A devastated mum has described the heartache of having the first funeral she ever attended being for her own baby daughter.
Jade Smith had been over-the-moon to learn she was pregnant after watching her friends enjoying ‘mummy stuff’ together – and the first six months passed relatively smoothly.
On February 28, Jade started to notice reduced movements, yet despite mentioning it at a gestational diabetes appointment that day, doctors claimed the little one was ‘thriving’.
But the 25-year-old’s life ‘completely changed’ forever just one day later as her routine 36-week scan ended with the devastating news her baby girl had passed away.
Heartbroken by the loss of her daughter, Jade says she was then left on a labour ward to process what had happened – while mothers and their new babies surrounded her.
Despite being 25 years old, Jade had never had to go to a funeral before and faced the unimaginable experience of her first one being for her own daughter.
Now she finally feels ready to speak out and raise awareness about the dangers of reduced foetal movement and is calling on it to be treated more seriously.
Jade, from Raynes Park, London, said: “The midwife looked at me and just said ‘your baby’s gone’.
“My mum was screaming and had a breakdown. I didn’t understand.
“I was pushing my belly expecting her to move – she’d been moving that morning.
“[After I gave birth to her and] she was placed in my arms, it was the worst feeling in the world.
“Darcie-Rose’s was the first funeral I’d ever been to and for that to be my daughter, my first-born, it was very tough.
“The funeral was very soon after she was born. I was in shock the whole time. I remember speaking to the post-natal nurse after the funeral and explaining that I don’t remember a lot.
“Losing her has completely changed my life.”
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