#stillBORN Campaign - Jack's Story

Published on: 27/03/2017

At 41 weeks I presented at the hospital with reduced movement for my first child, they did a trace and all was fine.
gemma-stuart

At 41+1 my midwife was supposed to come and see me but didn’t turn up, when I eventually got hold of her she said she was too busy to see me.
At 41+2 I went into natural labour, headed to the hospital with my husband and best friend and my mum mets us there. The midwife listened in using a doppler and couldn’t hear anything, she tried twice more and then decided to get the doctor to come and scan me. After half an hour of scanning in silence the doctor turned to us and just said sorry and then left the room.
I was given Oramorph and moved to a room away from the other labouring mothers. I laboured through the night on self administered morphine and gas and air, my dad rushed down from Bristol to be with me. At 7.30 the following morning, 19th August 2009, Jack Peter Stuart was born silently. I spent the next day cuddling him on and off but unfortunately at this time Exeter didn’t have any cold cots so he had to be put in a cold office. I left to hospital the following day.

gemma-stuart2Jack’s post mortem showed clots in the placenta and umbilical cord but tests found no reason for the clots. I have since had 2 rainbow babies, Milo 6 and Hattie 4. I took baby aspirin throughout both pregnancies to prevent any clots. I like to refer to Jack as my pioneer baby as he paved the way for Milo and Hattie.

Gemma Stuart