Mother issues seatbelt warning to expectant parents after horror car crash while 38 weeks pregnant left her ‘lucky to be alive’
- Louise Woodhead, 29, was driving when car trying to overtake crashed into her
A mother has issued a seatbelt warning to expectant parents after she was in a horror car crash while 38 weeks pregnant – leaving her ‘lucky’ to be alive.
Louise Woodhead, 29, was driving with her partner Ben Rafferty, 32, and a friend when a car crashed into her while trying to overtake a tractor in June.
The car pushed her into a hedge after hitting the driver’s side – with the impact causing the air bags to go off and leaving the mother ‘scared to death about the baby’.
Ms Woodhead was taken in an ambulance to hospital where they ran an ultrasound and CT scan to check the baby was ok.
She suffered extensive bruising across her stomach and thighs but welcomed her baby boy Sullivan, now three-months-old, on July 4, 2023, weighing 7lbs 4oz.
Louise Woodhead, 29, (pictured) has issued a seatbelt warning to expectant parents after she was in a horror car crash while 38 weeks pregnant
A car crashed into her and pushed her into a hedge after hitting the driver’s side – leaving Ms Woodhead ‘scared to death about the baby’
Ms Woodhead suffered extensive bruising across her stomach and thighs
The mother-of-two feels ‘lucky’ her and Sullivan are okay but has warned other expectant parents to be more cautious when driving and to wear an adaptable seat belt to protect your abdomen.
Ms Woodhead, a nursery nurse, from Worksop, Nottinghamshire, said: ‘A tractor was doing the hedgerow on the other side of the road.
‘In a split second a car came round a blind bend – it didn’t have time to stop and came on my side of the road to avoid the tractor.
‘It pushed me off the road and hit my side of the car. The impact hit me and all the airbags came out.
‘I was scared to death about the baby. My stomach was black and looked really bad.
‘I’m lucky I’m here and I have a baby.’
Louise said it was ‘a massive scare’ when the car hit her head on while she was on the way to breakfast with Mr Rafferty, a civil servant.
‘My door was smashed in. The driver of the car that crashed into me had to pull me out and carry me out,’ she said.
Ms Woodhead welcomed her baby boy Sullivan, now three-months-old, on July 4, 2023, weighing 7lbs 4oz
Ms Woodhead now advises others to wear an adaptable seat belt which she believes could save a baby’s life or ease bruising if the worst happens. Pictured: Finlay and baby Sullivan
The mother’s bruising had still not gone down when she went to give birth
READ MORE: Pregnant woman, 35, loses unborn baby when she is caught in horrific two-car crash on busy A-road
‘It’s not what you want at 38 weeks pregnant.’
She was blue lighted to Northern general hospital before they were able to check the baby’s heartbeat and Louise was reassured her unborn baby was ok.
A further internal examination and Chesterfield Royal Hospital confirmed her placenta was in tact.
Ms Woodhead said: ‘They checked the heartbeat. Everything was still secure.’
The mother’s bruising had still not gone down when she went to give birth.
She had an emergency c-section after a long labour and welcomed Sullivan at 11.06am on July 4 2023 at Chesterfield Royal Hospital.
She said: ‘I didn’t know how but he was absolutely fine. Not a mark on him. He’s brilliant and very chunky.’
Ms Woodhead now advises others to wear an adaptable seat belt which she believes could save a baby’s life or ease bruising if the worst happens.
She said: ‘It eases the tension across the stomach. It would stop bruising and stop the damage to a baby.
‘I was lucky – he was quite robust – but it could have been different. Somebody else might not be that lucky.’
The driver was given a driving course and no criminal charges were brought against them.
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