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What are the symptoms of childbed fever?

… pains

Childbed fever can strike down any new mother, irrespective of age, fitness or health.

Fever is an obvious sign of infection, but not everyone who develops septicaemia has a temperature, so it is important to look at all of the symptoms as a whole.

If you have two or more of these symptoms, especially if they are getting worse, or if you are in any doubt, please call …

Can I help?

Yes please!

Understand what childbed fever is

If someone you know is about to have a baby, tell her as well.

Please sign our petition

Make a donation

Please tell all of your friends, family and work colleagues about this website, particularly if someone you know is of …

Who is Jessica?

… on the front of the family section:

After Jessica

Jessica Palmer had an easy labour and a healthy child. Five days later she died from a treatable infection. Her husband Ben talks to Sally Williams about anger, guilt and life alone with two children

The Guardian, Saturday 7 June 2008

Friday's Child was written by Jessica's husband, Ben. It tells the full heart breaking story of a …

What is childbed fever?

… have declined significantly since the 1930s and the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal and Child Health reported no deaths attributable to sepsis between 1982 and 1984.

Since then, deaths have increased and septicaemia now accounts for 14% of direct causes of maternal death. 1

In western medicine today childbed fever is unlikely to be caused by poor hygiene - although historically it …

Praying Mantra

… my mantra is still, "If, by retelling her story, I prompt one exhausted midwife or hard-pressed health visitor to look down at a sick new mum and think 'hang on, I wonder if this is septicaemia', then it will be worth it."

I'm still mulling over the suggestion that I 'guest lecture' to student midwives - maybe I would if directly asked to.

Dog walking

Tuesday was an unexpected day. Being stuck at Jessica's father, Tim and stepmother, Marian's house with no car, I was going to look for a hire car to get us home and fill a temporary transportation problem, but a message left on my home answering service which was texted through to my mobile …

Your say

Although this site, campaign and petition is because of and in memory of Jessica, it is for the benefit of future Mums like her. These are just a few of the things that people have said and emailed since this campaign started.

"I am an Independent Midwife, a supervisor of midwives and writer. I …

One’s only a number

I wrote to my MP a while back, and she tabled a written question in Parliament, addressed to the Health Secretary, Patricia Hewitt:

“To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the death rate per million maternities from puerperal sepsis and other forms of septicaemia was in each year since 1999-2000; and if she will make a statement.”

The answer came from Ivan Lewis MP, …

Cloud watching

… weekend draft was honed and finalised, and is now on its way out to journalists with a maternity/healthcare interest.

It's been a really encouraging day for the campaign, I've received another slew of messages of support, and one very kind offer of a donation which I've put on hold for the time being. Mental note to self: investigate charitable status and set up a bank account.

As I told …