Expecting moms are often warned of several less-than-desirable side effects of having a baby like incontinence and fluctuating hormones, but few, if any, are ever warned that having a baby may cause an extremely rare form of cancer.
Which is why one UK mother of three was completely stunned when she found out that her last pregnancy had caused her to develop a life-threatening disease. After the birth of her youngest child, Layla, 26-year-old Ashley Shaw had a feeling that something was wrong when her period hadn’t returned to normal, but her concerns were repeatedly brushed off by doctors.
Layla had been born eight weeks early after doctors discovered that the placenta had mysteriously died, but Ashley was allowed to take her home in just a few weeks. Just as Ashley started to stop worrying about her baby’s health, her own health became a concern. “In the months after Layla arrived in October 2014, I had this strange feeling that something just wasn’t right,” Ashley explained. “My periods hadn’t returned to normal and I felt generally off. For months I begged my GP for tests, but it wasn’t until I had my routine smear in February this year that I was diagnosed with the tumor.” Further tests finally diagnosed her with a placental site trophoblastic tumor, a rare form of cancer caused by the cells that attach the placenta to the womb.
“My periods hadn’t returned to normal and I felt generally off. For months I begged my GP for tests, but it wasn’t until I had my routine smear in February this year that I was diagnosed with the tumor.” Further tests finally diagnosed her with a placental site trophoblastic tumor, a rare form of cancer caused by the cells that attach the placenta to the womb.
“When I discovered it was a direct result of being pregnant with Layla I couldn’t believe it. I’d never heard of this happening before,” Ashley said. “At first I didn’t understand how being pregnant with Layla could have caused this. But, as I did more research things started to make sense. It was no wonder my placenta had failed if the tumor had already started growing. It was a miracle Layla was even alive.”
Ashley agreed to have a hysterectomy immediately so that the cancer couldn’t spread.“I felt like a terrible mother as I couldn’t be there for my children while I was recovering, and having no womb left me feeling like less of a woman,” said Ashley who is now completely healed and sharing her story to warn other moms. “Now I want to raise awareness for other mums, as this cancer is so rare. If I can inspire just one woman to keep nagging her doctor when she notices something isn’t right, it will be worth it.”
Did you know having a baby could cause a rare form of cancer? Let us know in the comments below, and please SHARE this with parents on Facebook to spread Ashley’s warning.
[Featured image: Medavia]
Mom Discovers Newborn Baby Gave Her Rare Cancer is an article from: LifeDaily