Celia's Story

We had a very easy pregnancy with our first daughter (Hope) but she failed to progress during labour and I ended up in surgery after 3 days of contractions only getting me to 7cm With our 2nd daughter (Eliza) everything was going fine until 18 weeks when a routine urine test showed blood in my urine. I was sent for a reassurance scan where I was told there was no heartbeat. This was during covid and so I was alone without my husband. I was induced and 30 hours later I gave birth to the most gorgeous girl. We decided not to have any more children as Eliza’s birth was so awful, then at Christmas I said to my husband that maybe I was ready, we could try for 6 months and see what happens. I got pregnant in January and at 32 weeks I went into spontaneous labour. I was terrified. All I could see in my head was my sleeping daughter and I knew it would be the same this time. I was rushed into surgery as the baby was transverse (trying to come out shoulders first) and I spent the whole time crying. A midwife poked her head round the curtain and said ‘its a boy’ before he was wheeled away. I started to scream that he was being taken away and we should be allowed to cuddle him before he went to the mortuary at which point a Dr told us he was alive and going to the SCBU. We were equal parts relieved and terrified. Its 3 weeks later now and our son (Hamish) is still in hospital. The time will come when he gets to come home and meet Hope, and when he’s older we will visit Eliza’s grave and be a family of 5.