A newborn baby has been credited with saving his mum’s life after a brain tumour was found a week after she gave birth.
Abi Naylor, 29, from Congleton, Cheshire, thought her migraines were down to life with a new baby.
When they became “excruciating” she was admitted to hospital and operated on within 48 hours.
Doctors said the tumour may have gone undetected had it not grown due to pregnancy stress and hormones.
After going through the ordeal in October 2022, Mrs Naylor said she and her husband Ross, along with baby Roman, are now “just trying to be a normal family”.
Mrs Naylor said she first noticed a headache when her son was a week old.
“I just thought it was from sleepless nights and breastfeeding…since puberty I’ve always suffered from migraines so just thought this must be a whopping one,” she said.
Days later, Mrs Naylor went to an out-of-hours doctors where she was told it was probably side effects from having an epidural during labour, but was told to go to A&E to have a scan and get painkillers.
Mrs Naylor said things started to get worse and when she woke up the next day she “couldn’t walk or use my right side”.
After a ten-hour wait in A&E, Mrs Naylor said she was eventually given a scan which showed she had a 2.75in (7cm) brain tumour.
“You have doctors telling you what they are going to do next with scans, but you don’t hear any of that,” she said.
“I just thought I’m not going to see my husband or see my baby grow up,” she said.
After being taken to Salford Royal Hospital by ambulance for MRI scans, Mrs Naylor was then told she needed the tumour removed as soon as possible.
“It was a whirlwind,” she said.
Mrs Naylor said she also owes a lot to her husband.
“With a newborn he was doing the night feed while looking after me and having a really positive mindset. He is just the most incredible man I’ve ever met,” she said.
Mrs Naylor said all her scans have now come back clear and that she is recovering well.