'Monitor your baby's movements' when pregnant, urges Stamford mum

Last year, we spoke with a Stamford mum who wants more parents to know the possible signs of still birth.

Mum-of-three Frankie Brunker lost her first baby Esme when she was stillborn in 2013, after she'd noticed her movements slowing down and eventually stopping.

'It was only when I'd realised her movements had slowed down and stopped that I went to the hospital, and that's when we found out she'd died. I feel a lot of guilt. If I'd have gone to hospital sooner, if I'd noticed her movements had changed earlier, could she have been saved?'

Frankie added: I had no idea that you could go through a pregnancy with no problems, everything seeming fine, your baby being perfectly healthy, and then they could still die.'

'We shouldn't have to feel the guilt'

This baby loss awareness week, we caught back up with Frankie, who's now also calling for more research into baby loss, to prevent others from having to go through it.

'We shouldn't have to feel the guilt and the shame surrounding it, and we should feel open to share the story of all of our children.'

'When I've shared my story, people have commended me for being brave. I wish that wasn't the case. I wish it could be more normalised to talk about these things.'

She added: 'I'm a proud mother of three, and I always include Esme in my children count, even though she's not here with us. It's the reactions of other people that make me fearful of sharing her story, so if wider society could become more open to hearing our stories, to listening to us, that would be wonderful.'

For more information on stillbirth, and how to look out for possible causes, visit the NHS website here.

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• baby loss awareness week