Researched By Robert Devine & Barbara Mane January 2010: Subject: Stillbirth Prevention UK & USA . Global Baby Power - Why Professionals don’t listen, the facts surrounding Stillbirth & Neonatal deaths in UK. 17 babies die every day in the UK (10 are stillbirths, 7 are neonatal deaths mainly due to unnecessary birth injury) totalling almost 6,500 infant deaths a year, equivalent to 16 jumbo jets crashing every year, that being equivalent to four times the number of people who die every year of MRSA (1,593 MRSA deaths in 2007, UK Statistics Authority) and double the number of adults who lose their lives on Britain's roads every year (2007 - 2,940 people were killed on the roads, Department of Transport). Ten times more babies are stillborn than die of cot death every year in the UK. The stillbirth rate has remained almost unchanged for the past 10 years. (CEMACH) Problems contributing to baby deaths: Under-resourced maternity and neonatal services: Maternity services in the UK are under considerable strain from lack of resources and funding and there is strong evidence to suggest that this is contributing to baby deaths. (The last official enquiry by CESDI, Confidential Enquiry into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy, found that nearly half of all unexplained stillbirths would have been avoided with better antenatal care.) Evidence from a Sands survey of 270 bereaved parents found that almost half of parents (48%) did not feel that everything possible was done to save their baby's life, they felt rushed through their antenatal appointments (36%) and not completely confident about the way in which they were cared for in the lead up to their baby's birth (49%). There is a severe shortage of neonatal nurses, with 1,700 posts needing to be filled and only 14 out of 50 intensive care units in the UK providing minimum standards of one-to-one care for sick and premature babies. Half of all stillborn babies die for no apparent reason - like a 'cot death in the womb'. The cause of these deaths is very poorly understood due to dated registration & classification systems. There is potential to detect these babies that are at risk of injury or stillbirth, and deliver them early. But if work like this is to succeed urgent changes in training of obstetricians & midwifes is required putting an end to guessing and differing opinions, increased ultrasound along with regular NST mainly in the last 6 Wks of pregnancy will save these babies. Sands' new consumer survey of UK adults revealed that awareness of the level of stillbirth is low, with 75% being very surprised that the rate of stillbirth was as high as 300 babies dying every month. The survey also revealed that mums-to-be are not being made aware of the risks of stillbirth with 42% of mothers questioned not receiving any information on stillbirth from their midwife. Failure of current antenatal screening techniques to identify 'at-risk' babies; More than 55% of all stillbirths are of babies who die for apparently no reason, UNEXPLAINED the majority in 'low-risk' pregnancies. The Impact of a baby’s death is immeasurable: The emotional impact on parents - 81% suffered depression and reduced confidence as a result of their loss, a third said the loss of their baby had affected their marriage/relationship, many could not return to work and the Financial impact on parents - 48% said the death of their baby resulted in them or their partner being less effective at work, which had a negative impact on their career; with a quarter losing earnings as they had to change their job/career. Cost to health and social services - 35% of parents needed extra support from health care services to help with the emotional impact of their baby's loss; a third having to take extended sick leave. Neal Long, Chief Executive, Sands: "For too long these deaths have been ignored and yet here is compelling evidence to suggest that many babies' lives could be saved with better antenatal care. Umbilical Cord Accidents can be prenatally diagnosed with clinical signs, fetal heart rate monitoring and ultrasound. It is malpractice to miss prenatal signs of UCA. J H Collins MD Founder & Chair Pregnancy Institute USA ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT OF UMBILICAL CORD ABNORMALITIES Junichi Hasegawa*, Ryu Matsuoka, Kiyotake Ichizuka, Akihiko Sekizawa, Takashi Okai Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. Conclusion: Antenatal ultrasound diagnosis of umbilical cord abnormalities may be helpful in picking up cases in which strict fetal monitoring is warranted antenatally as well as during labor. This information could then be used to triage patients to either high-risk or low-risk cases and could alert the physician to the increased risk of non-reassuring fetal status. In cases with cord abnormalities, especially VCIs and HCCs, intensive monitoring and preparation for cesarean delivery are indicated. We do believe that the neonatal outcome must be improved by these precise managements. Robert & Barbara Scotland UK - Registration & Classification of Infant Death: Our Global research indicates the second highest cause of late term stillbirth (34>41Wks) relates to intrauterine Asphyxia of which in many cases is being classed as unexplained, from the unexplained group we believe 70% of intrauterine Asphyxia cases are due to umbilical cord compression caused by cord entanglement. Professional ultrasound scans (Colour Doppler) can easily detect cord entanglement which is a well known fact, however many OB's & midwifes tend to avoid late term detailed scanning (WHY) it’s now time for OB's & midwifes to stop Guessing as quoted by Professor Stewart Campbell London and use this wonderful diagnostic tool for what it was meant for pioneered in Scotland By Prof Ian Donald and his team. No living person dies, dies of UNEXPLAINED, in the UK the law is clear all persons who die shall have a death certificate and cause of death correctly recorded, in Scotland 67% of infant deaths are recorded as UNEXPLAINED, rest of UK 55% this is UNACCEPTABLE. Data indicates the second highest cause of late term stillbirth (34>41Wks) relates to intrauterine Asphyxia of which is being classed as unexplained of the unexplained group data indicates 70% of intrauterine Asphyxia cases are due to umbilical cord compression due to cord entanglement. Litigation cases in the USA & UK are on the increase, litigation companies hold the key that will turn the lock in preventing late term stillbirth, the mystery and the unexplained infant deaths is over, In Sept 2009 the Scottish Public Service Ombudsmen independent report concluded our baby died due to sub standard antenatal care, we believe this to be the case in more than 60% of all late term loss. Robert & Barbara Scotland UK - God Bless

