Mum wants people to know ‘there is hope after pregnancy loss’

Hayley said the couple had always wanted to start a family and, in 2019, the pair welcomed their eldest son George.

She recalled how she had a normal pregnancy with George so when she fell pregnant again in 2023, her and husband Mike were excited to grow their family.

But at 19 weeks and four days into her pregnancy, Hayley said she felt as though “something wasn’t right”.

An ultrasound later confirmed that Oscar had died.

“It sounds awful, but when you know your baby is no longer alive, you just want it all to be over,” she said.

“We already had so many baby things at home.

“I just couldn’t bear to look at them.

“We told George that his little brother wasn’t going to be coming home.”

Hayley was induced into labour the following day.

“I was in labour for nine hours and it was incredibly difficult knowing I would never hear my baby cry,” she recalled.

“After the funeral, the support from other people gradually faded and life simply carried on, even though I was consumed by grief.”

A post-mortem examination later revealed Hayley had suffered a silent, concealed placental abruption, meaning her placenta had separated from the wall of the womb.