'Never stop saying their name' - Bridlington mum shares baby loss story
Amy Campbell lost six of her children
13 babies die in the UK each day through miscarriage, still birth, pregnancy complications and neo-natal death.
The effects can be devastating and long lasting.
At the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week 2022, we're opening up the conversation and creating a platform for mums who would like to share their stories to speak out.
We will hear how they were impacted personally, we will take a look at the long-term consequences of baby loss, and we will provide links to support services where you can find more information.
Amy Campbell's story
Amy is sharing her story after losing six of her children.
She currently lives in Rugby, Warwickshire but she is originally from Bridlington. She has four living children.
Amy said: "I lost twins when I was 18, had my daughter, lost another set of twins when she was two, lost a single, had my son, had another son, had a late loss at almost 16-weeks, a little boy called Grayson, then 11 months later, lost Piper at 16+1 and then we've now got a beautiful little rainbow baby called Kingsley, who's one next month and in July I had another loss at six weeks."
Supporting others
Amy said: "When I lost Grayson I got quite depressed. I actually went to the doctors and got put on anti-depressants and I said to my husband 'I need to do something to help people.' I was messaging total strangers on Facebook off groups and I was supporting them through it when I had only just been through it really, really recently with my son and had to arrange his funeral.
"I helped one of my closest friends who I've known since we were little. I went for my son's appointment at the hospital and she rang me and said 'I need your help,' her waters had broken and she sadly had to give birth to her little boy at 19-weeks, so three months after losing Grayson I was supporting her through it.
"I wanted women and men to have somewhere to go so that they can speak about their babies openly without feeling like they're being judged because a lot of people do. A lot of people feel uncomfortable and it's depressing. It's heartbreaking and it shouldn't be like that. You should be able to speak openly and say your child's name just as much as you do your living children.
"Unfortunately I don't care whether it makes people feel uncomfortable me talking about them. They are my babies. Just because I didn't bring them home and they're not living in my house, I still carried them. I still gave birth to my children just like I did with my living children."
Say their name
Amy added: "Speak. Say their name. Never, ever, ever stop saying their name. Speak to anybody who'll listen. Even if you're on your own, just say their name.
"It's not just parents either. It's siblings. My older children still talk about Grayson and Piper. My son, when he goes in the shower when I wash his hair, I say 'put your head up' and he says 'oh, I can see Grayson and Piper. They're copying me.' It's so nice that their names are still said but it's heartbreaking at the same time."
More awareness
Amy said: "To doctors your baby's just cells, but to you that's your future. I had to physically go into hospital. I was induced with Grayson and Piper so I gave birth to them like I did my four living children. But my other ones, I lost down the toilet. So I have nothing to show. It's heartbreaking that women are being treated like this and they're just expected to move on because it wasn't a fully formed baby.
"I think there definitely needs to be a couple of suites in every single hospital away from the mother and baby unit, because the last thing you want to hear is a baby crying when you've just lost your entire world. It's heartbreaking. I've put a post on my baby loss group and I've had women say the exact same thing.
"No matter what gestation you've still lost a baby. You've still lost a part of your future and that needs to be recognised by everybody. There's nothing in place at work. If you lose a baby early on, you're expected to go abck to work in a couple of days regardless of whether you're still losing blood. You're expected to get on with it.
"I think people's perception is extremely different. It's heartbreaking that there's nothing put into place in workplaces for women that've had a loss. I think managers should be trained. They should have some sort of training or something put into place for women and men because they suffer as well."
Miscarriage from a man's perspective
Amy's husband Wayne created a YouTube channel and posted a video of miscarriage from a man's perspective:
Greatest Hits Radio would like to thank Amy and Wayne for being open in discussing their experience of Baby Loss.
Baby Loss Awareness Week
We will be hearing more stories from people like Amy on Greatest Hits Radio throughout the week, plus we will be looking at what services are like nationally and locally to support women and their families experiencing baby loss.
There are organisations and resources available where you can get support.
The Baby Loss Awareness Alliance has links to national and local services.