I have no words - woman now stranded after wanting to give birth in St Lucia (on the beach...)

[Nanny0gg]

https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/uk-world-news/new-mum-stranded-after-being-8669669

What on earth were they thinking??

My thought too!

Why should they help them for very very poor decision-making? Most people expecting a baby plan for the safest and nearest to home delivery of that baby and for that reason decide to stay close to home nearer the birth. They don't have some absolutely numpty idea of taking a long haul flight (added clot risk to her) to hatch out a mermaid to some whale music while cuddling some seaweed. They certainly don't abandon their other child at home.

The consulate is to make sure that when people get into difficulties through no fault of their own eg had a crime committed against them, had passport lost or stolen, been accused of a crime and they need to obtain legal representation or some similar thing. Why do I get the feeling that the consulate probably HAVE given them advice and told them what they need to do? And this is just a poor planning/lack of money thing. That is NOT what the consulate is there to do, bail you out financially.

Darwin award right there.
How unutterably stupid!
Could have given birth at home.

Silly vain woman.
I pity her daughter abandoned in U.K.

The boat is quite nice, how could they afford it if cant afford a couple of plane tickets?

How could they even attempt it if not organised enough to get a child passport renewed?

I'm actually fascinated now - must be a lot more to this story I think

Right pair of spuds 🥔 for parents!
Poor baby!🤣

Eggsactly... isn't childbirth horrendously messy enough without adding in the horror that is sand?! In your bits, on your baby, on the placenta....

I clearly wasn't referring to this case or this couple but responding to a more general post about help British citizens can expect abroad.

The reason I though they'd be more legal framework for support rather than relying on a tradition of being helpful is that because British tax payer go abroad for many reasons including work and sometime get into despite doing nothing wrong - plus given cuts all services have had last few years I'm actually surprised with no legal requirement in many cases they are hugely helpful and it explains other cases where little is done.

St Lucia.....Louisa?

I must say the notion of giving birth on a beach next to the sound of the lapping waves had never occurred to me, but I rather like it. I'd certainly have done it had it been a possibility.

I'm surprised I haven't heard of it being done before and agree that the beaches in Cornwall, Newquay etc would be ideal...or Scilly...

Someone will make this a thriving business idea I'm sure.

They don’t need consulate help though. They are 2 adults with British passports. They just need to go online and book 2 flights home. They could have been home immediately. No one’s stopping them.
The baby that may or may not be theirs isn’t a British Citizen so nothing to do with our consulate.
If the baby is left then the authorities will deal with it eg put in foster care.
The story is so bonkers it’s probably true but It might not be they might be illegal baby trafficking.
Their behaviour is red flag central.
They were in one country St Lucia, got no where so went to a different Country Grenada to try there.

Sheer idiocy

Well, she looks great in a swimsuit so soon after having a baby…

Im bloody glad they’re having to get a DNA test and jump through hoops. I’d be appalled if you could just rock up with a baby and ask for a birth certificate.

@CurlyhairedAssassin
When DH was mugged in Florence and had his passport, return air ticket and some money stolen, the Consulate were extremely helpful. Once they had verified his identity, they issued a travel document which enabled him to re enter the UK . It took two days. The existence of this document meant that the airline accepted this and the police report when he reported the crime and issued a free replacement ticket ( though the original had been paid for).

They asked whether he needed emergency funds, but he didn’t because his credit card was not stolen, and also he had adequate travel insurance to cover Any extra expenses. They were courteous and helpful throughout.

Interested to hear the outcome of the DNA testing. This is just too weird. Maybe secret adoption or surrogacy?

The whole thing doesn't make sense. I think there has to be more to it. Even if you accept that they have zero common sense, how were they hoping to live for the amount of time it took to get the baby's passport and then pay to get home. She already has a child. Surely she should be aware that not all deliveries are straightforward.

Something just doesn't add up here. Surely friends and family in the UK could send them money for food at least.

My cynical brain is saying it was an illegal surrogacy and they need money for more bribes to pay off the people that could blow the whole thing apart, and then money to forge the correct paperwork to get the baby a passport. Don’t think these sort of things don’t go on.

You cannot just go through departures with a baby in tow that you can't formally verify is yours.

Wow just wow!
Surely this is bollocks, I mean nobody is that thick and entitled to think this was a good idea!
If it is actually what has happened then I feel sorry for the kids involved with those 2 as parents. Reckon there will be a lot of therapy required when they get older!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10874039/Mother-goes-viral-free-birthing-son-ocean.html

This is the beach birth I’d seen. I wonder if mum has seen this go viral and thought I’ll do same.

You can't cure stupid.

"We are essentially stateless.."

The word "privilege" is wildly overused in my opinion, but it's apt here. Two Brits, white ones too (would this even be reported if they were not? I'm not sure) abandoned a child for at least 6 weeks, possibly more and flew half way around the world to have the birth of their/her dreams. The birth went well, mother and baby are healthy, and now they feel that because they're caught up in red tape, ie reality, that they're essentially stateless?!

Clive might want to thank his lucky stars that he has no idea of what it means to be stateless.

You dear need to be more discerning in your choice of beaches. No doubt you're one of those who thinks that everything outside the UK is superior, those of us with experience laugh at you!

Men called Clive are just not designed to be new age hippy influencers.

Clive should have stayed at home and polished his Rover.

They want the taxpayer to stump up.
"The Foreign Office should help" just means they want others to sort out their ridiculous mess.

so they went knowing they were going to do this and thought they could just pop back on a plane the next day with a new baby?

idiots theydont deserve help

No they can’t take the baby through departures - baby would have to stay (children’s home, foster care whatever they have in Grenada)
But they are implying they can’t leave - prisoner/hostage/stateless.
They the adults can leave but presumably they don’t want to leave the baby. But it’s a choice.
Baby is a separate legal entity and needs own paperwork which they don’t seem to have appreciated.