When one iVillager was taken ill in the night, she didn't realise that her life would be transformed in the next few hours

Unexpected pain

Just after midnight on Saturday, 2 June 2001, I started getting really bad cramps in my stomach. I thought they were period pains as I was due that day. I tried staying in bed, but I couldn't stop going to the toilet so I decided to get up and watch television.

The pains started getting worse. Because I lived on my own, I waited until 10.30am the next day before phoning my mam. As soon as she saw me, she phoned the local hospital and they sent an ambulance for us.

On arrival at the hospital I was asked to give a sample as they thought I might have a urine infection. The test came back negative but I did have a high level of protein in my water. Then the doctor examined me and gave me the biggest shock of my life.

Shocking news

Quite calmly, he said, 'Did you know you are pregnant?' My reply was something along the lines of 'don't be so stupid - I would know if I was'. I was 23 years old at the time, and it had been my birthday exactly a month before. If I had known I was pregnant, I certainly wouldn't have celebrated in the way that I did.

His next comment seemed even more outrageous: he informed me that I was in labour. My disbelieving mam demanded a pregnancy test to confirm what he was telling us. He said there was no point as I was already in labour, but he did one anyway.

When the result was positive, I just screamed and told him he was lying (among other things that I can't repeat here). I burst into tears and so did my mam. She went out to phone the rest of the family who were obviously also very shocked.

Into the labour ward

I was then transferred from Accident and Emergency to the maternity unit ten minutes away. By this time, my contractions were coming every three minutes.

The midwife was kind. She asked me what names I had chosen, and I simply told her, 'I'm not having a baby'.

I couldn't cope with the pain and the shock at the same time, so I was given an epidural. I felt better after it began to work - until they told me the baby was distressed.

The next thing I knew, my legs were in stirrups and they were scratching the baby's head to see how much oxygen it was getting. My mam said that it was only when I was lying on my back that she could see I had a bump.

I can just about remember them trying to break my waters, which they couldn't as I didn't have any. Later, my mam asked the doctor why I didn't have a visible bump, and she said it was because I had so little amniotic fluid.

Small but perfectly formed

At six in the evening the midwife asked for a Caesarean section as she was losing the baby's heartbeat. I was taken into theatre, and my daughter was born at 6.15pm.

The first thing I noticed was blood running down her cheek. The doctor told me they had cut her when they opened me, as there was no amniotic fluid to protect her. She was checked over and weighed, and we were told she was perfect and a healthy 5lb 7oz.

We then went onto the ward where I started getting used to the idea of being a mother. My sister-in-law rushed out shopping to buy the things I needed for hospital.

I decided to name my daughter Kelsie Marie-Alice. It was very strange having someone else depend on me - I kept waking up thinking I was dreaming and it had happened to someone else.

I eventually started to bond with and love my daughter, although it did take about a month to admit to myself that she was mine.

Family support

I have been very lucky with help. People I hardly knew bought clothes and presents for Kelsie. A friend gave me her cot and another provided a pram. My family have been brilliant: they baby-sit once a week so I can go out.

My mam even gave up her job to become my childminder. I work down a mine, and was able to return when Kelsie was ten weeks old.

I wouldn't be without my little girl now -although I would have preferred some warning about her arrival.