A BRAVE mum has shared heartbreaking photos of her daughter Poppy to raise awareness of a rare pregnancy-related condition that affected her baby before birth.
Gabriella Morley and Matthew Dalton were devastated when they lost their baby girl Poppy at 39 weeks on May 9.
The couple had been overjoyed to discover they were expecting, but at 39 weeks, Gabriella suddenly realized she had not felt her baby move that day.
They rushed to hospital, where doctors checked for a heartbeat before giving them the heartbreaking news that Poppy had passed away.
Gabriella then faced the unimaginable experience of giving birth to her daughter, an emotionally scarring moment she says she has struggled to remember.
A post-mortem found that Poppy had suffered cardiac arrest linked to high bile acid levels in Gabriella’s body caused by intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).
Gabriella, from Bramley, Leeds, said: “It is a rare condition but I think more mums need to know about it. I don’t want anyone to ever have to go through what we did.
“Losing Poppy has been the most devastating thing ever. No mother should have to experience nine months of pregnancy and leave hospital without their baby.
“At 39 weeks and two days, I was out shopping and suddenly realized I hadn’t felt the baby move.
“The next morning I couldn’t feel her again, so we went to hospital for a scan.
“After having so many scans, you know yourself where the heart should be, and it just wasn’t moving. The doctor said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t see your baby’s heartbeat.’
“I remember screaming, then falling silent. It didn’t feel real.
“When I walked out of the room, I could hear other babies’ heartbeats and I completely fell apart.”
Gabriella said giving birth was one of the saddest experiences of her life.
“They laid her on me but I couldn’t even look at her. I couldn’t understand how the baby I had carried for nine months was there, but she wasn’t moving or crying. There was just silence.”
Throughout her pregnancy, Gabriella had experienced constant nausea and some itching around her belly, which she believed was simply caused by her skin stretching.
However, the itching was actually a symptom of ICP, a condition that affects the flow of bile acids from the liver.
“Apart from the sickness and a bit of heartburn, my pregnancy was amazing. The baby was growing normally and looked healthy at every scan.
“My belly was a bit itchy, but I thought it was just the skin stretching. I never realized it could be connected to the condition that affected Poppy.”
After Poppy was born, Gabriella and Matty were given time with their daughter, allowing them to bathe her, dress her, cuddle her and introduce her to family.
They kept photos of Poppy around their home, and Gabriella says she finds comfort in talking about her daughter and remembering her.
“It shouldn’t be such a taboo for mums who have lost their babies to talk about them.
“Even though our babies are in heaven, we are still mums and we’re proud of our children.”
Gabriella is now sharing Poppy’s story to raise awareness of ICP and encourage more expectant mums to pay attention to unusual symptoms and speak with their healthcare providers.
Source: The Sun
