King's Lynn couple share the pain of going through a miscarriage as part of Queen Elizabeth Hospital campaign

A 30-year-old Lynn woman has spoken about feeling on cloud nine after becoming engaged, only to suddenly be rocked by the news she had an early pregnancy loss.

Emma Bland had just secured her dream job as a midwife at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was expecting her first child with her fiancée Ricky Lopez, 38, in November.

Having recently started her job at the hospital, Miss Bland was aware of implantation bleeding but she did not feel worried at the time as she did not experience any abdominal pain at the time so “did not want to make a fuss out of it”.

After mentioning it to a colleague at the hospital, the midwife was advised to get a scan in the Appleton Unit before it was revealed she had a missed miscarriage.

“I was pretty much hysterical at that point,” Miss Bland said. “It was just horrendous waiting to talk about the next steps.

“I had not heard of a missed miscarriage even with my job as a midwife. It was hard to take.”

The couple were told the baby’s heartbeat had stopped at seven weeks and five days even though Miss Bland was nine weeks’ pregnant. It was confirmed the baby had stopped growing.

“As far as I was aware I was fit and healthy, going to the gym and everything was brilliant in life,” Miss Bland said. “I was ‘thinking why on earth is this happening to me?’ It was just devastating.”

She was able to pass the baby at home after being presented with various joint cremation and early pregnancy loss options.

Being able to catch the baby and bury them under a rosebush was important for Miss Bland and Mr Lopez as it enabled them to have a memory with their child.

Miss Bland added: “There is a sense of feeling lonely. Anyone going through it should always try to speak to someone whether that is through social media or other means.

“The grief and feeling of loss never goes but it is a reminder that something was loved and wanted so badly regardless of the gestation.

“Symptoms can include minor bleeding to severe abdominal cramps, and any of these symptoms should always be investigated and I would urge any woman to do so without hesitation.”

Miss Bland is now eight months pregnant and is shielding because of Covid-19. She is part of the Whispers from Wings bereavement support group in Lynn and has backed the Lynn News Charity of the Year, which is the hospital’s appeal for a maternity bereavement suite.

She was due to take part in the skydive to raise funds for the suite, which requires £185,000 to be built. This challenge has been postponed.

The Whispers from Wings group are currently selling Christmas cards in aid of the bereavement suite cause.

The cards have been designed by a local artist Naomi Lowary, who is a bereaved mother herself, and they are being printed by Prontaprint . Cards can be purchased by contacting Whispers from Wings directly on Facebook, and cost £6 for six.

To donate to the suite appeal contact Laurence Morlaas on 01553 613373, or at Laurence.morlaas@qehkl.nhs.uk. Alternatively visit the Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/QEHMaternityBereavementSuite