"My husband and I lost our baby ..."

What I liked

My husband and I lost our baby daughter in 2007 when I was just over 6 months pregnant. From that terrible moment when the scan confirmed our baby's heart had stopped beating, throughout the time leading up to and during me being induced and delivering her the Consultant and the team of midwives were just wonderful.

Only parents that go through the devastation of losing a baby are aware of the superb facilities offered by the hospital - the Ferndale Suite is a dedicated room where grieving parents deliver their baby, and is a real blessing. Your partner can stay with you and you are away from the rest of the delivery ward.

We received so much care, compassion and our beautiful daughter so much respect, it is a time that whist devastating, remains with us as very special. The hospital chaplain kindly blessed our little girl at almost midnight after she'd been born and the two midwives that had been directly involved in our care attended her funeral. Again, something that stays so desperately special... and is above and beyond what we could have expected.

In April 2008 I fell pregnant again and the ante-natal care we experienced was once again way beyond what we could expect. The consultant and her team looked after us throughout as we had (at one stage) weekly scans to check that baby was OK.

Our baby was born on 8th January - a wonderfully healthy little boy. We have been so well looked after by everyone, and whilst we have passed on thanks directly, we feel it is so important that everyone - particularly future parents - are aware how lucky we are in Harrogate to have the superb care and compassion we do.

Sadly on average 17 babies die in the UK each day (between 24 weeks pregnant and 28 days newborn) - many with no reason at all. We were one of the unlucky ones, but then we were privileged to experience how well we are looked after when things go wrong - and again when they don't!

Thank you to everyone involved.

What could be improved

Nothing...