My husband and I recently lost our little girl to an Umbilical Cord Accident as well (at 32 weeks). I have written the Oprah show requesting this same topic. It seems that a lot of us parents have researched this topic and Dr. Jason Collins' research, but our doctors don't follow the recommendations.... maybe due to medical practice standards, insurance reasons, or because they are just too darn busy to keep up with the newest studies. I feel strongly that this topic deserves more attention. An influential show like yours and/or the publicity could help save lives. Please help in lessening the loss of these healthy babies. They deserve it!! We call it modern medicine/modern technology. Why not update this issue with the times? If you decide to do a show on this topic, Dr. Jason Collins with the Pregnancy Institute would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for listening. Stacy Crews, TX

Please consider this topic for your show. We are longtime members and former volunteers for Sharing Parents (www.sharingparents.org) a local chapter of the National Share Organization. Share is a volunteer support group of parents who have experienced the death of their baby(ies) from the time of conception through early infancy. Our first born son, Michael James, was born still on 1/18/01 at 37.5 weeks. Pregnancy loss and stillbirth is a topic that needs to be discussed and researched further for prevention. Thank you

I lost my daughter during birth in April 2009. I had a normal and uneventful pregnancy. I had watched all the shows about complications during birth but NEVER imagined that we could loose her! Since my loss I have met dozens of other women just in my area they suffered a similar loss. If there are that many other victims of stillbirth just in my area, imagine how much a show like The Doctors could reach? Pregnant women need to be educated on kick counts and signs of fetal distress!

I am currently 27 weeks pregnant with my second child. We have both been perfectly healthy, but in the back of my mind, I always know that until he is born and breathing, there are no guarantees. No woman is immune from stillbirth. It may be hard to think about or hear about, but those parents who have experienced can't turn away. It's their reality, for the rest of their lives. It's time to break the silence, and destroy the taboo. Stillborn babies are very real, very loved, and very missed.

I forgot to mention that the true knot that killed my daughter can be found through ultrasound and monitored for a different outcome than mine. Dr Collins has proven through monitoring, you can bring home a LIVING baby even if there are cord issues. I hope that you do not ignore the need for stillbirth awareness and prevention.

6/18/09: Full term, went into labor, rushed to the hospital all excited and a little scared since this was my first baby… and BAM! Found out our little Isabella was gone! She’d passed away sometime in the last 12 hours. It hurt so bad that I now have PSTD flashbacks! I begged the doctors to do something, anything, and there was nothing that could be done. Only 6 days before I had an appointment where I told the doctor something wasn’t right, and she did absolutely NOTHING! Had I been more aware that this could happen, or had I known there were tests they could do…. I would have demanded something to check on my daughter’s well-being and she might still be alive. PLEASE help us get the word out! So many pregnant women are never told about options or that a full term baby dying in-utero is possible! It took months to get some real answers but now we know that this doctor has lost several other babies as well and our daughter’s death could have been prevented had additional testing been done!!!!

My third daughter, Delilah Meadow, was stillborn at 36 weeks gestation in September '09, due to an apparent umbilical cord accident after a very normal pregnancy. Our family is devastated by her loss. Please consider this topic on your show. There is no reason stillbirth should be a "taboo" subject. People need to be educated! Thank you

I definitely feel as though the taboo needs to be broken. I lost my first child in september of 2009, due to a silent placental abruption. I was at the doctors that morning at 9am and by 130pm i was at the hospital hearing those awful words that will haunt me for the rest of my life "i'm sorry, but your baby has no heart beat." Only to be followed by " Your placenta has detached from the uterus and you are bleeding internally". As I nurse I instantly knew the severity of my own health.There was a good chance I could die, seeing the look on my husbands face after hearing our daughter had died was terrible... he kept it together for me, until I said "so theres a chance I could die as well?" Then you could see, that his entire world completely fell apart. I had an uneventful pregnancy, and pathology results on my placenta showed I suffered from Severe pre-eclampsia, even though my blood pressures were normal and I never had any protein in my urine. Before I lost my daughter at 29 weeks, I had only heard of this happening to one other woman, since then i have heard of this happening to dozens in my area alone and thosands across the US. No education, and a terrible stigma associated to Stillbirths has to be stopped. Research is not being done. The general public and medical professionals alone need to be more educated on the impact stillbirths have on families. Not just the mothers, but the fathers as well. Stillbirths affect the father just as much as the mother and i feel as though this needs addressed as well. 25,000 stillbirths occur yearly alone in the US... I've seen a few segments on ways to prevent SIDS, but NOTHING, NOTHING on stillbirths

I lost my son on Feb 13th, 2008 and it was the most horrifying, gut wrenching and life changing experience I have to live through. I was 34 weeks into my pregnancy and had had two prior healthy pregnancies and deliveries prior, all of a sudden one day my life changed when I learned my son had died. Later we found out it was a cord accident and nothing really could have been done. But no one talks about what to look for in pregnancies and I know it might be terrifying to hear what can happen. But I wish I would have known and I wish I knew what to look for. Here is a video of our journey http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDynXzVjydY&feature=player_embedded Here is our website www.ourangelethan.legacy.com

My first child, Grace Olivia, was silently born on March 19, 2005 at 36w3d due to a double nuchal cord. We had no idea how prevalent stillbirth was in the United States until it happened to us and we started to do research. One of the first websites I came across in the first days after delivering Grace was Dr. Collins'. My daughter had all of the signs of being in distress but when I mentioned them to the doctors I was told they were completely normal. What were the warning signs that we did not know about? 1) More than 10–15 hiccups per minute occurring more than four times in 24 hours, 2) extreme hyperactivity (especially during maternal sleep), and 3) very strong kicking or localized uterine pain. I was given a kick count chart at my 36w checkup, just three days before my daughter died. She passed every time, even the night (just hours) before she died. It would mean so much to the families of these babies if you would feature a story on stillbirth, the signs to look for, and Dr. Collins research. Please help us get the word out.

