My Birth Story

One mum shares it all from the moment she found out she was pregnant to welcoming her baby boy into the world.

Honestly, I just never liked watching shows about births. They scared me. Even when someone was having a baby in a movie, I muted it. I just can’t handle it. But when you find out your best friend is pregnant, there’s suddenly this rush to join in.

Witnessing A Birth

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witnessing a birth

Medical student Greta Geninson provides an honest and eye-opening account of what it was like witnessing a birth for the first time in a third world country.

I should probably begin by saying I used to have a weak stomach – very, very weak. My closest friend from medical school had the privilege of holding my hair back as I vomited up lunch during my first anatomy wet lab. So naturally, my first experience of birth ended in exactly the same way.

Stillbirth One Year On

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bonnets for bebes stillbirth

Sharon’s son Wyatt was stillborn at 21 weeks and 6 days. She shares her feelings as she broaches one year on from the stillbirth without her son.

I don’t know how I made it a year without him.

I don’t know how I made it a month.

I can’t even tell you how I made it the first day.

But somehow I am still here. I am standing, breathing and learning to live again. I say learning, because that’s exactly what it is. Learning that it’s OK to smile. Learning it’s OK to cry. Learning that not everyone will understand or respect your choices. Learning to walk away. Learning to hold on.

Bonnets For Bebes

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bonnet

Paige-Alexis Cunningham shares the story behind Bonnets For Bebes.

I’m a wife and mum to two kids, Jarne and Piper, and I own a handmade business that is named after them – Jarnipers. In September 2015 our son Franklin was stillborn. While we found plenty of gowns and blankets to dress our baby boy in, there were no hats or bonnets. This is when I decided to start my Bonnets for Bebes project, so I could give back to other parents, to let them know they weren’t alone in the loss of their babies, and that somehow they would make it through too.

Baby Blur

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baby blur

Terry Cornick shares the story of his son’s birth as he welcomes his first baby.

It’s funny how this game of life works. On Monday 7 March we discovered at work the homeless guy Jeff that lived in the car park had passed away (you can read my 2015 blog called Jeff here). Some of the guys in the office had a real soft spot for him. Thankfully his children were tracked down and were there when he passed, despite not seeing each other for ten years.

First Days With A Newborn

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first days with a newborn

Emily shares the attachment issues she experiences when she is separated from her daughter after birth and her first days with a newborn.

I got to cuddle my daughter for about 30 minutes after the birth before they had to take her from me. I had to go to the cardiology wing and she had to go to NICU due to her being so small and considered premature. This was where my issues started.