Surprised by a Pregnancy After Sterilization: Reflecting on Last Summer's Procedure

Beth McDermott, a 31-year-old mother from Edinburgh, was advised by doctors not to have any more children due to a painful spinal condition. She decided to get sterilised while having a caesarean section to deliver her second son last summer. However, just months later, she discovered she was pregnant again. Beth was shocked by the news and had difficulty breathing when she found out. Five positive pregnancy tests and an emergency scan confirmed that she and her husband, Shaun, were expecting their third child. The sterilisation procedure, which involved clamping metal clips on her fallopian tubes, was supposed to be more than 99% effective, according to NHS Lothian. Beth had the procedure done because her previous pregnancies had caused her existing spinal condition to worsen, leaving her hospitalized and in a wheelchair. She was diagnosed with cauda equina syndrome in 2014 and had to undergo spinal cord surgery. It took months of physical therapy and walking aids for her to relearn how to walk. She still experiences daily pain and her bladder will never fully recover. Despite being told she may never be able to have a baby, Beth had their first child, Sonny, six years ago. She was scared to get pregnant because of the risks involved, but decided to go for it. However, the pregnancy was extremely painful due to her spinal condition and she was in and out of the hospital. Beth and her husband now have another child, Corey, who is seven months old. Beth feels let down by the sterilisation procedure and wants doctors to investigate what went wrong. NHS Lothian acknowledges that there is a small risk of failure but says they inform patients about this before the procedure. Beth has received a written apology from NHS Lothian, but she is not satisfied and wants more answers. She is now happy but still terrified because of the difficulties she faced during her previous pregnancies. Her main priority is to have a healthy baby.