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Bereavement

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Lost our little girl... why???

282 replies

jangus · 09/04/2005 11:12

I'm new to this. On the 14th March I went in to be induced at 9days over, they told me I was the least favourable to go into labour out of the three of us that arrived and I was given a pessary. After an hour they put a monitor and after a while noticed blips with the baby?s heartbeat and I was having regular contractions. I stayed on the monitor for a couple of hours and was then moved through to the labour ward. When I got there they decided that because I was not dilated at all and they couldn?t break my waters I would have to go for a section, so I was prepped. I was given an inhaler to stop the contractions and then a doctor came said that he would leave us for another hour and see if things settled down. he came back said things looked better and I was taken back to the other ward. I was left from about 10pm that night and no one looked near me until 10am the next morning because the doc on duty was called to theatre. When I was put on the monitor the baby?s heart rate was sitting around 150 (the previous day it was 140). I was examined at about 11.45am and told that nothing had changed but there were still dips in the baby?s heartbeat all morning. At 12.10 I was told that I was going through to the labour ward and told to phone my husband. At 12.30 there were a couple of big dips and my notes were taken to the doc and he sent back word that I would have a section at 2pm. At 1pm there was a big dip and the doc was sent for, he came in, looked at the scan and said that the section would still be a 2pm as the baby had recovered from the dip. At 1.31pm her little heart stopped. They said sorry and we are left totally devastated and lost without her..... How can we recover from this?

OP posts:
mears · 07/05/2005 19:54

jangus - just read your update. I agree that you will probably be best seeing this consultant next time for the reasons you gave. He will be aware of all the issues and will look after you extremely closely next time. He will be very affected by what happened too. Although Lilli-Mae cannot be brought back, you may be consoled to know that there will be changes in procedures.

So sorry also to read about the problems with your house. I would imagine that you could withdraw considering the marked increase in price. It is so unfair that you have to deal with this as well as grieving for your baby

CountessDracula · 07/05/2005 23:06

jangus I somehow missed all this when it happened. I am so so sorry. A similar thing happened to my Mum with my elder brother.

FWIW I think the Doctor sounds a very decent sort of bloke who is feeling terrible - the fact that he has seen this sort of thing many times before when nothing adverse happened is just so sad - why did it have to happen to you.

Just wanted to add my bit xxxx

PuffTheMagicDragon · 07/05/2005 23:17

jangus, I too am glad you weren't faced with a defensive wall, it still must have been unbelievably hard though.

Bubble, the thought that grief is like a series of rooms through which you wander and return is so true.

MattyMoosMum · 08/05/2005 17:51

just wanted to send my love and let you know I am thinking about you. I am in tears reading your story. You just need to do and feel the way you feel you need to. You will have lows for a long time to come, you will feel guity, anixous, angry and worthless to name just a few emotions. At this point you will feel 'what is the point'. Don't beat yourself up for feeling the way you do and just take one day at a time. My 2 year old son drown august 2005 whilst we were on holiday, it is nine months since it happened but some days it feels like nine minutes. I still cry everyday, I still visit his grave every day and I hurt inside so badly that sometimes I have trouble breathing. But each day it does get a little easier. Talking about Lilli-Mae and your feelings is the best thing to do. I found a lot of strength from compassionate friends- they have a website which you may find useful. Take care -I will pray for your daughter and your family tonight and light a candle in her memory when I light one for Matthew XXXX

BROWNY · 11/05/2005 12:39

Jangus, just to say you're in my thoughts a lot and hope you and your dh are helping each other cope - don't know what else to say, apart from take good care of yourselves, [hugs]

Riebee · 11/05/2005 20:12

Jangus ...Just read your update, I can only add to what the other have said that your consultant seems like a decent man who has been deeply affected by Lilli-Mae. I know that nothing can bring your little girl back and nothing anyone can say can make you feel better at the moment but like everyone on here I wish you and Mark lots of strength for the coming days and beyond.

