Sam and Snezana Wood have opened up about their ”toughest time as parents”, sharing an intimate insight into the traumatic birth of their baby girl Harper.
First meeting on season three of The Bachelor back in 2015, the loved up couple share three other daughters, Charlie, 3, Willow, 5, and Snez’s daughter from a previous relationship Eve, 17.
And whilst managing two toddlers and a teenager has created its own challenges for the pair, nothing could have prepared them for little Harper’s arrival into the world on May 4.
Discussing the experience as a ”rollercoaster”, the couple said that the impending joy of becoming parents for the fourth time was soon overtaken but rapidly escalating health complications for both mum and bubs.
”It was horrendous, absolutely horrendous,” the 28 by Sam Wood founder said of that time, ”I think that would be our toughest time as parents that we’ve had to endure.
”Snez got sick, really sick…and she never gets sick, she is so tough!”
The night before Harper’s premature delivery, Sam said that Snez was ”violently shaking” and ”extremely cold” which made him concerned. But 10 hours later, Snez admits she ”felt fine”, even when her waters broke one month early.
”As soon as Harper was born, Snezana’s body shut down again…10 times worse than the night before. There were about 16 people in the birthing suite, Harper was on Snez’s chest and then Snez started convulsing” Sam said.
”The doctors immediately turned their attention to Snez saying it wasn’t normal, they were really concerned.
”Snez contracted an infection in her placenta that you usually get in the throat and this infection was then passed on to Harper.”
Speaking on his wife’s rollercoaster ideal, Sam said that for the first month of life, Harper was stuck in hospital, Snez herself unable to meet Harper for her first few days after her serious labour complications.
As it turned out, Snez had sepsis and blood poisoning and was rushed off to the ICU while Harper was rushed to the special care unit.
”I’d just had Harper and I wasn’t able to be with her or hold her, it didn’t even feel, almost, like I’d had a baby,” Snez shared. ”It was horrible.”
”I think don’t think Snez even realised how sick she was because she was so worried about Harper.”
And whilst this period of their lives was surely troubling, the family is happy and healthier than ever in the lead up to Christmas.