Pregnancy after stillbirth - differences in NHS care?

[Tangle]

This is more curiosity than a direct concern at the moment as the loss of DD2 is still to fresh for us to be thinking about TTC in the near future, but does anyone know what (if any) difference in care we can expect if we were to have another baby with the NHS? As far as we know at the moment (we haven't been back to see the consultant yet, but we declined and autopsy so not sure she'll be able to tell us anything) the stillbirth was caused by my illness (flu) rather than any problem with DD2. As such we have no reason to expect a recurrence - but equally it will be nigh on impossible for us to relax through a pregnancy now we've lost a baby at 36 weeks...

(both previous pregnancies were very straightforward)

Hello Tangle. I remember reading your previous post and was moved to tears. I do hope you are finding a way through together.
I do not have a definitive answer, but surely given your recent loss, any future pregnancies would be monitored very closely, if not under specialist consultant care? Surely the fact that you would be so scared throughout, reassurance in the form of more regular antenatal appts and scans, would go without saying.
Just wanted to answer you really; I so hope things get easier for you; crap words I know, but I don't know how else to say it..

So sorry for your loss Tangle. I lost my DD at 26 weeks (we did have an autopsy and no conclusions were drawn). I had a successful 2nd pregnancy, although I did worry a lot particularly as we got to the 26 week stage as she was a "quiet" baby with not much movement. The differences in the NHS were that I was placed under consultant care which I found reassuring. They said that the risk of having another stillbirth was unlikely but I was scanned every 4 weeks with midwife appts in between and they recommended that I was induced at 38 weeks. It turns out the latter wasn't necessary since I went into labour at 36 weeks....it was all fine though. I'm now pg again (funnily enough I'm just 26 weeks) and although I would never take anything for granted I'm hoping that this pregnancy will be fine too.

Hope that helps.

Tangle, so sorry to hear you have been through this, me too, its very hard I know

I am no expert, and can only comment on my case, pre-eclampsia. Seeing the conslutant was very hard but overall glad we did. We declined an autopsy too.

I had extra scans, appointments and advised to take low dose asprin.

Im sure seeing the consultant will be able to advise you better than me as circumstances are different. He/she would most likely know what you can expect in future pregnancies. If I didnt see the consultant, my doctor would prob not have prescribed asprin and I suspect this played a great helping hand in me going on and having two further happy heathly DC

Best wishes x

oh tangle I am soo sorry to hear of your dd

my ds was stillborn at 39 weeks due to iugr that was not picked up at scans

The result was the second time I had 2 weekly scans from 24 weeks and everyone was done by a consultant

I know it doesnt make any less scary but you will find the hospital will pull out all the stops to make sure your next pregnancy results in a healthy baby

If you want to chat to others who have been where you are please come and join us on the bereaved mummies thread

bereaved mummies crying and laughing together

My stillbirth (at term) was over 18yrs ago so what follows may be outdated, but two things were done (that I recall):

A 'SANDS' sticker was applied to my notes which was to alert medical professionals to my history & hopefully mean they didn't make insensitive remarks.

I was offered an early induction, not for medical reasons (like you there was no reason to expect a recurrance), but for the avoidance of my stress.

So sorry to hear about your dd, we lost our dd at 38 weeks 7 years ago and have gone on to have two more dc.

Trying to pluck up the courage to think about trying for another one. We found that we were given extremely attentive care in our next pregnancies and a lot of the time made our own decisions, with the consultant, about scans (lots of them), blood tests (ditto) and eventually early delivery at 36 weeks (for both medical and sanity reasons).

If you have any questions about future pregnancies you can ask to speak to a consultant about the type of care you would receive before you become pregnant if you think that might help.

My DS2 was stillborn at 36 weeks and during my pregnancy with my DS3 the care was fantastic. I had regular scans (10 in total), I was told to make my next appointments as and when I wanted - I could be seen every week if I wanted. I chose to have daily monitoring from 30 weeks and it was all arranged for me. My DS3 was delivered at 36 weeks to save me losing my mind (and also as a precaution after DS2). Everyone involved in my care was so wonderful.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

Hi Tangle,

My dd2 was stilborn at term last June for no obvious reason. I am now 21 wks pg.

