The DNA test that showed two women had been swapped at birth

[SerendipityJane]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp3njqd9nl9o

Ds1 was given a tracker ankle bracelet when he was born (mid 2000s). It was ridiculously huge on him and kept slipping off so pretty much useless.

It seemed more like a security feature though as it made the doors of the unit lock if a baby was taken through the gates with it on. Or hidden in the blankets in our case as it had fallen off again and no-one had bothered to ask about it before we left.

They'd been ditched by the time ds2 came along.

Well as someone who knows a bit about radio technology - plus the way the NHS functions - it's total and utter bollocks.

I hardly seen DS when he was born, I was so drugged up my eyes weren't working properly and all I could see was a slimy pink blob.

The midwifes took him away to bath him and by the time I got a proper look at him he was all clean and swaddled in a blanket. I would have trusted any fair haired baby was mine when I finally got my hands on him.

DNA tests have caused so much damage.

Poor Jessica.

I feel it's very bad form of her family to be doing press interviews about it when she so clearly is struggling with it.

Two babies in 2021 and 2024 at a big London hospital. They had a sort of qr code thingy on the printed wrist and foot band. Is that related to the tracking? The security on the ward was incredibly tight though - buzz system to enter and a security guard stood outside the door. When we left, we had to give a slip thing to the security guard which the midwife gave us, to show we were permitted to leave with the baby. So maybe this has all replaced rfid tracking?

I too read the article and felt incredibly sorry for Jessica.

I know this isn't the point and might sound ridiculous, but having had a couple of babies myself, I'm wondering how the mothers did not recognise that the baby handed to them was not theirs

I can easily understand why and not just years ago because babies were taken to a nursery.

When ds1 was born I'd been in labour for 16 hours and had been pushing for 3. He was placed on me but I could barely see straight I was so tired. It certainly wasn't the magical moment of meeting your baby that you see on TV all the time. A flash of him on my chest from an awkward angle. Midwife then took him, eventually passed him to dh and that's pretty much all I remember. I have zero memory of the placenta being delivered, being stitched (after episiotomy), nothing. I was dopey and zoned out for a while then pretty much passed out from exhaustion.

I woke up 2.5 hours later and ds was wrapped up in the crib next to the bed and dh was asleep in a chair. That's when I met him, picked him up, actually saw him. In reality it could have been any baby there and there's no way I would have known.

This has happened in my family, Court case about to go ahead. It’s a mind fuck for everyone, no one knows how to deal with it or how the people involved will live with it.
I can’t say much really due to the court case but I’m wondering if our story should be heard too.

Same here, I have three DC, the youngest born in 2009, all of them just had the anklet with a card inside reading "Baby Unctuous + my hospital ID number".

I've just read that article and also felt for the understandably silent Jessica.

What a very sad story.

My nearly 17 year old was born at The Royal Hampshire county hospital in Winchester and had a ankle tag that wouldn't let her get taken of the ward. She also had the paper wrist bracelets.

My next 3 children were born at a different hospital over the span of 15 years and were only given the paper bracelets.

It made me really sad for Jessica

Not this case (I think it was an Italian hospital - it was an episode of long lost families - the girls ended up in the same class at school and the teacher (who had taught one of their older siblings) was the one who pointed it out and started the discovery) but both mothers said they thought they had the wrong baby - and both were told they were wrong and sleep deprived

I’ve had 5 babies this century, they too only had plastic hospital bands, not just that but my twins had the ones on their feet swapped, though I knew who was who as they were very different sizes/shapes.

I could respond individually but for the sake of time I'll keep it brief. The people concerned who did not contribute to this podcast have been portrayed in a very positive light.

I scrutinised my sons face when he was born and I would have known him anywhere. I would have known if he'd been swapped.
How can you not know your own baby.
However I was 58 when I did a dna test and found out my mother lied about who my father was. I was extremely pissed off as my actual father had by then died without ever knowing he had a daughter. Our relationship has been left in tatters.

I know this isn't the point and might sound ridiculous, but having had a couple of babies myself, I'm wondering how the mothers did not recognise that the baby handed to them was not theirs.

Er, I wouldn’t know!

