An East Kilbride couple have praised the 'safe space' they were given to spend time with their stillborn baby boy.
Lisa Reid and Scot Gentles were on holiday abroad with their five-year-old son, Leo, when Lisa realised she hadn't felt any movement for a few days. The couple went straight to hospital when they returned home but were given the devastating news on March 25 that there was no heartbeat.
After finding out the sad news on the Friday, hospital staff initially wanted Lisa to go back on the Sunday to deliver but upon realising that it was Mother's Day brought her in the day after instead.
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Lisa, a home carer, told the Daily Record: "Being abroad there wasn't much we could do so after flying home we went straight to hospital and I heard the absolutely devastating words that no one could even imagine hearing: 'I'm sorry there's no heartbeat, you've lost your baby.'
"I will never forget hearing those words, they will always stick with me."
A post-mortem was carried out but no cause of death could be found.
"We found out on the Friday and they wanted me to go in on the Sunday to deliver Luca but I realised it was Mother's Day so they brought me back in on the Monday and I delivered him early Tuesday morning", Lisa added.
"That weekend before we went in to deliver Luca was so surreal, we were trying to stay strong for Leo but the two of us were walking about in a trance.
"I think I put up a wall, it hadn't really sunk in as if it happened to someone else. It's still very raw.
"I was anxious because I'd had an emergency caesarean section with Leo and was due to have a planned C-section with Luca at 38 weeks so I'd never experienced labour so it was all new to me."
After being induced and delivering her beautiful baby boy Luca, the couple were taken to the Ohana suite within Wishaw Maternity - a new soundproofed suite where women who suffer loss will be cared for away from the labour ward.
As well as providing cold cots, the suite offers memory boxes, hand and footprints and the chance to have photographs taken with your baby.
Lisa went on: "This is such an important place that we were very grateful to have access to as many in our situation don't have that safe space to spend quality time with their child.
"The Ohana suite is a safe space so when we delivered Luca we could go there. It's a homely room away from the labour ward so you're not in with newborn babies.
"To be able to have that safe space to go to is so important, you don't realise how much you need it.
"Within the Ohana suite we were given the opportunity to make memories with Luca and also had access to a cold cot which helped preserve Luca.
"We couldn't fault the service that we'd received from the midwives and the nurses.
"We cherished being able to spend as much time as we wanted with Luca and our parents were also able to meet him - the Ohana suite gave us that safe space to be able to do that.
"It relies solely on donations so we wanted to do something to give back."
The family held a charity night for the Ohana suite in EK's British Legion in May and raised over £4000 by auctioning off a signed Celtic top and top raffle prizes donated by local businesses.
And this Sunday, October 9 at 9am they are auctioning off a Rangers top signed by the current squad.
The auction is open to everyone through Lisa's Facebook page.
The family hope to fundraise annually for the hospital, with Lisa pledging to donate baby bags to lessen the trauma for other bereaved parents.
Lisa said: "When we left the hospital we were handed a clear plastic bin bag with Luca's blanket and personal things so I spoke to one of the midwives about possibly getting wee cotton muslin bags to make it a bit nicer for parents."
You can also make a donation to the couple's fundraising page here.
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