raka · 11/05/2005 21:31

J, I am glad you have found somewhere you can talk I have read all these massages and everyone is very caring and suportive.
Thankyou so much for the pictures of Lilli-Mae, you are right she is beautiful and so obviously yours and Marks, she looks so peaceful just like she is sleeping...since the birth of M and now K I ahve thought my heart full to capacity but today I discovered that there is a place in there for Lilli-Mae.
Your letter has touched me in such a porfound way that I am looking at my life differently now. I read it and I am overwhelmed with emotion. Thankyou for allowing me to share what you are going through. You know where I am if you need me and I will wait as long as long as you need.

Our hearts and thoughts are with you and Mark.

Your friend always
Raka

Spacecadet · 11/05/2005 22:16

jangus, thank you for taking the time to email, despite everything that you are going through, im glad that you and bubble have foundeach other, just so sorry about the circumstances. you know where i am, feel free to email whenever.
Take care
Space.

chipmonk · 12/05/2005 13:09

Dear Jangus,

I am so very sad to read your post. All of my condolences on the death of your little girl. In April, 2001, we lost our little boy, Cameron at 38 weeks. I had gone in on the 18th for a regular appointment with the consultant. I had monitoring done and a growth scan and all was fine, but I was having erratic contraction since the Monday, and knew from previous children, that the heart rate is supposed to increase with a contraction, not decrease and his was dipping down to 128 after. I enquired with the head midwife, who assured me all was well. I begged the consultant to keep me in and either induce me or do a section and she refused and sent me home "and if you don't go by Monday, we'll have you back". He died that night while I was sleeping. The next day 19th, I woke with the feeling that something was wrong, and by 11am hadn't had any movements, so I called the 'emergency' midwife, who gave me some rubbish advice. After speaking to my regular midwife, I was told to call the hospital. NO ONE seemed overly concerned that 1.I had no movements and 2. that I had a gush of bloody waters. Within an hour of being at hospital, we were told he had died. When they examined me (already dilated) my waters went fully and full labour started. Ten hours later he was born still. Beautiful, beautiful boy.

Now, I'm four years on, and two more children later and while you don't ever "get over" the loss of your child, you do learn to live with it, and eventually, life goes forward. You are so early in your grief, so please don't push yourself. Take things one day at a time and do whatever it is to help you get through each one. Often it is four steps forward and three back.

Please take care and contact me if you like.
Karen x

Nanou1 · 12/05/2005 14:15

Dear Jangus,
just read your post. i feel so so sad and angry. don't know what to say just that i hope you are coping ok. hugs from west london. x

jangus · 17/05/2005 15:44

Just got a wee question.
Am I am mum?
I feel that when someone asks us if we have children I get into a panic. Even when I had to fill in my details at the start of Mumsnet it asked how many children I had, the options 0, 1, 2, 3...etc. Of course I was doing this just after we lost Lilli-Mae and I didn't know what to put in.
It sounds stupid, but I worry that if I say one wee girl and they ask how old she is etc. it means that the easiest way to explain the situation is to say she was stillborn, but that breaks my heart because that's not how I see what happened. The alternative is to explain exactly what happened, but, I don't want people to know our business and anyway I'm sure that they don't want to know. They would probably rather I said that we had no children.
What do you think?

OP posts:
mancmum · 17/05/2005 15:46

of course you are a Mum...

expatinscotland · 17/05/2005 15:50

Jangus,
Of course you're a mum! A good friend of mine passed away as a young man, and his mother still answers, when asked how many children she has '2'. She just says her son is 'no longer with us' when pressed. It used to make her feel badly, b/c people felt terrible to have asked. But it doesn't now. Why should it? It's the truth and it's not her problem if folks can't handle the fact that Rich died.

You'll always be Lilli-Mae's mum.

