Giving birth to my stillborn daughter was horrific. NHS staff saved us from despair

Giving birth to my stillborn daughter was horrific. NHS staff saved us from despair At every stage the experience and understanding of the midwives and doctors guided us through this traumatic experience

One night when I was expecting my first child, I woke up with a start. I was due to give birth any day and it was obvious to me that my baby had stopped moving. At midnight, my husband and I dashed to triage where we were seen by a friendly but unconcerned midwife. She nonchalantly pulled out a Doppler and placed it on my stomach to listen to the baby’s heartbeat. There wasn’t one. She didn’t tell us that, but it was obvious by the silence. At my last checkup two weeks before, the midwife had been able to find the heartbeat almost instantly.

A series of consultants were led to the room, each with increasing seniority. They took turns placing the doppler on different parts of my stomach to find the heartbeat. The silence continued. Someone was found to operate the ultrasound machine so they could see the baby; my husband told me not to look. Eventually a consultant took my hand and told me she was sorry, the baby was gone. The most senior consultant was called to verify that devastating news and from that moment a world of NHS services we never imagined existed enveloped around us. Continue reading... The Guardian