Please consider doing a segment on this. I had no idea that baby's even died before it happened to me. I had a great pregnancy, everything was fine. And then one day when I was 33 weeks my son wasnt moving. So I went to the hospital and when I got their they found his heartbeat but he still wasnt moving. So when my doctor arrived he checked on the ultrasound. And there were seen his little heart beating, but since he was in distress they had to take him out ASAP, so I was prepped for surgery and had an emergency c section. I was so scared because I was in there all by myself and I was trying not to pay attention to what was going on. I ended turning my head and seen a team of doctors giving my son cpr. I was terrified by then but thought everything would be okay. A few minutes later the doctor came up to me and ask for my permission to stop working on him since 18 minutes had passed. They said he wasnt alive when they brought him out. In that second my whole world crashed down. This isnt suppose to happen to people. Babys arent suppose to die. Im 20 years old, and I had to bury my son. There need to be more done about this, people need to know the risks and the signs to look for.

I lost my son on July 8th, 2009 at 36w 5d to a cord accident. In the weeks following his death and search high and low for an answer to why he had to die. Why MY son??? I have read Dr. Collins' research and have learned about kick counts and what decreased fetal movement could possible mean. I can't believe that it took this tragedy from me to find all of this stuff out. This should be mainstream information. Every woman should be aware that they should be keeping track of their baby's kicks beginning at about 28 weeks. When I lost my son I had no idea that stillbirths even still occur. Nobody talks about them and yet they happen about 28000 times every year in the US. That's about 12 times more than SIDS. I think every new mom is aware of SIDS so why aren't we more aware of stillbirth???

Evelyn Rose Pflipsen - Born onto Earth June 4th, 2009 http://www.evelynrosefoundation.org/ Stillbirth has been STILL to long! Invite some of these amazing women to to appear on your show - Allow us the opportunity to share our babies, give our children the recognition they deserve. tpflipsen123@msn.com Tamara Pflipsen

I lost my twins in October 2009. There needs to be more research and awareness to this tragic topic.

I lost my son on my 41 week of pregnancy on December 2008. The explanation was umbilical cord accident. He was healthy and I was healthy. The umbilical cord was twice around his neck and once around his leg. If the umbilical cord got wrapped around him after he passed away or before we are not sure.. Since that our entire life changed. we are not the same people me and my husband and inside our hearts, our hearts are broken. he was my second pregnancy but my first born. I was suppose to get induce for delivery the next day, but it was too late...I went to the hospital after not feeling any movements the evening before and the night before. I did not know that if I stop feeling him I suppose to call the Dr right away, I thought I stopped feeling his movements because I was close to delivery-and this is false! but I did not know... More research have to be done and more awareness immediately! than you for doing research. In the meanwhile me and my girlfriend Mare who lost her son as well are NJ representatives for a fundraising that helps with funeral expenses to families who lost their baby from 20 weeks of gestation to one year of life. and emotional support. if you are interested the web: www.thetearsfoundation.org and we have the 1st annual event on May 23 Bradley Beach NJ- If you are interested to take a part of this please register today and join a team or start a new team for the memory of your baby. on the website go to tab-walk& rock. If you would like advertise additional information for supporting the research we can help you.. direct email: newjerseywalk@thetearsfoundation.org thank you so much and please keep on doing research, we can save more babies...

My nephew was a full term stillborn in June 09. Before then, the idea of my sister (or any of us) having a stillborn was simply out of the question. I can't particularly blame my family for thinking that way (no one ever thinks it'll happen to "me"), but now that this tragedy has occurred, I want everyone to know how real the death of a baby is. If you did a segment on stillborns, I believe you would touch millions of peoples lives. Of course the segment would be filled with sadness, but there are also stories of "signs" people have received from their Angels. I believe those little bits of hope are what keeps my family going. Too many people do not understand the depth of sadness that this tragedy brings; they were certainly people and they were certainly alive. You would be speaking for millions of heartbroken families by spreading the news/stories for them. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do a segment on this!!!

Please consider doing this segment. Our son, Jayden Allen, was born still in February 2009. We have since found out that it was due to a small, insufficient placenta. Finding the cause was not easy and required my fervent followup, and seeking second and third opinions. It seems all too simple to tell a grieving mom that they don't know why it happened. We are left with a dead baby, and no answers. I believe that if researched enough, answers could be found but it is too painful for grieving parents to pursue. We did pursue the second opinions, and after speaking with a doctor from YALE, we discovered that there is a new technique that is being developed to measure placenta size during pregnancy. It is a simple calculation (according to our doctor) using measurements taken during a routine ultrasound. Jayden was 34 weeks gestation. A viable age. Had we known his placenta was so small, he could have been taken early and given an opportunity to live. We have since found out that stillbirth is more common than SIDS yet really does not get the funding or attention that that research can be done to find causes and come up with preventable steps to reduce the staggering number of stillborn babies. Jayden had no chromosomal problems, he was perfectly healthy, perfectly developed 5 lb, 2 oz boy when he was born. Please do this show, and bring more attention to a topic that seems to be taboo. I know that no one wants to think about babies dying, but it is a reality, and more needs to be done to stop this from happening. I wish no other parent ever had to walk through life knowing the pain of holding their lifeless child. Thank you for helping to raise awareness so we can stop it from happening to others.

