Lauren Goodger has said her body feels like “it’s missing a newborn” as she grieves the death of her baby daughter, Lorena.
Earlier this month, the formerThe Only Way Is Essex star shared the sad news that her newborn daughter had passed away.
At the time, she described Lorena as “the most beautiful healthy baby I’ve ever seen” and did not disclose any details surrounding her death.
Goodger has since opened up about the tragedy in an interview with OK!, telling the publication that she still had “a bit of a bump” from the pregnancy.
“This one’s not shifting. It sometimes feels like she’s still there, it’s weird,” she explained.
“My body feels very unsettled, it’s like it’s missing a newborn.”
Opening up about Lorena’s death, Goodger disclosed that she was born with her umbilical cord knotted twice around her neck.
Medical professionals tried their best to save the newborn, with a doctor trying for eight minutes to resuscitate her but were unsuccessful.
“She was just perfect,” Goodger said of Lorena. “She was very, very much like Larose.”
Goodger shares one-year-old Larose with her partner Charles Drury.
“[Lorena] had beautiful black hair and blue eyes. She had big lips, a tiny little nose and a lovely skin tone. She looked like a really healthy and solid baby.”
Following Lorena’s death, Goodger was allowed to spend 24 hours with her in a special room at the hospital.
Recalling the night, Goodger said she “spent the night looking at her and touching her.”
“I held her hands and her little feet. I spoke to her and told her I loved her and all about Larose. I dressed her in a beautiful sleep suit that belonged to Larose. I cried so much that night.
“She just looked so perfect and beautiful and I couldn’t stop taking photos of her.
“I’ve got all the photos on my phone and I can’t stop looking at them. For those 24 hours it was just beautiful to be with her. I didn’t want to let her go.”
Goodger told The Sun she has ordered a post-mortem on Lorena to discover why she had died. She said it had been a “textbook pregnancy”, but doctors believe the infant’s oxygen supply “may have been restricted”.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) released a statement following the news and said: “The loss of a baby is devastating and our deepest condolences go out to Lauren and her family.
“Tragically, around 100 of the 700,000 babies born in the UK each year die because something happens during labour and birth that is not anticipated or well managed.
“The RCOG is committed to reducing this number with initiatives such as the Avoiding Brain Injuries in Childbirth project.
“Following the death of their baby, it is vital all women and their families receive compassionate, high-quality and respectful care, and there is support available from charities such as Sands and Tommy’s.”
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact stillbirth and neonatal death charity Sands on 0808 164 3332 or email helpline@sands.org.uk. The helpline is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm Monday to Friday, and until 9.30pm on Tuesday and Thursday evenings.
You can also find bereavement support at The Lullaby Trust by calling 0808 802 6868 or emailing support@lullabytrust.org.uk.
To contact Petals to enquire about the charity’s counselling services, you can call 0300 688 0068 or email counselling@petalscharity.org.
