Herald Sun: Countess of Wessex was close to death [18nov03]
LONDON
"The Countess of Wessex was said to be minutes from death during the traumatic birth of her daughter last week. Sophie is being kept in hospital for longer than planned to give her a chance to bond with her baby. She was said to be just 20 minutes from death after suffering both internal bleeding and placental abruption - where the placenta peels from the wall of the womb...." [Discusses briefly how a six-day separation could cause problems with breastfeeding (no doubt!) - JC]