My firstborn, Daren, was born still on 6/29/09 when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I'm a healthy 27 year old and had a completely healthy and normal pregnancy. My husband and I were completely blindsided by this unexpected tragedy. I noticed that my son hadn't been moving, but all of the books I had read said that at such a late stage in pregnancy, the decreased movement is normal because the baby "runs out of room". None of the books mentioned the possibility stillbirth. When we got to the hospital and found out that the son that we were so excited to meet no longer had a heartbeat, our lives were changed forever. The most likely cause of our son's death was a double nuchal cord accident (the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice and was tight). During my pregnancy I didn't realize that things like this happen and I never in a million years would have guessed that it would happen to me. I wish there was a greater general awareness of stillbirth and it's many causes. I'm also very interested in Dr. Collins' work and am strongly considering contacting him when I am pregnant again. I would love to see stillbirth and Dr.Collins' work discussed on the show.

My firstborn, Daren, was born still on 6/29/09 when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I'm a healthy 27 year old and had a completely healthy and normal pregnancy. My husband and I were completely blindsided by this unexpected tragedy. I noticed that my son hadn't been moving, but all of the books I had read said that at such a late stage in pregnancy, the decreased movement is normal because the baby "runs out of room". None of the books mentioned the possibility stillbirth. When we got to the hospital and found out that the son that we were so excited to meet no longer had a heartbeat, our lives were changed forever. The most likely cause of our son's death was a double nuchal cord accident (the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice and was tight). During my pregnancy I didn't realize that things like this happen and I never in a million years would have guessed that it would happen to me. I wish there was a greater general awareness of stillbirth and it's many causes. I'm also very interested in Dr. Collins' work and am strongly considering contacting him when I am pregnant again. I would love to see stillbirth and Dr.Collins' work discussed on the show.

My firstborn, Daren, was born still on 6/29/09 when I was 36 weeks pregnant. I'm a healthy 27 year old and had a completely healthy and normal pregnancy. My husband and I were completely blindsided by this unexpected tragedy. I noticed that my son hadn't been moving, but all of the books I had read said that at such a late stage in pregnancy, the decreased movement is normal because the baby "runs out of room". None of the books mentioned the possibility stillbirth. When we got to the hospital and found out that the son that we were so excited to meet no longer had a heartbeat, our lives were changed forever. The most likely cause of our son's death was a double nuchal cord accident (the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck twice and was tight). During my pregnancy I didn't realize that things like this happen and I never in a million years would have guessed that it would happen to me. I wish there was a greater general awareness of stillbirth and it's many causes. I'm also very interested in Dr. Collins' work and am strongly considering contacting him when I am pregnant again. I would love to see stillbirth and Dr.Collins' work discussed on the show.

Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. If you would like us to keep you up to date on the progress of this project as well as research projects/findings - please go to this web page: http://www.starlegacyfoundation.org/id92.html and provide your contact information. Or you can send your contact information directly to me: shauna@starlegacyfoundation.org

My son, Ian Miller, was born still on August 5, 2009 at 24 weeks. This topic needs to be discussed! It is a taboo that needs to be broken. After Ian died, I found so many people who had also lost a baby, but had never talked about it because it's too taboo. It isn't right for us to have to mourn in silence because it makes everyone uncomfortable. I really hope that you will do this show.

I also lost my firstborn child, Matthew. He was born still at full term after a perfect pregnancy. His heart stopped beating one day before labor was to be induced. He was 7 lbs 1 oz and perfect according to amniocentesis. There was no evidence of a cord accident or any other problem at birth. I got pregnant soon after losing Matthew and developed a huge blood clot in my leg and two clotting problems were diagnosed. I had to inject blood thinner, heparin, for the duration of my pregnancy and a maternal/fetal specialist provided all my care. He feels that I probably developed a blood clot somewhere in the placenta and/or umbilical cord and caused Matthew to die inutero. In the 15 years since Matthew death, I've found out there are many clotting issues which can cause recurrent pregnancy loss and/or stillbirth but many doctors will still say it is "bad luck" or "just keep trying" when women lose babies. Would they say it is "bad luck" if a child or adult's heart stops beating for no apparent reason? There needs to be more awareness brought to the subject of stillbirth and pregnant women need to know what to be aware of and look for during their pregnancy. My undiagnosed blood clotting problems (lupus anticoagulant and anticardiolipin antibodies) could have caused me and my subsequent baby to both die due to the blood clot that formed in my leg. Please do a show to raise awareness of this critical subject that touches so many women and families. Losing a child is something a parent can ever get over - you just learn to live with a part of your heart missing. Thank you

Please consider this topic! My husband and I lost our first born, Colleen at 25 weeks for reasons unexplained. We also experianced 2 unexplained miscarriages, then delivered our (now 2 year old) daughter at 28 weeks and almost lost her as well. I can't explain the devistation we as families experience when a child dies. You cringe just dealing with everyday things...questions from strangers like 'how many children do you have', forms you have to fill out indicating how many pregnancies you've had, husband and wives divourcing because they can't deal with the stress, or many (like myself) having to live with the fact you can't have any more children. I would like to volunteer to be on your show, as well, to share my story. Again, please consider this very important topic!

