Scarlett Moffatt has opened up about a heartbreaking comment from a close friend during her struggles with her 'miracle baby' Jude. The Gogglebox star and TV presenter welcomed Jude Xavier Dobinson in June 2023 at just 35 weeks pregnant. She frequently describes Jude as her 'miracle baby' after enduring a four-year fertility struggle with partner Scott Dobinson. The couple revealed last month they are expecting their second child.
However, Scarlett has now disclosed a remark one of her closest friends made during her ordeal, particularly while she was on the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She made a brief appearance on the CBeebies Parenting Helpline podcast, presented by Holly Hagan-Blyth and BBC Radio 1's Charlie Hedges, alongside special guest Dr Frankie Harrison, to share what occurred.
Scarlett said: 'Now as a mum who had my little Jude five weeks premature, he ended up spending time in NICU and I had a really good chat with my friend Emma, who said during that time, if she was totally honest, she didn't know what the best thing she could say was. She didn't know how to support us the best way.'
Given the special guest is a mother whose child also experienced time in NICU, and practises as a clinical psychologist supporting parents navigating post-birth trauma, Scarlett questioned the doctor about the most effective ways people can assist friends or relatives facing similar circumstances.
Dr Frankie said: 'I think generally avoiding anything that starts with "at least", generally. "At least they're here now, at least they're okay now." All of those things that just feel like a way of... One thing that I found really tricky was when people were saying "he just couldn't wait to meet you" because for me, I felt like he could wait to meet me... but it was my body that meant that he had to come early. But again, it's that kind of wanting it to be positive in some kind of way, and it's really tricky because it often just isn't positive. So allowing people the space to be able to say that. I'm allowed to say that it is hard and letting people know that it is okay to talk about it whenever and however you want to. I think that that's the most powerful thing.'
Dr Frankie also opened up about the gestures from loved ones that proved most valuable during her own experience of having a baby in the NICU. She said: 'You often miss medication rounds, you miss food, you're just not looking after yourself... you're just thinking about your baby. So someone who can fuel you in some kind of way whenever you are, like outside of the unit, something you can take in with you. Those kind of things. Wash your clothes.'
