I was deemed low risk – but we lost Jacob at birth

Couple’s journey through toughest loss and their help for charity

- NEIL SHAW News Reporter

NOTHING could have prepared Anthony Palmer and his wife Jackie for losing their firstborn during childbirth.

The pregnancy had been straight-forward, and at no point did any medical professional flag any concerns about the baby’s wellbeing.

So after Mrs Palmer went into labour at 41 weeks and five days two days short of being induced - the couple were told their baby boy, Jacob, hadn't survived. They hadn't realised that the placenta had failed.

She said: “We were on the low-risk ward and everything was going smoothly, just very slowly. It was a routine labour and they were checking the heartbeat every 15 minutes.

Then, after two days of labour, they did the usual heartbeat check with the doppler machine. They couldn't find anything, but the midwife reassured us, saying, ‘Oh, don’t worry, it'll be fine.”

They got another doppler machine, and then another, assuming the machines were faulty, Mr Palmer, from Birmingham, said. The devastating confirmation came soon after.

“They attached a device to Jacob's head to check for signs of life. The moment I saw the midwives’ hands go to their mouths, I knew. A doctor came in, did a scan, and I could see it - there was no heartbeat.”