Please break the silence and raise awareness that stillbirths can and DO occur. I lost my son on Feb. 1st, 2008 due to a full placental abruption. I was 26 weeks pregnant at the time. The horrible words, "there's no heartbeat" and then going on to deliver him in a deafeningly quiet delivery room, continue to haunt my dreams. Maybe in bringing awareness we can also help to prevent someone else from walking in this journey that many of us find ourselves on. Thank you!

I have had two stillbirths. On June 4th, 2008 at 34 weeks pregnant, I stopped feeling Jake move. I went right to the hospital, and I was told that the baby i was so excited to meet , and love, had passed away. He was delivered on June 5th 2008, 6lbs 4 oz.. absolutley beautiful. It was the most devasting day of my life. I was told that an autopsy would most likely show nothing, and that it was a fluke.. My three year old son was so confused, asking where his brother was , and why wasnt he coming home. I was told to heal emotionally and physically and try again... "lihtining doesnt strike twice"... Well it did.. 7 months later i was pregnant with Lucas.. until 32 weeks, when i woke up and he wasnt moving . I went to the hospital to relive my nightmare all over again... The same Dr. in the same room, had told me that Lucas had passed away. On Aug. 25th 2009 i delivered baby Lucas.. who loked just like his big brother Jake.. Why do we not see this on a baby story, why are we not prepared for somthing that happens so often.. somtimes more than once to the same person. This needs to be a topic that is discussed. Also, just so you know.. itching during pregnancy is normal, but severe icthing on your body where you make yourself bleed is not.. it is a sign of cholestasis which causes stillbirth... noone took my symptoms seriously and because of that i have lost two angels. In memory of Jake and Lucas xoxo I should have 3 kids in my house right now.. once simple blood test could have saved my sons lives.

My son Colton was born sleeping on July 23, 2009. He was a gorgeous 4lbs & 17 1/2 inches long. I was 35 weeks pregnant. I Noticed that his movement had increased the Tuesday prior, then Wednesday I noticed that I hadn't felt him move at all that I could remember, so I figured that he had got himself into a comfy position and was sleeping soundly, but I told myself that if I didn't notice movement Thurday I was calling my doctor, and so I did, they didnt seem to be worried at all, the receptionist acted as if it were completly normal and they didnt get me in until late Thursday afternoon. When I got to the doctors office me and my mom (my husband was working 2 hours away) waited for 45 min to be seen, when I finally was seen my doctor did a US, but he didnt seem panicked, he just said that my son wasnt active, but didnt see any reason why he wouldnt be. My Dr. told me to head to the hospital and he was going to order them to do a US. So I figured that his machine wasnt high tech enough, never did it cross my mind that my son was no longer alive. When I got to the hospital and in my room, no one seemed panicked or worried, they hooked me up to the moniters, and searched and searched for his heartbeat, and thats about the time that I think mine stopped also. I think thats when it hit me, to see the look of panic in my moms eyes, I kept telling her that she had to stay strong so I didnt completly fall apart. I had a few nurses come in and cry with me and tell me how sorry they were for my loss, but I still wasnt willing to accept that he was gone, I thought maybe when he was born they would see that he was fine. I decided to have a C-Section, I couldnt bare the thought of being awake while my child was being delivered if he wasnt breathing. He was born asleep at 8:30pm thurday. They had put me completly out (by the time I went in for surgery my husband has arrived) so when I woke up and they asked me if I was ready to see my son I said no, I didnt have the strength yet to see him or hold him, I didnt for about a hour or so. When I was ready to, my husband handed him to me (and man he looked like a natural Daddy) he was so tiny and pale, but the most beautiful little Angel I had ever laid my eyes on. At this point I was so heavily medicated I was in and out of sleep. So my memory of holding him is faint, I'm so glad I have the picture to remind me, my husband told me that I told my son that I loved him and that I was sorry, I just wish I could remember. We gave him back to the nurses because I wasnt strong enough to hold him anymore. The next two days in the hospital are a blurr. Dealing with funeral homes, and doctors, I was so lost, I never thought I would have to deal with my childs death. We decided to have him creamated,so we could bring him home where he belongs. It feels good to have him home, I sleep with him next to me on my night stand. I talk to him every night. We had a autopsy done and everythng came back negative. He was a perfectly healthy little man! I'll never know why I lost my son..,

Please consider doing a segment on this. I had never even heard of stillbirth before it happened to me. I had a great pregnancy, everything was good throughout 39 weeks and then one only days before my due date I didn't feel my baby moving around as much. We went into my doctors office as and had a nonstress test done. While they found his heartbeat he wasnt moving much. So my doctor told me to meet him at the hospital to deliver the baby. When we arrived at the hospital his little heart was still beating, but he was in distress and they did an emergency c section. I was so scared but thought everything would be okay. When I awoke everything was not okay I had lost my baby my first son who looked like a very health baby boy who was just sleeping. No one should have to experience this in order to get more care, attention, etc. Stillbirth needs more attention brought to it and more women should be proactive during their pregnancy. I wish I had known any change in fetal movement was a possible sign something was wrong I would have been to my doctors office sooner, but because since it was my first I didn't want to be viewed as one of those over anxious moms. I also think to let others know that there can be a next time, as I got pregnant again three months later and went on to deliver a healthy baby girl but I was monitored and checked more regularly, In Memory of our Angel ^^Anthony Michael^^ 1/11/08

We lost our son Kooper at 38 weeks due to a true knot in the umbilical cord. I was scheduled to be induced the next day because i kept saying something was wrong I was having contractions but he wasn't dropping like he should've been .. The ultratechnician told me i had large ovaries... Come to find out there were 2 knots in the cord.. one of which tightened when he turned to get into position. I can't explain the ultimate void and saddness that has overcome my family because of this. I hope and pray to someday put an end to the lives being lost .

