I lost my baby after doctors ignored my pleas – I knew something was wrong, the NHS must trust a mother’s instinct

Credit: Alamy A HEARTBROKEN mother whose daughter was stillborn is campaigning for more regular pregnancy scans, after she claims her concerns were dismissed. Klaudia Cierpial, who was then living in Airdrie, was suffering from severe stomach pain when she was 26 weeks pregnant in 2020. Klaudia Cierpial lost baby Maya and is launching a campaign for extra pregnancy scans She doesn’t want other parents to suffer like she did Medics at University Hospital Wishaw, in Lanarkshire, checked her baby’s heartbeat, but did not carry out a scan, and told her everything was normal. But two weeks later, Klaudia was in “unbearable” pain again and called Wishaw’s maternity triage team, who she claims advised her to self-medicate with paracetamol. Sign up for the Fabulous newsletter Thank you! When the expectant mum suffered a bleed on April 27, she went to the hospital where doctors performed a scan and discovered there was no heartbeat. It was found that little Maya had an umbilical cord abnormality — an issue that could have been monitored if it had been picked up on a scan. Klaudia, 24, is determined to protect other women from the same fate, by forcing doctors to listen to mums who tell them something doesn’t feel right. The mum-of-two said: “Some people ask why I keep putting myself through it. The truth is, I wish I didn’t have to. I’d much rather have my daughter. “But because I can’t change what happened to Maya, the only thing I can do now is fight to stop another family going through the same heartbreak. “Over the last few months I realised that, despite all the conversations around improving maternity care, many of the same issues still exist. Most read in Fabulous “Women are still contacting me with stories that sound so similar to mine. They tell me they knew something wasn’t right, they asked for help and they don’t feel they were properly listened to. “I kept thinking that if I stayed silent, nothing would ever change. “Maya deserves more than that, and so do all the other babies and families.” Content creator Klaudia, who now lives in Bristol with her daughters, aged five and two months old, first campaigned to improve pregnancy care and access to lifesaving scans shortly after Maya’s birth, but she struggled to move forward due to her grief. After years of dealing with the trauma, she vowed to throw her full weight behind her Listen To Mums campaign. Her Government petition has more than 11,000 signatures. Around one in every 250 babies in the UK are stillborn and, for many women, the routine 20-week anomaly scan is the last ultrasound they receive unless they are considered high risk. However, many serious pregnancy complications develop during the second half of pregancy. Klaudia believes Maya would have survived had there been additional scans, which could have detected the abnormality, and specialist intervention. She said: “The biggest thing I’m asking for is that we start listening to mothers when they say something doesn’t feel right. “No one knows their pregnancy better than the person carrying the baby. If a mother is genuinely worried, those concerns shouldn’t simply be dismissed because she doesn’t tick certain boxes. “I’m also asking for a review of the current guidance around routine scans. If there is evidence that additional scans in some pregnancies could help identify babies at risk, then those policies should be reviewed. “Equally, if a mother has concerns, there should be greater flexibility to carry out a scan or further assessment rather than relying on reassurance. “I’m also calling for improvements to maternity triage, so that concerns are assessed more thoroughly and women feel heard. “I’m not suggesting every stillbirth can be prevented, because sadly that’s not true. But if changes to current practice could save even some babies, then I believe we have a responsibility to look at those changes seriously.” Klaudia has been inundated with messages since restarting her campaign. She said: “The biggest thing that stands out is how many parents tell me they knew something wasn’t right. “Whether it was reduced movements, severe pain or simply a feeling that something had changed, so many say they tried to raise concerns but didn’t feel they were properly listened to. “Every message shows this isn’t an isolated case and that’s why I want to keep pushing for change.” Klaudia will now spend the next few months gathering experiences from families across the UK before putting together a report alongside evidence and practical recommendations. She will then present it to the UK Government to ask them to review the current guidance and consider meaningful improvements to maternity care. She added: “I want this campaign to be based on evidence, not just emotion. “My hope is that the more awareness we can raise nationally, the more people will realise this isn’t about blaming healthcare professionals. “It’s about improving maternity care where we can and giving more babies the chance to come home safely. Comment now