Scottish mum campaigning for miscarriage facilities on all UK labour wards
On Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, we're hearing about one woman's campaign for specialist miscarriage facilities in all hospitals.
Last updated 15th Oct 2021
A mum, who was left traumatised after having to deliver her stillborn baby on a labour ward, is telling MFR she's determined no other woman should have to go through the same thing.
Louise Caldwell, 38, from East Kilbride, started a petition after losing her own baby in 2019.
Because she was 13-weeks pregnant at the time, she had to deliver her baby in a labour ward.
She said: "As soon as the consultant mentioned the labour ward, nothing else sunk in.
"When we arrived at the hospital, we were actually let in by a dad, a really excited dad, and rightly so, he should have been excited and bursting with pride."
'Absolutely terrified'
Louise says she was assured by a midwife that she would be made comfortable, but instead was put in a room at the back of the ward.
She said: "We didn't know what to expect, or what was going to happen, and then to add to the mix that we were in a labour ward surrounded by cards, flowers, and balloons, knowing that women were delivering their babies, where I was going to deliver my sleeping baby, wasn't a nice feeling at all."
"I was so worried, [wondering] what I was going to hear from outside, was I going to see anything?"
Time for change
Louise says she was inspired to start her campaign after hearing of another woman, who, at 31-weeks pregnant, had lost her baby.
"I knew what was going to happen, I knew where she was going to go, and it just spurred me on.
"That night I sat at my computer, just writing this petition, trying to be delicate about it.
"There were people signing it who had lost babies, their mums, sisters, family wives had lost babies, even back in the 70s, and they were still haunted by the labour ward."
The Scottish Government has now agreed to implement the change on all maternity wards, from next year.
Louise received a letter on 7 October confirming women's services on Health Boards will all have dedicated facilities for women experiencing unexpected pregnancy complications.
'Thrilled to pieces'
She said: "When I first saw that, I didn't believe it. I messaged my husband, one of my friends, my local councillor.
"I eventually plucked up the courage to phone the researcher, and I asked 'what does this mean? Does this mean we're getting the units?' and he said 'it absolutely means you're getting the units'.
"I can't get my head around it that I've done this. A wee mum from East Kilbride has done this on her own. I put it out there and I fought hard for it."
"I was so emotional, I was absolutely thrilled to pieces. It feels completely overwhelming and so surreal."
Louise is now working with her local MP, Dr Lisa Cameron, to take the campaign to the UK Parliament.
On scaling-up her petition, she said: "I ask whether I'm going to have the strength to do it, because I'm regurgitating what happened to me over and over again.
"But as of right now, Dr Cameron has mentioned the campaign in the UK Parliament, and we have 11 political parties which have signed the early day motion.
"I have family in England, and why shouldn't they have a ward? It could be their family, it could be their daughter, sister, mother, who need this, because it's 1 in 4 women, and they deserve that."