REAL LIFE: Miscarriages, heterotopic pregnancy, endometriosis, IVF and the premature birth of baby Hunter
Keira Rumble opens up about her journey to motherhood.
Founder of Krumbled Foods, Keira Rumble welcomed her first child into the world in July, 2021. After a long and difficult pregnancy journey, Keira’s son, Hunter Philip Harris was born prematurely at 36 weeks, weighing 3.07 kilograms.
“I feel so connected to him now after a scary start with Hunter taken straight into the special care unit as soon as he was born and given 100 percent oxygen to help his lungs,” says Keira.
“My waters broke at home around 4am which was such a shock, but when I was in hospital my OB recommended an induction, knowing my history of PTSD from my past hospital experiences, he was concerned that my labour would stall completely.”
“I was having exhaustingly strong contractions for hours on end but wasn’t dialating so I agreed to a low dose epidural to help relax my body and soon after Hunter was born at 7.55pm,” explains Keira.
“During the birth Hunter’s little hand came out with his head so my OB and my partner Anthony pushed him gently back in and as his shoulders came out I pulled him onto my chest, it was less than a minute I had him there as he needed medical treatment.
“I only got to hold him for 30 seconds as he was so blue and bruised and was having trouble breathing on his own.”
Keira’s son, Hunter Philip Harris was born prematurely at 36 weeks.
“Even though I loved him I didn’t feel like I had a connection with my baby which I assumed would be instant, but it wasn’t, and it was even harder to make one when I couldn’t hold and breastfeed him all the time,” says Keira.
“I never imagined not having my baby with me after the birth and midwives and pediatrician told me to prepare myself as I would likely be going home without Hunter, which broke my heart. I was determined to try and bring him home with me if he was physically fit to do so.
“Luckily, Hunter’s health turned around in a matter of days and he was thriving after a plan to ensure he was feeding well came together.
“It was the most enlightening feeling; walking out of special care with my baby. It was really surreal. We got back to my room and we did skin on skin and he crawled down to my nipple and I just sobbed and thought this is what it’s meant to feel like.”
Keira was heartbroken at the thought of leaving hospital without her son.
Keira admits it was a very difficult pregnancy journey, one which she is not alone in with many women suffering in silence experiencing miscarriages and IVF.
“It’s taken two and a half years of loss and trauma including six pregnancy losses, a heterotopic pregnancy that broke me emotionally after being misdiagnosed for four weeks when I was told it was just a miscarriage and to simply see a psychologist, then I was dioagnosed with stage four endometriosis and a blood clotting disorder – but now I can finally hold my baby in my arms.
“I wasn’t being heard by the medical system and seeing the way I was treated – it really opened me up to the world of how miscarriages and pregnancy losses are not spoken about,” she says.
Keira experienced miscarriages and IVF before welcoming her baby boy.
“For this pregnancy, he was conceived through IVF, I went on blood thinners – clexane – to prevent clotting. I did two intralipid infusions which are still quite controversial in the IVF world,” says Keira.
“I had scans pretty much every week with my OB who specialises in high risk pregnancies but it wasn’t until I felt Hunter kick that I really settled into it.
“I never truly celebrated this pregnancy till I was 20 weeks and it took till 28 weeks to be officially diagnosed with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).”
Keira Rumble created Beauty Bites, healthy snacks with edible collagen under Krumbled Foods and days after the birth of Hunter launched Habitual Beauty.
