Birth injuries

Birth injuries that drove devoted mum to attempting suicide…

Content warning: suicide attempt.

I spoke to Natalie whose chronic, intense pain from undiagnosed pudendal nerve entrapment caused by a difficult labour drove her to the brink of death.

For years, Natalie’s pleas for help with the pinching pain in her vulva after the difficult delivery of her baby fell on deaf ears. She was ignored, dismissed and even laughed at by specialists and GPs.

The failure to diagnose Natalie’s pudendal nerve compression, likely a result of a difficult ventouse suction labour, led to nerve damage that she is still battling to get under control.

Her pudendal neuralgia symptoms included pinching pain in and around her vulva, inability to tolerate clothes in that area, unable to walk, stand or sit, and a lack of relief from painkillers, antidepressants or nerve blockers.

Her pain was so severe, she locked herself at home one day and made an attempt to take her life. If it wasn’t for concerned relatives breaking down the door and rushing her to hospital, Natalie would have lost her life to suicide because of her horrific birth injury.

After she had recovered from the suicide attempt, Natalie saw an amazing consultant in France who quickly diagnosed the pudendal nerve compression on a colour ultrasound.

He recommended a number of conservative treatments first include Botox to relax the muscles and local nerve block, but eventually, Natalie had a Medtronic pump fitted in her abdomen to deliver a steady and constant internal drip of anaesthetising medicine to the nerve causing the pain.

For the first time in years, Natalie was able to stand and even walk a little.

Until that point, Natalie and her husband had spent thousands of pounds on surgery, private treatments and consults. They asked the NHS to refill the pump every six weeks but they refused, leaving Natalie to fund and return to France every 4-6 weeks for the top up - which takes a matter of minute.

Just recently, her pump had to be removed due to an infection, so she is awaiting another surgery in France to have a replacement put in place.

To support her fundraising, visit Just Giving.

To read Natalie’s shocking story in OK magazine, click here.