Woman lost baby due to undiagnosed STIs calls for screening

Lauren, from West Yorkshire, became pregnant last June and had no problems until she started getting “a bit of weird discharge”.

Doctors thought she had a urinary tract infection, but at 18 weeks her condition worsened to the point where the pain was “just horrendous”.

Lauren was in so much pain that her mum took her straight to hospital.

“They got a wheelchair and rushed me straight down to delivery, to a room that I now know is a bereavement room. When we got there, I just remember looking at my mum and saying why are we in here?”

Doctors told Lauren that they could not save the pregnancy and if she did not deliver her baby, she would die.

“She was born in her sac, alive, sucking her thumb, moving.

“She was fully breathing unaided and moving her arms and legs.

“They passed her to me and I said, ‘ you need to help her’ and they just said ‘we’re not allowed’.

“I then just had to sit and hold her until she passed away.”

NHS guidance states, external that most babies born before 24 weeks cannot live because their lungs and other vital organs are not developed enough.