very tragic story in wales. I know there are MNers who don't like to discuss these things, so without giving detail in the title, be aware you may not wish to proceed.

[JustMyTwoPenceWorth]

story here

It's just so tragic, that they saw the bag for hours, but never thought to properly look inside it and by the time they did, it was too late.

I think that the mother intended the baby to be found - leaving him outside a shop.

Should we not have those baby posting things outside hospitals and other places, like some other countries do? It would prevent tragic deaths.

I read that yesterday, I was overwhelmed with sadness, for the baby, the mther and the poor people who discovered and ttried to revive the baby

i agree safe places to leave a baby would be good.

i also thikn that she did intend the baby to be found

poor poor woman, what led her to get to the point of doing this?

the people who found the baby too late must be distraught, hope they get help

Very sad.

I think if you're too feckless to leave the baby in such a way as to guarantee it being found quickly then you're probably too feckless to bother with an official dropping point.

I saw this on the news yesterday & i broke my heart for that poor little baby boy.

I have to ask though why didnt she leave him outside a police station or Drs/hospital? And why in a plastic bag?

I just hope the Mum gets the help she so obviously needs.

The person who found the baby was only 17 & his Dad said he is distraught.

Hmm the link says he was wrapped in a towel yet on the welsh news yesterday they reported him as being in a plastic bag & they werent sure if he had smothered.

I suspect she is possibly very young, very frightened and very confused. Perhaps she thought he'd be found right away?

I think that those who abandon their babies in this way mostly don't want them to die, they're just terrified, so safe places to leave babies - places where it is understood that nobody will come after you, you won't be subject to police action etc - would surely save lives.

I suppose the only drawback to this is that what if the mother had complications and needs medical treatment.

But that's the case now, when they abandon them under bushes and behind shops.

At least with drop points, the babies would live.

i don;t thikn the driving force is fecklesness, JV> i think it is desperation , terror , fear , i imagine the mother gave birth alone? although i might be wrong , but it is easier to give birth alone and have no record of the birth if you intend to abandon it..than to give birth iwth a MW and have it registered etc

a warm , safe place that a baby could be left is surely a humane aleternative

although i think abandoned babies are fairly rare?

I'm not disputing all of that Lulu, I agree.
My point is just that if - for whatever reason - the mother doesn't or cant leave the baby in such a way as to ensure they will be retrieved safely and quickly then I think she would also be unlikely to know of or use a safe drop off point.

of course, it's possible that the baby had already died and the mother was too distraught to deal with the situation.

and that she just put the baby somewhere where it might be foudn.

Heartbreaking story. We absolutely need drop points to stop this happening again.

I think they aren't rare enough, unfortunately.

i see jv, i wonder though how many mothers who do this plan it, or it is just a continuation of a concealed pregnancy and no plan / idea of what to do has formed until the baby is delivered..

such a fraught and distressing situation

There is a safe scheme in California. No questions asked. No judgements.

Could that work here?

This is the saddest story on every level.
Mum not knowing what to do. She must have been so desperate to have left her baby there.
The shock of the boy who found him, the fact that there are other people who could have given the baby a home, the sadness in never seeing your baby grow up.

Just too sad.

She must also feel so bad as she probably left the baby in the hope he would be found and adopted and instead died (unless he was already dead and she panicked.)

Police are asking for the mum to come forward for medical assistance, but if I was her I would worry that there would be repercussions to this.
What would be the legal position for the mother?
I don't think she will come forward, partyl thru fear of being held by the police.

Such a sad story for everyone concerned.

From reading this yesterday, i got the feeling maybe the poor baby was already dead as no-one heard any crying. Very sad either way.

Obviously very sad.

I really don't think any one would plan this. I guess someone just panicked.

What would happen to the mother if she came forward? Not that I think she will.

If we did have save 'drop off' points for unwanted babies, it would almost saying that children can be thrown away. This will incorage women to hide unwanted pregnancy because they can get rid of the evadense.
What would be better is if they made an adoption hotline. This way, the mother gets support to ether keep the babe or have it adopted and deal with the whole situation.

Very sad.

MuddyMamma, isn't it better though that a mother who would want to give her baby away does rather than be unfit? The hotline is also a good idea but I do think drop off points would be good too.

desperately sad, I agree.

It is possible she put the baby in the bag so she could carry him unnoticed. Carry what is obviously a baby is going to draw attention that the poor mum obviously didn't want.

I am sure she wanted the baby found, otherwise why leave him near a shop.

And whilst I agree that a drop point is wonderful idea I am not sure how many scared and frightened women would use them. Surely they would worry that they were being captured on CCTV and liable to being traced.

They abandon babies in a panic, I am not sure that women in that situation would have the thought process to make sure they found time to know where the nearest drop point is and travel there. All the time leaving themselves open to being caught in the act.

I agree with Riven, we need to address why women in this country are still terrified of delivering a baby.

Or even of reporting a sudden death, if that is what happened.

To have gone through the preganancy and birth alone and then to leave the baby, either alive or dead and be seeingn all of this in the news must be heartbreaking for her.

She will not be able to talk to anybody about this and I fear for her mental health.

Desperately sad for all concerned.

Some girls/womean genuinely don't know they are pg. this happened to a girl a relative of mine was sharing a house with at uni. Can you imagine the shock of giving birth unexpectedly? A teenager just wouldn't be in her right mind.

it is not throwing away the baby, but leaving it somewhere safe and warm it will be cared for without any follow up or judgement

i can think of several circumstances a girl /woman would feel unable to tell her family of the pregnancy and would conceal it and the birth or a woman who felt unable to keep a baby but could not terminate

an adoption hot line means that the woman could not conceal teh pregnancy/birth which could be dangerous in some circs

and in some circs the concealment is genuine, teh woman /girl does not know or is in such strong denial of the pregnancy