A NEW mum has told of her joy after giving birth to a 'miracle baby' after she contracted coronavirus when she was 35 weeks pregnant.

Courtney Sewell said she was told that the affects of Covid-19 on unborn babies was 'unknown' leaving her to fight the illness and worry about whether her baby Archie would survive.

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The mum-of-two who also has crohns disease said that having coronavirus when pregnant was frightening.

She said: "I have never been as scared in my life and being breathless was the worst feeling to have, it really had a knock on effect."

Courtney, 26, of Hollinwood, found out she had the virus when she went for a midwife checkup and said symptoms came on all of a sudden.

She said: "I was in the hospital waiting room and suddenly became breathless. I couldn't breathe and within an hour I was coughing badly."

After being kept in isolation for 24 hours at St Mary's hospital, Courtney was allowed to go home to her four-year-old son Alex and partner Anton.

She said: "I am shocked I was allowed back home as Archie's heart rate was increasing because my breathing was decreasing.

"I went home and was bed bound and had to isolate, that's all I could do.

"My anxiety was through the roof because I wasn't sure that Archie would be getting enough oxygen, I couldn't eat and had lost all senses of taste and smell, when I asked the doctors if Archie would be well, they said there wasn't enough evidence at the moment on how covid affects unborn babies."

Courtney gave birth to little Archie at 39 weeks, just before Christmas.

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He was born with his umbilical chord wrapped around his neck three times.

Courtney said: "When he was born he looked so poorly that was because of the umbilical chord being around his neck. I was just glad to get him out. The whole experience was traumatic and he really is a miracle baby."

After the birth, Courtney's placenta was donated to the hospital for research.

She said: "Hopefully corona will not impact on Archie and any unborn baby but more research needs to be done."