I lost my daughter at 35 wks. 1 day pregnant after a normal, healthy pregnancy on 11/16/09. Please address this topic on your show. There needs to be more awareness and research done in the media about this. It's heartbreaking to have to bury your own child and no parent should ever have to do this.

We lost our beautiful Grandaughter Abbi 12/22/208 due to placental abruption. Our family was totally devasted. All our hopes and dreams for this precious little girl were gone in an instant. Abbi was due in one week. My son, daughter-in-law and Abbi's big brother CJ. are still working thru the pain. I pray for anyone who has suffered this kind of loss. There are no words to express this kind of agony.

Since I lost my twins at 37 weeks I check every talk show every day to see if anyone is doing a show on stillbirth. I consider myself an educated person and read a ton of baby books while I was pregnant and I never even knew this was possible! Two beautiful healthy babies just die for no apparent reason. I was told by my OB that "sometimes babies die". What? And this is ok with you? My preganancy was picture perfect. at 41 years of age carrying twins my BP was fine , the babies were active. I still think of them every day and wish they were here in my arms. My heart aches for them. I relive the moment every day when it was so clear on the sonogram that their hearts stopped beating. I can't help but think this should not have happened. Please do a show about this. For women who have had it happen so they can see that thiis is being recognized as a legitimate problem. . Our babies don't even get a birth certicate or a death certicate. I don't even know what to call the day they were delivered. A birthday? Do it for women who are pregnant so they know this can happen. Maybe if I went to the dr sooner I could have saved them. I think people don't talk about it because it is so awful no one wants to. Please be the one who is brave enough to talk about it! In Memory of my sons, Patrick and Colin, Tricia Fiasconaro

Hello My name is Renee and I lost my baby girl at 39 weeks, 5 days. I was in labor and went in to the hospital where the put the monitor on me and told me, there was no heartbeat. Our world we as we knew it ended that very day. My husband and I are still dealing with the sadness and like all parents in our situation will always have this tragic loss be part of our lives. We miss our baby girl dearly. Isabella, our daughter, was perfect, born at 6lbs, 13 ounces and with a beautiful full head of dark hair. She was perfect in every way, a perfect baby. We were told it was "possibly" caused by the cord that was wrapped around her neck just once, however we were also told that about 80% of babies are born this way. So while we were given a possible cause, we are not exactly positive that is what was the cause. It is difficult to live with this each and every day. We have a 4 year old son and recently just had another baby girl in Oct. 09. While our lives continue, we still grieve the loss of the daughter who we never saw open her eyes, who we never heard cry who we will never see grow up. We miss her. WE would love to see a segminet onthe doctors about this topic. It is something that is not talked about and until it happened to us, we never even heard of. I was never told of Kick Counts, Non stress teste etc or even about Dr. Collins and his research. I feel it is very important to educate women that this CAN happen to them. My pregnancy with Isabella was perfect, picture perfect and until the day when I went into labor, she was fine. i was in the doctors office 2 days prior and she was wonderful and had a perfect heartbeat. I took care of myself, ate good and took all my prenatal pills, and went to my doctors appointments. I still cant believe it happened to my baby. Please Please do a segiment on this. Its important and happens so much more than people know. You can see alot of these stories on www.dailystrength.org, go to the stillbirth group and there are hundreds and hundreds of women. I have suffered 2 miscarrigages in addition to this as well. While they were both very difficult to handle, they were early on. Nothing is harder than a stillbirth. Seeing your lifeless baby is so awful and tragic, and seems so senseless and should not happen. Please do a show on this, I would even come on and tell my story if it means helping someone else prevent this awful tragic thing happening to them. God bless. Renee Maldonado, Lincoln, CA reneemaldonado@yahoo.com

Dear Dr's, Please I ask you to consider this segment. I too lost my daughter Kimberly June on April 1, 2009 at almost 39 wks and just 2 days before our scheduled C-Section. It is very important that women understand the need for not only prenatal services but also to be very vigilant about making sure that they do not have any decrease in fetal movement. After losing my daughter I have come to understand that stillbirth is more of a "Taboo" subject and many not only cringe at the thought but do not want to hear it period. Our losses are real. Many because of lack of education seem to think that our losses are just something that happened and we just need to get over it. If you could please not only cover what the signs are as well as the different causes (though I know that some are unexplained) but also if you could cover the emotional toll it takes on a grieving family and that though are children only lived in our wombs that they lived none the less and that we are still grieving the loss of a real child. Once again I ask you to please consider this topic. It is very important as I believe that if more women were at least aware of decreased fetal movement and the implications that it could have then perhaps we can save lives. Even one life saved is worth it. Thank You again for your consideration, Mary Nelda & Jay Williams parents to Kimberly June San Antonio, TX

Our baby was stillborn almost one year ago - Jan. 31, 2009. His due date was Feb. 6. The pregnancy was normal and healthy. Then one day, he just stopped moving. Upon delivery, the cause of death was revealed: a knot in his umbilical cord. This knot was not seen in two ultrasounds or through any of the standard tests and screening done throughout the pregnancy.

Please help us spread the word about stillbirth and educate people on steps that can be taken to save some of these babies. My son was stillborn August 29, 2009. It would also be great to address what happens with parents and siblings after a stillbirth and let people know that it is ok to grieve and that you don't need to just get on with your life. That was your child who will always be a part of your life.

