biggest supporters.”

Two years on, the family of three are thriving.

“We are happy being one and done,” Mrs Christian said.

Pippa has been entered into The Advertiser’s cutest toddler competition, with nominations closing on September 5.

If you know a tot who’s as cute as can be, enter them here.