Running the Great South Run!

In 2023 I found out I was pregnant. It was a shock, but I soon caught myself wondering how little feet would look running through the house. Would they have my eyes? Or their dad’s hair? A few weeks went by and unfortunately our hearts shattered when it was confirmed I had a missed miscarriage. I tried to tell myself that I was fine but despite this, I couldn’t ignore the sudden feeling of emptiness and couldn’t walk into our spare room without crying because it wouldn’t be our baby’s nursery after all.

Months on, I saw two little lines appear once more on a pregnancy test. Before I even had time to process it, I sadly miscarried our second baby.

I fell pregnant again after a couple of months. This time we saw our baby grow, his little heart beating, and allowed ourselves to fall in-love with the idea that this could be our chance. This made the feeling of loss and grief all consuming when the words ‘no heartbeat’ were used again. The midwives at Princess Anne hospital were incredible, they supported me in the best way they could, but once the miscarriage was over, I was asked if I wanted my baby’s ashes, was given a leaflet and sent away.

Recurrent miscarriage is the most traumatic and cruel thing I’ve experienced. Needing support in navigating the grief, my husband reached out to The Firgrove Centre for support on my behalf. This amazing charity is a counselling and support service for women in Southampton who have experienced stillbirth, miscarriages, neonatal death and SIDS. They rely on donations which enable women to access counselling sessions if they are not in a position to be able to pay for it.

Being a big believer of life coming full circle, I am going to be running The Great South Run with my friend Jackie, to raise money to pay forward therapy sessions for women going through these heartbreaking circumstances. Any contributions will improve someone’s wellbeing and future outlook on life moving forward. Thankyou so much in advance ️