My sister had a happy, uneventful pregnancy with her son. Three days after his original due date, she went in for an appointment to discuss getting induced. During a routine sonogram, my sisters heartbroke as the nurse told her she could not find a heartbeat. My brave sister had to vaginally deliver her deceased son....over 14 hours of labor, knowing the entire time her child would not be alive. How do these women do it? How do they survive such a heartache, knowing the suffering and grieving will never end? THESE WOMEN ARE HEROS!! They are the true definition of the strength of a woman. They have gone through every parents nightmare and their stories NEED to be told!! PLEASE, do a segment on this. You will be speaking for all the families suffering!!!!

I lost my sweet angel daughter Sierra Danielle about a year and a half ago at 41 weeks pregnant. I had a normal pregnancy, no signs of anything wrong. At 41 weeks I went in to the doctors for a checkup and to talk about my induction that was scheduled for that evening. My doctor was gone on vacation so I saw another doctor who was taking her patients for the week. At first she couldn't find the heartbeat during my checkup but I wasn't worried, I could feel my sweet baby girl kick away at the wand as she searched my belly. She couldn't find it with the wand so she brought in the ultrasound machine to take a quick look and deemed everything to fine. Her heartbeat was about 30 beat per minute lower than usual but I didn't think a thing of it at the time. I never knew that perfectly healthy babies could be gone in an instant. I left the doctors that day and hurried around preparing for my hospital stay. I didn't feel her moving as much as usual but I didn't think anything of it at the time. I assumed that all of my movement had just lulled her to sleep and besides babies activity was supposed to decrease towards the end anyways. So off I went to the hospital excited to finally meet my daughter. I got checked in and settled and my room and the nurses came in to hook me up to monitor her before the induction could start. The nurse was having trouble finding her heartbeat but once again I wasn't worried, my placenta had attached to the front of my uterus so it had made it hard to pick up her heartbeat through it the entire time. 5 minutes passed of searching and only picking up my heartbeat, then 5 more passed. They brought in another nurse to try and she had no luck either, by then I was worried and I started to think back to the last time I had felt her move and I realized it had been many hours since I had felt her. I had been so caught up in the excitement that I hadn't even thought of it. By the time they brought the doctor in to check me I knew my baby girl was gone. My world came crashing down in that instant, they brought in an utlrasound machine to make one final check and they didn't have to say anything to me other than "I'm so sorry" they didn't even have to say she was gone. They started the induction process that night as I tried to wrap my mind around the thought of delivering my daughter when she was already gone. I chose to get an epidural early into my labor my heart was in enough pain my body couldn’t handle anymore. At 7:41pm the next day my daughter silently made hear entrance into this world. She was so beautiful and I was stunned by how much she looked like her older brother. The hospital staff was wonderful. They bathed her and dressed her in clothes that we had brought (the outfit I had carefully selected to be her coming home outfit became her burial gown) they encouraged me to hold her and to take pictures of her and they did the same. They were my angels in my time of need. I was still so much in shock I didn’t know what to do and I am so thankful that I did get to hold my beautiful daughter and that I did take pictures of her that I now have to keep for forever. I went to the hospital expecting to bring home my second child and instead I left with a box with her foot and handprints, her blanket and hat, and some grief literature. I have never felt more hollow and empty in my whole life and I have never been filled with so much anger. Anger at my doctors for somehow not knowing, angry at myself for being so unaware, angry at my body for somehow failing to do its job to bring my baby girl safely into this world. I turned to the internet to try to understand why and how something like this could happen and I only grew angrier and angrier as I came to learn how common this was and how many lives were shattered by stillbirth. 1 in 116 pregnancies ends in stillbirth but yet until I lost my daughter I had no idea that something like this could happen to a perfectly healthy baby during a perfectly normal pregnancy. In the year and a half since I lost my daughter I have gone on to get pregnant again and safely bring a healthy baby boy into this world. I truly know how blessed I am to have him her. But not a day has gone by in the year and a half that I have not shed a tear for my sweet angel girl. Please consider doing a show dealing with the topic of stillbirth. Baby loss is still so taboo and until it is no longer taboo more babies will die needlessly and families will suffer in silence.

I feel that this would be a very beneficail segment that America needs to hear to prevent if possible for any family to have to deal with a stillborn. My son was stillborn June 2, 2008. He is the twin brother to his surving twin. We had a good easy pregnancy and at 35 weeks 5 days a biophysical profile was done and both boys scored an 8 out of 8 and everything looked great. The cause of our son's loss is unknown, but we chose not to do an autopsey, but for all the doctors involved they were unable to see any known cause. I delivered the boys at 37 weeks 5 days after going into labor and progressed very rapidly, but it was unknown that my son had passed until they did the C-section and pulled out our son Brett, he was twin A. I feel that America needs to know that there are risks with twins and that they need to be monitored very carefully. I hope that you consider this topic and help others understand what to look for if there are any signs and what testing if any the Dr.'s need to be doing especially in a multiple pregnancy. Thank you. Jaime Kinderknecht, in memory of my son Brett Allen Kinderknecht

I am one of the thousand of families joining the ranks of the devestation after stillbirth. I delivered my son Bryston at 28 weeks gestation on July 24, 2009 due to a placental abruption. After our son was born still they told me that I was postive for 2 abnormal gene mutations in the MTHFR family which leads to clotting issues and it makes it hard to absorb folic acid and B vitamins for myself and the baby. (They did not do gentetic testing on me before hand due to the financial cost and insurance companies not wanting to pay for it so they didnt even offer it to me as a choice.) There is not enough known about my condition to know weather or not it caused our abruption. I would love a show to be done on stillbirth. Too many families are in the dark about this. I knew little to nothing about stillbirth before this summer and never dreamed that I could miscarry after the first trimester. People need to know and More research need to be done. In this day and age it is almost ridiculous that they can clone a sheep but know so little about the causes of stillbirth. I hope to see this on your program.

