On the 5/10/16 at the Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle, I arrived for a routine scan at 23+ weeks, I was told my baby had no heartbeat. I had only felt my boy doing his somersaults the night before!
A midwife came took us through to a specialist suite called the Snowdrop Suite, away from all the other mothers and their babies, not at all clinical where no rules applied so all of our family could come to see us. The midwife explained to us what would be happening next. We arranged to come back on 7/10/16 so that I could be induced.
I arrived that morning and was taken into delivery, again no rules applied. Labour began and the midwife barely left the room and tried her best to distract us from the unbearable thought that we weren't going to hear our baby's cry at the end of it all. I gave birth to our beautiful sleeping boy, Oliver Roper Lumley, surrounded by family at 22:05 that night.
He was put into a cot which looked like any other called a Cuddle cot a piece of rare equipment only recently obtained by the Cumberland Infirmary. These cots mean that for the following 72 hours after birth stillborn babies can be kept by their parents bed, where they can hold them, kiss them and talk to them, creating those special memories.
Unfortunately later that night I hemorrhaged, my husband was given all the support he needed and we were both taken care of quickly and effectively, this is why I'm still here!
We went back to the Snowdrop suite as a family, without this suite, cold cot and the amazing midwifes we wouldn't of had that time, support and we wouldn't have each-other. The charity funds all of this and helps with funeral costs aswell. Just amazing!
My mum is now making owl cussions 'Ollies Owls' to raise funds for this cause, £12 for large and £8 for a small please contact Karen Atkinson or myself Rachel Lumley on FB or on here for more details.