All HCPs have been really good (only one exception, a nurse at our GP's who doesn't seem to be able to cope with our situation so acts as if it hasn't happened). Most want to hear our story about dd2 and we are happy to talk about her and what happened.

I always cry at MW visits, I find the hospital/doctors very difficult to go to. I have had 2 panics when I couldn't feel baby move for 24hrs and they were happy to have me up to maternity to listen in with a doppler (one of these episodes was yesterday).

Although both my pgs were straight forward and uneventful, as were the deliveries, because of the outcome with dd2 I am now high risk and will be induced 2 weeks early. The consultant did our 20wk scan 28 weeks.and I will get regular scans every 4 weeks from

I appreciate it may be very different for you as it seems you have some idea what the cause was but this may help you have some idea.

There is a thread http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/842408-A-gentle-thread-for-those-starting-again-after-a-diffic ult Here for those of us who are comtemplating/pregnant again after difficult pregnancies. Whenever you are ready you would be very welcome.

My heart goes out to you and all the others here that have lost their babies .. there are very few words of comfort ...

Take care xx

Having another go at the link here

Thanks ladies - and my heart goes out to those of you that have had a similar experience . I've had a quick look at the thread in the bereaved area, I just tend to worry I can't keep up enough on group threads like that sometimes. I had an early mc just before conceiving DD2. 2009 didn't turn into such a great year.

We're dealing with it - I guess that's all anyone can say. Planning her funeral was hard but in a way its been harder in the week since as we no longer have a focus. Other than DD1, who's in the "why" phase, but can also be almost unbearably perceptive.

Everything is so tangled up at the moment regarding what we thing about another one. It doesn't help that, of all the HCP's we saw in the hospital, the consultant is the one we felt the least empathy from (didn't help that in our first meeting she described herself as "still partly human"... Then again, it has given us something to laugh at in the midst of everything else). I just don't know what I'd want - but it would be nice to know what the options would be and how much pressure there would be to take those options. I don't know whether our GP might have any info at the 6 week check, as the consultant appointment isn't till early April.

Morning Tangle,

Like Lunatic I started talking about what would happen in a subsequent pg immediately, I think I needed to know what my options were as part of dealing with Niamh's death.

We didn't have N's funeral for 3 weeks because of various logistics but I had been quite boyed up by post delivery hormones until then. After the funeral I had a huge crash which took me weeks to climb out of.

For me, our dd was a lifeline (2.5 at the time, now just over 3)as I had to continue to function for her. Because her world is so imaginary Niamh is very real to her (she has only seen pictures). Whilst the repetative questions were painful at first, she isn't afraid to talk about N and I find it a comfort in some way.

Be gentle on yourself, I found grief so exhausting.

Don't have any experience of this or any advice to offer but just wanted to say how very sorry I am about the loss of your DD and to wish you all the very best (and the best possible care) going forwards

Hi Tangle.

I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your daughter.
My son died neonatally, a week after a birth accident and I am now 24w pregnant with ds2.

The care I have received has generally been amazing. I am under the care of the same midwives as well as a consultant. The I have had a number of extra scans. Due to previous early miscarriages I had 5 early reassurance scans in the first trimester and am now having scans 4 weekly and seeing the consultant and midwives 4 weekly. Not because there was anything wrong last time as I had a totally uncomplicated pregnancy and the PM showed that it was the birth accident that was the cause of the brain damage.

Please be gentle on yourself, the early days of the grief are so very painful and it is all so very raw.

If you are in need of further support the SANDS forum is now back up and running.
www.forum.sandsforum.org/forum.php
I have also found SANDS meetings to be very helpful and have gained alot of comfort from meeting others in similar situations (although you wish it had never happened to any of us).
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