A mum who lost her baby at 38 weeks is encouraging other mums-to-be to trust maternal instincts.
Georgia Boyton, 20, from Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, first noticed her daughter, who she named Dollie-Raie, had stopped regularly moving when she was 33 weeks pregnant.
The mum claims her concerns were “brushed off” by midwives on numerous occasions and she trusted their advice.
Boyton and her partner, James Regan, 25, were left heartbroken after a scan to check on their baby’s growth at 38 weeks discovered that their unborn girl had no heartbeat.
“I wish I’d trusted my instincts but when you’re told everything is ok, you trust the professionals,” said Boyton. “It wasn’t until after Dollie-Raie had died that we were told our daughter’s heart rate had been too fast.”
An investigation into the cause of Dollie-Raie’s death has been launched by One to One Midwives who are commissioned by the NHS, alongside Colchester Hospital.
Boyton said: “My pregnancy was perfect until I reached 33 weeks and I noticed Dollie-Raie’s movements change. She’d always been such a wriggler but I began to worry when she slowed down.
“I’d also noticed that my bump had shrunk, I could now see my feet, which had been hidden before.
“But after speaking to the midwife about this, she didn’t seem concerned and nothing more was done to check this.
“I had painful headaches, breathlessness and pains in my stomach, which I now know are signs of pre-eclampsia but nothing was done to check this at the time.
“The whole way through I trusted my midwives 100% and I dismissed my own worries despite feeling as though something wasn’t quite right.
“By 38 weeks the midwife took my measurements and said my baby’s weight had dropped by four weeks, which explained why I felt my bump was smaller.
“Even though I was worried, I could still hear her heartbeat on the monitor so I was told not to worry. The following day I was booked in for a growth scan.
“We tried to get in with the hospital the same day but we were refused due to us being under the care of One to One Midwives and not our local hospital.
“I had an awful feeling something was wrong when I woke up the following day.
“On the way to the scan I started to panic and as soon we had the scan, we were told Dollie-Raie had no heartbeat.
“The next few hours were a total blur but the thought of her being dead inside me was almost too much to bear.
“Midwives at the hospital told me that if I’d come in for delivery just days before that my daughter would be alive today.
“I was obviously experiencing problems at the end of my pregnancy but we won’t know the cause of our daughter’s death until the post-mortem results come back.
“There was no communication between One to One Midwives and Colchester Hospital, something they have mentioned in their own report.”
The first-time mum added: “Dollie-Raie was such a wanted and loved baby, we couldn’t wait to become parents and start family life together.
“But it was destroyed at the final hurdle after my worries about the end stages of my pregnancy were ignored.
“I’ve had an apology email from One to One Midwives and I’m supposed to be receiving a letter as an investigation has been launched.”
Dollie-Raie was born weighing 6lb 10oz and the couple spent two days and nights with their daughter before she was taken to the funeral home.
Boyton added: “Our grief is something we will live with forever but sharing our story is giving us something positive to focus on during the worst time of our lives.”
A spokesperson from Colchester Hospital said: “Georgia Boyton was originally booked with this Trust and then moved to One to One Midwives.
“We are aware that an investigation was launched, which we were involved in but which was led by One to One Midwives.”
Joanne Parkington, chief executive officer of One to One Midwives, said: “One to One Midwives have expressed our sincere condolences to the family for their very sad loss which was a tragedy.
“An investigation is currently ongoing, which is expected to be concluded at the end of the month. Georgia and her partner James have been included at all stages of the investigation.
“We have made them central to the investigation as we recognise the importance of being open and transparent at this incredibly difficult time for them.
“For those women who remain under our care, it is important to stress that One to One is a safe organisation with safe outcomes and that includes a lower than average stillbirth rate.
“We are committed to ensuring that following the investigation any recommendations are fully implemented and lessons are learned so that we can provide the best possible services for our community.”