A Kent mum who survived three postpartum haemorrhages has been reunited with the ambulance team who helped save her life.
Jade, from Folkestone, visited Ashford Make Ready Centre to meet some of the team who cared for her when she suffered a life-threatening second haemorrhage at home on 9 March 2025, aged 30 following the birth of her fourth child.
Jade had given birth prematurely to her little girl, Clover and had experienced her first postpartum haemorrhage within 30 minutes of the birth. She lost two litres of blood and went into hypovolaemic shock, requiring emergency surgery.
Reflecting on the experience, Jade said “I couldn’t hold my baby or have skin-to-skin contact. Everyone else around me got to cuddle and love my premature baby apart from me.
“I was rushed into surgery where they placed a balloon inside me to stop the bleeding. I don’t remember much of what happened and the memories I do have are incredibly traumatic.”
Just six days after being told her body would likely resolve the issue naturally, Jade suffered a second haemorrhage while at home.
Four weeks and six days after Clover’s birth, Jade was at home with her best friend when she suddenly became unwell. She became extremely pale, felt faint and sick and was cold to the touch before beginning to bleed heavily.
Jade called 999 and spoke with Emergency Medical Advisors, Joshua and Bethany, who quickly assessed the situation and arranged a Category 2 ambulance response.
Emergency Medical Advisor Bethany said “Speaking to someone in a situation like Jade’s can be incredibly challenging because you know how frightened they are and you have to quickly gather the information needed to get the right help to them.
“Jade’s symptoms indicated that she needed an urgent ambulance response, so our priority was making sure help was on its way while providing reassurance and support over the phone.
“It was really special to meet Jade and see her doing so well. We don’t often get the opportunity to meet patients after an incident, so hearing her story and seeing the positive outcome was incredibly rewarding.”
Critical Care Paramedic, Chris was first on scene and immediately recognised that Jade was experiencing an active postpartum haemorrhage. He requested urgent Grade 1 back-up, with Emergency Care Support Worker, Lorraine and Paramedic, Michelle arriving shortly afterwards.
Together, the team provided emergency treatment before rapidly transporting Jade to William Harvey Hospital.
Jade underwent emergency surgery two days later. However, just two weeks after the procedure, she suffered a third postpartum haemorrhage while out shopping. Across the three haemorrhages, Jade lost a total of six litres of blood.
Jade said “I live with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result of what happened. The trauma has had a huge impact on my life and can be disabling.
“Meeting the team who helped me during one of the darkest moments of my life meant so much to me. Chris made me feel safe and cared for. Everything happened so quickly, but the team were calm, reassuring and professional throughout. I will never forget what they did for me.”
Sixteen months after the incident, Jade was able to personally thank some of the team involved in her care, including Critical Care Paramedic, Chris, Paramedic, Michelle and Emergency Medical Advisors, Joshua and Bethany.
SECAmb’s Consultant Midwife, Dawn Kerslake said “Jade’s experience shows why maternity skills are so important across the whole ambulance service, from the first 999 call through to the clinicians arriving at a patient’s side.
“We’re giving our colleagues the knowledge and confidence to recognise when someone is seriously unwell, respond quickly and provide calm and compassionate care during what can be an incredibly frightening experience.
“Meeting patients like Jade and hearing about the difference our teams made also helps us learn and continue improving the care we provide to women and families.”
Chris said: “It was a privilege to meet Jade again and see how far she has come. Postpartum haemorrhage can become life-threatening very quickly and requires a coordinated response from everyone involved, from the Emergency Operations Centre through to frontline crews and hospital teams.
“Seeing Jade with her family and hearing her story reminds us of the difference that emergency care can make.”
Jade hopes that by sharing her story, more people will be aware that postpartum haemorrhage can happen not only during or immediately after birth, but also weeks later. It comes at a time when rates of severe postpartum haemorrhage are increasing nationally.
NHS England data shows the rate of women experiencing severe bleeding after giving birth has risen from 27 per 1,000 births in 2020 to 32 per 1,000 births in 2025 – an increase of 19 per cent. The number of reported incidents reached a five-year high of 16,780 cases last year, despite the overall number of births falling in recent years.