Dad Nearly Missed Son's Birth As Stress And Bowel Disorder Caused Him To Suffer Extreme Diarrhoea

Dad Nearly Misses Son's Birth Due To Extreme Diarrhoea

A dad nearly missed the birth of his first child because the combination of stress and his severe bowel disorder meant he needed to go to the toilet 20 times while his wife was in labour.

Seb Tucknott, 29, from Shoreham, West Sussex, suffers from ulcerative colitis, an inflammation of the colon and rectum.

According to the NHS it is estimated that around 1 in every 420 people living in the UK has ulcerative colitis; this amounts to around 146,000 people.

Tucknott said he was so stressed during the birth of his son Hayden, now seven months, he had to fight his wife Emily Bridges, 32, for use of the bathroom.

He explained: "Hayden was due on 31 December last year but didn't arrive until 13 January this year.

"Despite the stress and anxiety this caused I was okay until we got to Worthing Hospital for Emily to give birth."

Seb Tucknott and his son Hayden

Tucknott said he has spoken out to let other people know they were not alone and should not be ashamed.

He added: "[When she was giving birth] it was 2am and tiredness can affect my condition.

"It was a difficult labour and due to the stress I went to the toilet around 20 times in the next 24 hours.

"I was worried I was going to miss the birth. On one occasion I couldn't use the bathroom because she [Bridges] was in it.

"She'd heard having a bath could relieve the pain of labour.

"I made it to the sink [in the hospital room] just in time.

"Another time Emily was having a contraction when I needed the toilet, and so she was holding my hand.

"It meant I couldn’t move and I had to hold on.

"The contraction lasted about a minute.

"I had to dash off as soon as it had finished. When it came to Emily giving birth though, I was ok.

"Somehow I got to see Hayden come in to the world."

After his wife gave birth, she needed surgery meaning Tucknott was left to take care of his newborn.

He said: "I needed the toilet again so had to wheel Hayden in to the cubicle with me.

"He was only a few hours old.

"That was a bonding experience I'll never forget."

"When we got him home I was worried the lack of sleep that comes with having a baby would make my condition worse but that wasn’t the case thankfully."

Tucknott was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in 2008 after spotting blood in the toilet.

He was put on steroids for three to four years to bring the inflammation down and get his condition under control.

But the medication made him feel lethargic, so TUcknott decided to see if there was anything else he could do to manage his condition. He researched his condition online and decided to alter his diet.

He tried cutting out dairy products, gluten, processed food and alcohol.

He ate meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, and rice, which he found were easy to digest and supported his immune system, which helped his ulcerative colitis.

He said: "I learnt some food was rough, like sandpaper, and went straight through me so I changed my diet and suddenly felt healthier than I had in years."

Tucknott and his wife are currently raising money to help them pay for their website launch, ibdrelief.com.

They said they have six days to raise the remaining £13,000.

Tucknott, who is asking for donations via crowdfunder.co.uk, said: "A lot of people struggle with inflammatory bowel diseases, like Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis, but they're scared of talking about it.

"We set up the website to teach others some of what I’ve learnt about how to cope with the condition and manage it, as there’s no real sharing out there.

"I would have loved to have spoken to someone like me when I was first diagnosed."

"Anyone who makes a pledge now will receive a reward, one of these being a 'Get Caught Short' kit, which includes wet wipes, tissues, antibacterial liquid and spare underwear."

The NHS state: “Ulcerative colitis is a long-term condition, where the colon and rectum become inflamed.

“The colon is the large intestine (bowel), and the rectum is the end of the bowel where stools are stored.

“Small ulcers can develop on the colon's lining, and can bleed and produce pus.

“The main symptoms of ulcerative colitis are: recurring diarrhoea which may contain blood, mucus or pus, abdominal pain and needing to empty your bowels frequently.

“Ulcerative colitis is thought to be an autoimmune condition.

"This means the immune system – the body’s defence against infection – goes wrong and attacks healthy tissue.

"The condition can develop at any age, but is most often diagnosed between 15 and 25.”

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