In December 2016 we found out I was expecting our first baby! We were over the moon and let family know our news. 

My pregnancy was perfect, no problems, and I was classed as low risk so chose to go to the birthing suite at hospital instead of a normal ward.

On 24th August 2017 when I was 39 weeks and two days pregnant (nearly there!) at around 3am my waters broke, as advised by the birthing suite I waited until morning to call them. That morning around 9am I went in for them to check us over and confirm that my waters had gone and they checked the baby and all was well. At that point I wasn't in labour, so I was advised to go home, and I was booked for an induction the next day.

At around 3am on 25th August 2017 at 39 weeks, three days, I was having contractions and went to the birthing suite after calling them. After a little wait to be seen the midwife used a doppler to check on baby whilst they did checks on me. It was at this point she struggled to find a heartbeat, another midwife tried, and another. Nothing. They all left the room to try and get a scan sorted and I will always remember one of them popped her head in and said, “you do know this could go either way now." We were petrified.

We were ushered for a scan in the triage suite where the worst news was given. “There's no heartbeat, I’m sorry your baby has passed away.” My little boy had passed, and he was a full term, healthy baby up until this point, I questioned what I had done wrong.

We were moved to a room on the normal maternity ward as the bereavement birthing room for people like us was already in use. My labour progressed naturally and at 11.58 I gave birth to our perfect little bundle of joy, Brody Allen Thompson who weighed in at 8lb 5oz, he was perfect. Brody was with us in our room with our parents for the six hours I had to wait to be discharged from the hospital. 

In the weeks that passed we discovered that I had shown to have an infection on the day of Brody’s birth which was confirmed to be something called Group B Strep. I hadn't heard of it but after researching, I found out just how serious Strep was and that our NHS doesn't routinely test for it! Turns out if ladies are made aware of it, they could choose to pay around £40 for a simple test after 35 weeks. If a lady tests positive the answer is simply antibiotics in labour for mum and then for baby when they arrive. It kills me to think that's all it would have taken. 

After a long wait for tests from my placenta it was confirmed to be severely infected with Group B Strep and where commonly the infection passes to baby as they leave the birth canal, in our case it made its way to Brody before labour when my waters were no longer giving him protection.

Fast forward a few months and we were blessed to find out we were expecting our second baby, another boy!

12th September 2018 our beautiful little boy, Quinn Allen Thompson was born. I was treated as high risk in his pregnancy due to losing Brody. We were taken into hospital at 38 weeks, two days to be induced but he arrived on his own accord the very next day at 38 weeks, three days, a healthy 8lb 10oz. I received antibiotics in labour as NHS protocol is if a lady has a previous pregnancy impacted by strep, they don’t need to test, they will automatically receive the antibiotics in labour and then the baby will for 48 hours after birth and be closely monitored. Thankfully all was okay and we left hospital a couple of days later.

Quinn is now seven years old and the most perfect little rainbow baby boy.

We were blessed to welcome our third baby boy in December 2020 and the same protocol during labour was followed as with Quinn. Nyle is a wonderful five-year-old little boy.

I will always continue to educate people about Group B Strep and how serious the downplayed infection is. Brody will always be a part of me, and I will always drive awareness of baby loss, stillbirth and awareness about Group B Strep infection in his memory.

Since losing Brody I’ve had support from Sands. A bereavement midwife provided me with Sands leaflets, and I attended a couple of meetings in Birmingham. I also attended  a flowers on the water event in memory of our boy.