'They saved our son's life': Baby Archie thriving after maternity teams respond to rare pregnancy complications

Five months after a high-risk delivery, baby Archie is healthy and happy — and his mum has thanked the maternity teams she says saved his life. Ashleigh, 34, developed rare and serious complications after becoming pregnant towards the end of 2025. At 20 weeks, she was diagnosed with a low-lying placenta, which can increase the risk of bleeding as pregnancy progresses and cause problems during birth. Nine weeks later, she began bleeding during a girls’ weekend in Harrogate and travelled immediately to Doncaster Royal Infirmary. She said: “It was the most frightening experience our family has ever been through. I left Harrogate straight away and went to Doncaster Royal Infirmary (DRI) to be seen.” After spending the following 10 days in and out of hospital, Ashleigh was diagnosed with vasa praevia and placenta praevia. She was warned that any further bleeding could put her baby’s life at significant risk. “Being told your baby might not survive is something no parent should ever have to hear. Just thinking about it gives me chills.” Maternity teams cared for Ashleigh for the next five weeks. This included three weeks as an inpatient at Bassetlaw Hospital, where she was kept under close observation. Archie was later delivered by planned caesarean section by surgeon Ambreen Chaudhry. His heart rate dropped during the birth, while staff were also concerned Ashleigh could suffer significant bleeding. The team acted quickly and both mother and baby pulled through. Ashleigh thanked staff at both hospitals, including Megan, Rebecca Gregory, Lauren, Danielle Simpson and Ambreen Chaudhry. She said: “Because of you, we get to watch Archie grow every single day. We will never be able to thank you enough for giving our family that precious gift.” Lois Mellor, Director of Midwifery at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals, praised colleagues’ vigilance, expertise and compassion. Ashleigh’s experience also underlines advice to contact a midwife or maternity team if anything does not feel right during pregnancy.