UK mum says her mother's instinct saved her unborn baby's life

A mum says her mother's instinct saved her unborn baby's life - after she rushed to hospital convinced something was wrong despite showing no warning signs.

Jemma Austin, 43, had a gut feeling that something wasn't quite right when she was 22 weeks pregnant, and after insisting doctors check her over, they discovered her cervix was open.

The beauty salon owner had previously lost a baby boy at 23 weeks in September 2016 and had been worried history was repeating itself.

Jemma and her partner, Paul Jordan, 31, a scaffolder, had been trying for a baby for five years, suffered two miscarriages, a stillbirth and had gone through two rounds of IVF to fall pregnant through a donor egg.

Jemma was kept in Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester, West Midlands, for two weeks until she went into labour at 24 weeks - she was then rushed to Birmingham Women's Hospital, West Midlands, to give birth.

The couple's baby boy, who they named Axel, was born 14 weeks early on 19th February 2020 weighing a tiny 1lb 70z.

He battled sepsis, seizures, necrotising enderocolitis and had to learn to breathe independently until he was able to be discharged and head home on 5th June 2020.

Jemma, from Worcester, West Midlands, said: "I was on a walk with the dog and I just had this feeling I should go and see my consultant.

"I didn't have any symptoms, but I just knew I should go in.

"It was in my gut - I couldn't ignore it. It was a mother's instinct.

"It was a cervical infection that meant I lost my previous baby, William.

"Thankfully, I could hold long enough to give this baby a good chance."

This video was filmed in January 2022.