Preventing Pregnancy Complications - I Need Your Help

I've recently been nominated for a MAD Blog Award in the baby category, which amuses me, seeing as I don't have one anymore (Joseph says he's not a baby he's a big boy) and I'm not having anymore. But then I got to thinking maybe it is appropriate. I blog about babies often, but before they are even here.

In the coming weeks, after the Easter fun, I will be blogging for a week specifically about pregnancy complications and what we can do to help. I will be talking about incompetent cervix, stitches, pre eclampsia, placenta issues, all sorts of things, but importantly the latest research and what you can do personally to help not only yourself but other women.

To save babies lives there are many things we need. We need ongoing research such as that funded by Tommy's, we need empowered, educated parents to be, we need a responsive NHS who uses this research to change practice and improve outcomes. And most importantly, we need to talk about it.

The rates of stillbirth in this country of ours are a disgrace. Getting this down should be an absolute priority for the NHS, in my eyes, as well as the prematurity rate.

Yes, for a lot of women pregnancy and child birth is a normal life experience and not an illness, but for a lot of women, the path to motherhood is very difficult indeed. We can't keep sweeping this under the carpet. Other countries have much lower rates than us, and we need to work on this, all of us. Nothing will change if we, the mums and dads of Britain don't start demanding it.

This where you come in. There are three things I want you to do.

1. Sponsor me in the Bupa London 10k to raise money for Tommy's.
2. Share your story. Have you had treatment for incompetent cervix? Do you want to share what has helped you following previous pregnancy loss or problems? Email me! notevenabagofsugar@gmail.com
3. Consider your own fundraising event. If you are a runner there is a great opportunity that I will be blogging about later in the week

Some of what I write about is going to be hard to read, it's going to be sad. No one wants to talk about babies that pass away, but its reality and we're not helping those that it has happened to by sweeping it away.

When Joseph was born I was struck by the number of older women, ladies in their 70s and 80s who poured their hearts out to me about their babies born too soon or born still. They had never talked about it.

It shouldn't be this way. We should be loving and caring for all mothers.

Please help me put this right.