#stillBORN campaign - Lewis's story of reduced movements

It was my first pregnancy and it had been textbook all the way through with no problems whatsoever. I only had the normal 12 week and 20 week scan. I was 40 weeks 4 days when I noticed my baby hadn’t moved for a while but I just believed that my baby was running out of room and wasn’t worried as the midwife was due in the morning. I didn’t think for one minute anything could be wrong with my baby as I was passed my due date and my baby was completely healthy!

The next day when the midwife couldn’t find the heartbeat she sent me to the hospital. I was scanned and given the devastating news that my baby had died and I had to give birth for the first time knowing my baby was dead. The next day (25th November 2013) I gave birth to my baby boy, Lewis, weighing 6lbs 15oz and completely perfect. I spent a week going up and down the hospital to see Lewis before his funeral. The hospital had a lovely family room so I could do all the normal stuff like changing him, holding him, kissing him, bringing family to see him. I still wanted to show off my beautiful baby and I will always be so grateful for this time with Lewis.

It was two months later when I got the results from the tests they had done and there was no reason for Lewis death. The only thing they could say it may have been was he had the cord wrapped tightly around his neck in a tight knot but they couldn’t definitely put it down to this. I wish that I had been made more aware that stillbirth can happen in normal healthy pregnancies as it is still a taboo subject. I also think that to only have a scan at 12 weeks and 20 weeks is not good enough. That leaves another 20 weeks without a scan to check babies.

It was only afterwards when I was pregnant with my two girls that I was given extra scans and induced at 38 weeks each time. Women shouldn’t have to go through something so devastating before being given thorough care.

Laura Wilton