A 27-year-old mother from Cheshire has spoken publicly about the stillbirth of her second daughter, Ivy-Rae, in a bid to break the silence surrounding the issue. Abbie Southern, who lives with partner Dan and their two-year-old daughter Esmae, wrote an emotional Facebook post detailing the pain of losing Ivy-Rae on June 8 last year.
Ms Southern described how her pregnancy had been 'very easy, straight forward' and she had planned a home birth. However, Ivy-Rae's heart rate dropped when her placenta began to detach, leading to an emergency hospital delivery at Leighton Hospital in Crewe. Despite efforts from medical staff, Ivy-Rae was stillborn.
In her post, Ms Southern wrote: 'I watched a team of eight people work on you. I remember being so calm, because it's 2018 we save lives and babies don't just die that's not how it works. But the reality is it did happen... Our baby did exist. We will break the taboo of being silent.'
Since the tragedy, Ms Southern has launched The Ivy-Rae Foundation to raise awareness of stillbirth and support affected families. The foundation's Facebook page has over 1,600 followers and has raised more than £1,100 for stillbirth research. Ms Southern said she wants to ensure others know the risks, as she had no idea she could leave hospital with an empty car seat.
She added: 'The pain is unimaginable, but I want people to know they're not alone. Do not be afraid to talk about your angel, you are their voice.' The family ensures their eldest daughter Esmae knows about her sister, telling her Ivy-Rae is in the sky.
