Delight as Dudley dialysis patient gives birth to healthy baby girl
Ellie Pierce has had two failed kidney transplants and needed dialysis six times a week during pregnancy - but now she's the mother of a healthy baby girl.
A dialysis patient has given birth to a healthy baby at Russells Hall Hospital for the first time in 20 years.
Ellie Pierce and Dan Taylor welcomed little Nicci Louise Taylor into the world on August 2, weighing just 4lb12oz.
The 28-year-old had a planned caesarean when she was 36 weeks and two days pregnant and was discharged from hospital four days later.
The renal ward held a baby shower to celebrate Nicci arriving safely on Monday, with balloons, food and bags of presents.
Ellie, from Stourbridge, has had kidney problems since she was a teenager and has had two transplants which both failed.
She has Sjogren's syndrome, a disorder of the immune system.
Kidney problems since 14
Ellie had been going to hospital for dialysis three times a week but when she found out she was pregnant at 14 weeks it was increased to six times per week.
"I've had kidney problems since I was 14 and I've had two transplants," Ellie added.
"When I was younger I went to Birmingham Children's Hospital but since I've been trained to give myself dialysis at home at night.
"Since I've had the baby I've gone back to having dialysis three times a week now.
"I didn't know what to say when I found out I was pregnant, I was really excited."
'First healthy baby in 20 years'
Bobbie-Anne Bedford, lead nurse, said: "Kidney disease usually makes women infertile while you're on dialysis, so it's highly unusual to conceive a baby and to deliver a healthy baby.
"We haven't had a healthy baby born here in over 20 years.
"Ellie found out she was pregnant at 14 weeks and we had to rigorously change her regime and we had to take specialist advice from the QE in Birmingham.
"Her pregnancy was really closely monitored and we had a planned delivery to make sure everything went smoothly.
"Both baby and mum are healthy, they're doing superbly well.
"We're all really excited now but we were really nervous when she was pregnant."
Ellie's partner Dan, 27, is now Ellie's full-time carer.
He said: "I was nervous all the way through her pregnancy."
