Couple’s grief for babies

By Tania Martin
JO HALL never expected supporting Red Nose Day would one day help her in hour of need, but it has.
The Avonsleigh woman has been struggling to cope after miscarrying two babies in two years.
Ms Hall may not have given birth, but she still grieves.
She couldn’t believe it when she lost her first child in 2007 to discover that SIDS and Kids offered counselling services.
“When you are in hospital they give you a booklet to read about miscarriages … I saw it was produced by SIDS,” Ms Hall said.
“It’s amazing to think something I always supported was now helping me.”
Ms Hall lost her first child at 20 weeks.
But what she didn’t realise was that the baby had died weeks earlier.
Her pregnancy is what is commonly referred to as a partial mole, which means the placenta goes watery and is unable to feed the foetus properly.
“The baby had actually passed away at eight weeks,” Ms Hall said.
Ms Hall and her partner, Brett , were shocked at the news.
The couple also suffered another setback in March this year when Ms Hall lost a second baby.
At eight weeks gestation doctors found she was carrying an empty sack.
Despite the loss, Ms Hall plans to try again to start a family.
“Doctors said there was no reason behind it (the miscarriages) it’s just one of those things,” she said.
Ms Hall said the hardest part was going into hospital pregnant and walking away with nothing but an empty hole in her heart.
But she said it wasn’t until she started to “lose the plot” that she remembered SIDS was on the back of that hospital booklet and decided to call for help.
SIDS and Kids raises cash for research into sudden and unexpected stillbirths and neo-natal death.
It also offers support to families affected by sudden or unexpected deaths in infancy and early childhood from 20 weeks gestation.
“They were invaluable. They understood and I didn’t have to explain anything,” Ms Hall said.
“It was … is … my sanity.”
Ms Hall also received a tiny bonnet and mittens for the child she lost, which she now treasures.
She even had them framed.
But it wasn’t until recently that Ms Hall discovered the knitwear had been from an organisation named Treasured Babies.
She now offers her services to that same organisation.
Ms Hall is hoping to raise awareness of the good work SIDS does for women who miscarry.
“It isn’t really spoken about…a lot of people told me to get over it and get on with life,” she said.
But Ms Hall said SIDS was there for women and their families to get through that dark period.
“I never knew SIDS offered this service until I read that booklet in hospital,” she said.
Ms Hall is now calling on others to get behind Red Nose Day on Friday 26 June and help raise cash for this valuable service.
Anyone wanting to support SIDS or Red Nose Day can log onto www.sidsandkids.org.