Chandra · 17/05/2005 15:55

Once a mum, always a mum. I agree with Expat

jangus · 17/05/2005 16:03

There are just times when I think...How can I say I'm a Mum when I haven't ever changed a nappy and I know nothing about babies, lots about pregnancy but nothing about babies when they come out.
I know I'm a Mum, but I don't feel like a Mum. I have no experience of having to look after my wee baby and care for all her needs, I don't know what it feels like to have full responsibility for a wee person who needs me 100% all of the time. To have my life so disrupted with no sleep, crying and feeding around the clock.
So that's it, I don't feel like a Mum.... and I miss her so very much, but in a selfish way I also miss not having the opportunity to do all the other stuff as well. All the Mummy stuff, when you are the most important person in your child's life and they depend totally on you.
I want all of that, but I want all of that with her.
If I think this other people would think that I was a nutcase if I say I'm a Mum but...etc.
I hate that this is so confusing.

OP posts:
expatinscotland · 17/05/2005 16:09

No they won't think you're a nutcase. You're a human being who lost something precious. If folks can't understand that, they're really sad.

She's just as much your daughter despite the fact that she's not here with you now. And you're just as much her mother.

She was given to one woman. And that's you.

None of us knows how long we are blessed with our children. It does not change how we, their mothers, love them.

flum · 17/05/2005 16:21

Oh you are a Mum, most definately. its so sad your baby died. Tell people that if you want to. It does mean they will probably ask you about it though. But it can help to tell people about her and how it was. I have just seen her picture on your profile and she is the most beautiful one I've seen. perfect. can't begin to understand how you must be feeling. xxx

flum · 17/05/2005 16:22

OMG you poor poor love.

jangus · 17/05/2005 16:31

Thanks Flum, I am just feeling a bit crappy today. But, I'm glad that you got to see her... she's a wee dote isn't she?

I think it's because we are viewing houses at the moment (six yesterday!) and they all ask us if we have children. Then I start to cry and they feel really comfortable, which makes me feel even worse... I think I have a habit of making things even more complicated than they need to be.

OP posts:
flum · 17/05/2005 16:33

Oh its bound to, if people keep asking you. What is it your first instinct to say.

She really is so pretty. I suppose that just makes it harder does it?

bundle · 17/05/2005 16:34

oh jangus, it's still very early days of course you're going to feel like this. and people are just being sociable asking about you, but it must be awful for you all the same. i remember asking a mum at our nursery if she was getting much sleep a couple of months after her son was born..because i didn't know that he'd died after just a few days. and I was the one who burst into tears not her! don't know what else to say except that lots of people are thinking about you, xxxxx

expatinscotland · 17/05/2005 16:35

You can't help crying, Jangus. My goodness, who could? Don't worry about folks feeling uncomfortable, they'll get over it. Besides, you never know, some of them may have gone through it, too.

Perhaps it might be a good idea to tell the estate agent - then he/she could let folks know to please not ask you that question when you visit.

jangus · 17/05/2005 16:43

I don't really get anything out when strangers ask me... still at the squeaking stage. My first instinct is to say one wee girl, but then like you said bundle, they get upset when I explain, and I can't wait to get away and I'm sure they can't wait to get us out.

OP posts:
jangus · 17/05/2005 16:45

Might do that in the future expat. Although the way I'm feeling now I don't want to look at any more houses, or estate agents for that matter... think I might talk Mark into buying something we viewed yesterday even though none of them were perfect.

OP posts:
bundle · 17/05/2005 16:46

oh jangus, i know exactly what you mean, people are embarrassed that they even brought it up. the woman whose son died is now a good friend of mine and we talk about her little boy a lot. she said the first 6-12 mths after he died were almost unbearable and she only got out of bed (most days) because of her daughter who was about 3 then. losing someone before you even got to know them properly must be incredibly painful. could you get estate agents to show you round to avoid the chit-chat you get from the owners? i'm sure they'd understand.