Melissa Thomson, 24, from Dalmarnock, Glasgow, is fundraising to donate a cold cot to the Princess Royal maternity unit after the stillbirth of her daughter Millie in 2023. The cold cot allowed her to spend five days with Millie before her funeral.
Traumatic experience
Melissa first noticed something was wrong at 34 weeks in 2023, experiencing severe pain in her back, leg and abdomen that left her unable to walk. She said she was initially “fobbed off” by a midwife and referred to physio. Her condition worsened, and she stopped feeling Millie move.
Melissa told Glasgow Live: “I had a really sharp pain up the right side of my stomach, and it made me slide down my door frame. I couldn't move or feel my legs. My partner at the time had to physically lift me and carry me to bed. I was very unwell, and I didn't feel Millie move after that.”
She tried exercises and star-jumps to get Millie to move, but nothing worked. A hospital visit the next day confirmed Millie had died due to asymmetrical intrauterine foetal growth restriction, where the baby's head and brain grow normally but the abdomen is restricted, often due to placental insufficiency.
Bittersweet memories
Millie was born sleeping by C-section on March 7, 2023, at 7.57pm, with Melissa's mum's wedding song, All of Me by John Legend, playing. Melissa said: “She had a full head of hair, everything was just perfect. She came out silent, with no cry. It was absolutely heartbreaking.”
Staff at the Princess Royal, including midwives Joyce and Stacey, provided “outstanding care”. The cold cot allowed Melissa to spend five days with Millie. She said: “I spent five bittersweet but beautiful days with her. We made lots of memories and took lots of photos. I read storybooks to her. It wasn't normal, but to us it was the only normal we were going to get.”
Giving back
Melissa organised a funeral with doves and a horse and carriage, helped by Fosters Funeral Directors. Now she is fundraising to donate a cold cot, costing around £1,400, and care packages to the Princess Royal. Her mother is also saving to donate another cot. Melissa said: “This amazing system gave me five beautiful days with Millie, and I truly want to give something back. [Baby loss] is an earth-shattering experience, and I feel every family is deserving of time - as that's all they have.”
Melissa also thanked charities Sands, Simba, 4Louis and Dresses for Angels for their support.
