“I was terrified” Pregnant mum struck down with sepsis shares ordeal as she urges others to trust instincts

A pregnant mum has told how she went from celebrating her baby shower to fighting for her life just hours later after developing deadly sepsis caused by appendicitis.

Jenna Allcock, 32, was 35 weeks pregnant when severe stomach pain, vomiting and a rapid deterioration led doctors to discover she had a serious infection putting both her and her unborn daughter at risk.

She underwent an emergency caesarean at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Paisley to deliver baby Mollie before surgeons removed her infected appendix in a race against time.

Now, after surviving the ordeal, Jenna is sharing her terrifying story to warn other families about the signs of sepsis and urge people to trust their instincts when something doesn’t feel right.

I had my baby shower on Saturday, September 20, 2025. At that point I was 35 weeks and 4 days pregnant. It was such a special day, organised by my husband of two years Pete, my family and my best friends – they made me feel incredibly loved and excited for Mollie’s arrival.

The next day I felt quite wiped out, which I put down to the busy weekend, so I went for a lie down. Not long after that I started getting pain across my whole stomach which gradually became more severe and moved into my right side. I phoned triage at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital and they asked me to come in to be checked. This was around 11pm on the Sunday night.

When I arrived, my heart rate and blood pressure were high and my stomach was extremely tender to touch, so they decided to keep me in for monitoring. By the time I was seen and moved to a ward it was around 3am and unfortunately Pete had to go home and then come back again in the morning.

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I managed a little breakfast the next day, but by lunchtime things started to deteriorate very quickly. I began shaking and convulsing in the bed in a way I had never experienced before and I was violently sick. I remember being really alarmed by the colour of the vomit, which was green, and I could hear the nurses discussing it.

At this point I was in a ward with three other women who were there for inductions. Throughout this time I had the monitor on my stomach tracking Mollie’s heart rate and movements. I started to become really worried because my heart rate was reaching 160 and Mollie’s was also very high. I hadn’t felt her move for hours, which was very unusual as she had always been an active baby.

Doctors started arriving quickly and ran tests, including an ECG. They told me that all my symptoms were pointing towards sepsis and that they believed the source was my appendix. When I heard the word sepsis my heart just sank. I was terrified – not only for myself but for Mollie.

The only thing that kept me calm in those moments was seeing her heartbeat on the monitor, with my mum and Pete reassuring me that she was still there and still fighting. The doctors explained that I would need a CT scan to confirm whether it was my appendix that had become infected before they could decide the next steps. The CT scan confirmed that the infection that led to sepsis had originated in my appendix and that it was very close to rupturing. Antibiotics alone wouldn’t be enough.

I had already been started on antibiotics through cannulas in both arms to begin treating the infection. At around 5–6pm the doctors explained that I would need surgery to remove my appendix and flush the infection from my pelvis and surrounding areas.

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However, because of where my appendix was positioned during pregnancy, they explained that Mollie would need to be delivered first. I was told I would need a caesarean section, followed immediately by the appendix surgery, all under general anaesthetic.

There were then two surgical teams involved – one for the caesarean section and one for the appendix removal.

I was understandably terrified going into surgery because I didn’t know what would happen afterwards. Not only was I suddenly facing emergency surgery, but I realised I wouldn’t have the birth I had imagined. I wouldn’t get to see Mollie’s little face when she arrived because I would be under general anaesthetic. At that moment, though, I knew I had no choice but to trust the medical team around me. I was in a lot of pain and I just wanted Mollie to be safe.

What scared me the most was that I hadn’t felt her move for around eight hours. I remember lying there worrying about whether I would wake up to meet my baby – or whether I would even wake up myself.

I had been healthy all my life, so everything felt surreal and overwhelming. I knew that if my appendix ruptured things could escalate very quickly and lead to septic shock, so I also knew the doctors had to act fast.

The pain was the worst I have ever experienced and because Mollie was in distress the pain relief they could give me was limited, so I just had to breathe through it and focus on getting through the surgery.

My mum and my husband Pete were both with me in hospital. I know they were incredibly worried but they stayed so calm for me, which helped more than they’ll ever know. Our families at home were also extremely worried. Mollie was going to be the first grandchild on both sides of the family, so everyone was anxiously waiting for news of the two of us.

Mollie was born at 9:47pm on the 22 nd September, but I didn’t get to meet her until 11am the next morning.

Those hours between coming round and meeting Mollie were some of the longest of my life. I had spent months imagining the moment I would finally meet my baby girl, holding her for the first time, seeing her little face, counting her fingers and toes. Instead, I woke up from surgery without her there and had to wait through the night not knowing when I would get to see her.

My oxygen levels needed to stabilise and Mollie had to be taken to NICU, as the sepsis had unfortunately affected her slightly, so we were kept apart. I knew she was being cared for and was in the safest place possible, but it was incredibly hard knowing my tiny newborn baby was somewhere else and I couldn’t be with her.

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When I finally met her the next morning, it was overwhelming. She was so tiny and perfect and I just remember feeling such a mixture of relief, love and sadness for everything we had both just been through.

The days that followed were really emotional for me. I missed some of the moments you dream about as a new mum – I didn’t get to hold her straight away, I didn’t get to change her first nappy or dress her in her first babygrow, and we didn’t get that immediate skin-to-skin time after she was born.

Because I was so unwell, it also took longer for us to establish feeding. Mollie needed donor milk in the first few days as my milk was delayed, which was yet another reminder of how poorly I had been.

The team at the Royal Alexandra Maternity Hospital in Paisley truly saved our lives. I will never be able to thank them enough. Even during the most frightening moments they made me feel safe and cared for.

Looking back, I know how lucky we were.

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I was fortunate that the appendicitis happened late in pregnancy and that it was caught before the appendix ruptured fully. I’ve since been told that if treatment had been delayed any longer it could have been fatal for both of us.

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I know my case was rare – the hospital staff even told me they had never seen anything quite like it before – but sepsis can develop incredibly quickly and recognising the signs early can save lives.

My biggest message would be to always listen to your body and trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, seek help and don’t ever worry about “wasting anyone’s time”. No question is a silly one when it comes to your health. You know your body better than anyone else and acting quickly can save lives.

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