Mum and unborn baby airlifted off Scottish island after 'serious' pregnancy complication

A mum and her unborn baby had to be airlifted from a Scottish island after she was diagnosed with a serious pregnancy complication.

Eilidh, from North Uist, was 34 weeks into her third pregnancy when tests during a routine midwife appointment at her local hospital revealed she had dangerously high blood pressure.

After blood tests, she was advised to travel to the Western Isles Hospital in Stornoway for a Doppler ultrasound scan to check flow between the placenta and her unborn baby.

It was Eilidh's first time in an ambulance. — It was Eilidh’s first time in an ambulance. SCAA via Supplied

Alongside her husband, Eilidh made the journey by ferry.

While blood flow to the baby remained stable, her blood pressure continued to be a major concern and doctors confirmed she had preeclampsia, a serious pregnancy complication.

“I had been feeling really unwell for days, mainly suffering from bad headaches and vomiting. I was just feeling horrible,” she said.

“They discovered at the appointment that my blood pressure was sky high.

Seòras was safely delivered at Raigmore hospital. Supplied

“The risk with preeclampsia is that you can get seizures, and it can cause a stroke. It also affects organ function so you can go into organ failure. Effectively, if it’s not treated it can kill you.”

Medication failed to bring her blood pressure down to safe levels.

As the only known cure for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby, and the Western Isles Hospital does not have a dedicated special care baby unit, clinicians decided she needed to be transferred to a mainland hospital.

“If I had needed to go quickly into labour while at hospital in Stornoway, they would have had to airlift my baby straight after the birth and most likely separate us,” she explained.

Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA) was tasked with carrying out the transfer. A crew from the charity’s Aberdeen base flew Eilidh from Stornoway to Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, completing the journey in around 40 minutes.

Seòras met his two older brothers, Findlay and Hamish at Christmas. Supplied

“It was my first time in a helicopter,” Eilidh said.

“The fact that the air ambulance helicopter was involved did give a sense that this was an urgent situation that we were in. I think I was in quite a bit of shock throughout the experience, and I kept thinking about my two boys that I was leaving behind.

“I remember the air ambulance paramedics made me feel at ease. Everything was all very calm and controlled. They never made me feel like it was a total emergency, and they kept me relaxed throughout the process.

“My blood pressure continued to be monitored throughout the flight, which felt very quick.”

Eilidh later gave birth to her son, Seòras, at Raigmore Hospital.

Both mother and baby recovered well and were able to return home to North Uist in time for Christmas, where Seòras met his two older brothers, Findlay and Hamish.

“I’d like to thank the crew for being so calm and warm, and for Seòras’ teddy which still sits in his cot with him,” she said.

“Growing up on Uist, you hear the air ambulance all the time on the islands… it has always been absolutely vital here. We’re so lucky to have this resource.”