An Unborn baby's fingernail stories

An unborn baby’s hair or fingernail from one of her twins nearly took her life as their mother, Angela Cottam, said the item passed into her bloodstream during the birth.

The 32-year-old mother named Angela Cottam was pregnant with twins, with five weeks to go, when one of their fingernails caused her lung to collapse and serious internal bleeding. The twin girls were born five weeks early, and their mother had to have a large blood transfusion and she spent 12 hours in a coma. The twins, Amelie and Ava, and to be resuscitated with oxygen as soon as they were born.

It’s a rare condition, which only affects one in 80,000 births, caused Cottam to suffer severe internal bleeding as her lungs collapsed.

Nevertheless, they were not the only ones who are lucky to be alive. The twins, Amelie and Ava, were born five weeks premature, and had to be resuscitated with oxygen.

The primary school teacher lost seven pints of blood, needed 22 transfusions and spent 12 hours in a coma, when doctors told her family, “she might not pull through.”

“I feel so lucky to be here and really blessed that both the girls are with us because it could have been so different,” said Cottam, 33.

“There are moments when I’ve been on my own, and I’ve had a little cry and thought ‘What if?’ But I try not to dwell on that and just thank my lucky stars the doctors and midwives on duty that day recognized what was happening.”

Doctors believe that one of the unborn baby's fingernails or hairs passed into the mother's bloodstream to cause the serious problems. What a bizarre pregnancy complication! Thankfully all three females survived the unusual birth.

Angela Cottam said, "There are moments when I’ve been on my own and I’ve had a little cry and thought ‘What if?’ But I try not to dwell on that and just thank my lucky stars the doctors and midwives on duty that day recognized what was happening. Knowing that I almost died has changed my perspective on life, I’m more laid back and I am enjoying being a mum more than ever because I know we were so close to losing so much."

This is an unbelievably scary situation that this new mother and her family had to deal with. Thankfully everything ended up okay, but what a horrible way to give birth. This type of complication only occurs in one out of every 80,000 births.