I honestly could have been handed a piglet at the end of labour. I was just so glad it was over, I barely noticed what they looked like and with my first didn't even ask if it was a boy or girl.

2 of mine don't look anything like me at all. I actually found the lack of recognition I had for them quite difficult. I still find it a bit weird that no one has any idea who I am there to collect from a party or something if they don't know me (I'm the way that they do with the one that is basically a mini version of me!)

I had what others would describe as easy deliveries and I still could easily have been given a random baby, so it is very easy to see that if you've lost a lot of blood, had loads of drugs etc it could happen without detection

I scrutinised my sons face when he was born and I would have known him anywhere. I would have known if he'd been swapped.
How can you not know your own baby.

Mine were taken off me straight away & I was exhausted. Plus they changed over the hours as they lost the squish.

After a few days I could see resemblances to me, DH , family but not at birth

Two DC’s born 2011 and 14 - only a tag on the ankle. DD was taken from me at birth as she was prem and I had surgery. She looked just looked like a baby! I used to walk into the NICU though and when I saw her my breast would leak and tingle - I wonder if that would have happened without a biological connection?

I felt so sorry for Jessica too.

I feel so sorry for all of them. Jessica yes. But claire being raised in difficult situations when she should have been with her real mother.. I think she's handling it quite gracefully because I'd be livid. And Joan too... people are saying Jessica feels pushed aside but I don't think people understand what this feels like..
I've had a similar experience as when the law changed regarding biological parents contacting children, mu family discovered that my mum had been adopted. My gran had been in a mother and baby home in Ireland after having been raped as a teenager. Told to have her baby in this place,that the nuns would care for it until she got herself married and had a house. Then she could come back for the baby.
When she returned the baby had been given away abd she spent her whole life basically looking for my mum. We got all these letters she had tried to send.
My mum was 50 when she discovered this. We had no idea whatsoever. The woman who adopted mum told no one mum was adopted.
The impact on us after finding out had been massive. But there was also impact before we even knew. I always felt like a complete alien. Very unlike any family members. My mum also has attachment issues and her relationship with me.. and with pretty much anyone, has been very difficult.
Even when you are adopted as a baby it has an impact. Even if you don't know you arent related biologically to your parents... well perhaps more so if you don't know. It even has an impact a generation down. It's traumatic.

The mum Joan in this situation did not know a baby had been removed from her at the time but this must have had a massive impact on her. It will gave harmed everyone involved. I feel like people are being a bit mean here only feeling sorry for Jessica and trying to criticise how the rear of them have handled it.. everyone can have very different reactions. No one knows what to do in these situations. It's incredibly surreal.
I remember being angry abd not wanting to see my biological grandma to begin with. I felt this loyalty to my adoptive grandma. I was angry for being told the truth and didn't want anything to do with it.
But that changed after a few years. I do have a relationship with my bio family as does my mother. And I now hold more anger towards my adoptive gran regarding the lies

I had to look at the labels on the cots when I went into the night nursery to collect mine, 1970s, I still think almost babies all look alike! I have a 3 photo frame of my grandchildren as newborns and can just about decide who's who!

I definitely could have been handed another baby and not realised. In my case I had sections and didn't feel safe holding them on the table, so I only got a proper stare at their faces in recovery.

It's such a desperately sad story, especially for Jessica who didn't even do the test and now has had her whole world upended. Imagine hearing you should have grown up in poverty, and that your mum was spending Christmas with her biological daughter. The poor woman mustn't know which way is up. I hope she has good support.

These DNA tests trouble me tbh. I had genetic counselling because of something else, it made me very cautious about the whole thing.

Also how can you read this story & your takeaway be “how can a mother not recognise their own baby”, “I scrutinised my baby’s face” 🙄

Baby in the mid 90s had the security tag on. Not a tracker as such but it sets of security sensors on the doors. We ended up stuck in hospital for hours waiting for it to be removed and let through the security doors because nonurse was available.

I really felt for Jessica. She seems to be a total afterthought amongst her family throughout the whole process.
As for not recognising your baby, this is understandable. My baby was born very unwell, they whisked her away to resuscitate and I was barely conscious. Once we were both healthy enough to be reunited she looked completely different.
There was no tracking tag either.