I lost my daughter almost exactly one year ago due to an umbilical cord accident. I was 32 weeks pregnant, and had a normal, healthy pregnancy up until the fateful day that I realized that I had not felt her move in awhile. According to the autopsy, she was perfectly healthy - she/we were just incredibly unlucky. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that this could happen to me and my family, nor did I have any idea of how frightenly common it actually is for families to experience this tragedy. It's rarely talked about. It's been the most devastating thing that has ever happened to me, and one year later, despite receiving lots of counselling, support from family and friends, and taking an anti-anxiety/depressant medication, I still struggle almost every day to find the joy in life. I 'm not even going to attempt to describe the emotions and trauma involved in knowing that your much loved baby has died inside of you, because it's inexplicable. Going through delivery process (in my case, a c-section, two days after I already knew that she was not alive), holding and saying goodbye to your child's shell and knowing that you will never get the privilege of seeing them alive even for a second, facing the cold, hard truth that there is no way to change your reality and that nothing can ever make things better, and then embarking upon the incredibly long road to emotional recovery (if it's even possible) and knowing that even if you attempt to have another pregnancy, NO ONE can guarantee you that it won't happen again or prevent it from happening - is not something that any mother should ever have to face. With all the advances that have been made in medicine over the past few decades, you would think that somehow there must be a way to prevent at least some of these tragedies from occuring - even just more ultrasounds in the third trimester, stress tests...there has to be something??

My first child, Curits, was stillborn at 40 weeks due to a cord accident. We were told it was a fluke, cord accidents DON'T repeat and they would do nothing for us next time. Luckily we found the Missing GRACE organization who put us in contact with Dr. Jason Collins. We monitored with him during our next pregnancy with the assistance of our local, wonderful, OB (different from the OB we had with our loss). Our daughter started showing signs of distress and was born at 35w6d, with a cord issue. Thanks to our night monitoring with Dr. Collins we got her here ALIVE and screaming. In our next pregnancy, we again monitored with Dr Collins and our local OB. At 28 weeks, our baby was indentified to have a cord issue, the same one that killed his big brother. We were followed VERY closely and he was born at 35w 6 days, like his sister. Cord issues don't repeat? How come I had 3 babies, all with cord issues? One who died and 2 who needed to come early?? Stillbirth due to cord issues CAN be prevented with proper monitoring. Had I been taught about kick counts, had my orginal OB been concenred when I complained about lack of movement and had taken my son's heart decels seriously he would be here alive and well. chanteljullie@gmail.com

Please make more women aware of stillbirth, its causes, and ways to prevent it! Until it happened to us I had no idea stillbirths even happened anymore, much less at an alarming 1/150 rate. So many people think they are "safe" once they pass into the second trimester, which any mother of a stillborn son or daughter knows isn't the case. Research is incomplete, largely due to the lack of standardized reporting procedures--how are researchers to find useful information if states aren't even required to report stillbirths? There are house and senate bills sitting in committee right now that would address funding and reporting procedures for stillbirth and SIDS. I also think mention of ways to handle the grief and loneliness after experiencing this tragedy would be appropriate...and would help friends/family better understand how to help (using the baby's name, acknowledging the baby as one of the family's children, remembering the baby's birth date, etc)

I lost my baby at 23 weeks and it was devastating. The pregnancy was trying to say the least. The first trimester screening tests came back with higher than normal probability for chromosonal problems. We did an amnio and everything came back normal. Several weeks later we had the AFP blood test done and it was 6 times the normal level. A few weeks after that, the Dr. saw that my baby wasn't growing how he should be and then less than two weeks later he passed away. Everything I have read about stillbirths is conflicting and none of the information is really good. I've also read that as an African American woman my chances of having a stillbirth are higher than other races. The loss of our son was very recent and we have yet to receive the autopsy results. Me and husband still want a child but are so sad by this loss it's hard to imagine actually getting pregnant again. There has to be more research and more dialogue about this topic. I really do hope that you do a show about stillbirths. I would love to participate in the hopes that bringing awareness to this topic could help another family. JeNai JeNai.Shiver@yahoo.com

To add insult to injury, many states do not recognize a stillbirth as a birth and allow no deductions for the child even though the medical costs incurred and preparations of the house and a room with furniture for the baby were the same as if it had been born live!

My son Wyatt was listed as a stillborn although he was born alive. We found out at my 18 week anatomy ultrasound that he had a fatal condition and would either die while I was carrying him, during birth, or shortly after... we carried to term hoping that we would get the miracle of seeing our son alive. He lived for two minutes on June 1, 2009 before passing away, but because of Tennessee's definition of live birth he was listed as stillborn because his heart was not beating "well enough" and his breathing was not "good enough" to rate a point for his apgar... On top of dealing with the death of my son, I was told that his efforts to live were not good enough to rate a birth certificate or any type of recognition. All I have to document his life is a death certificate. I think it makes a parents horror even worse when they are told "you didn't technically have a baby because it wasn't breathing". People have a lot to learn about stillbirths! I assumed as long as a baby came out and took even one breath, they would be considered live born.

My daughter Ava was stillborn 1/5/08 at 37 weeks. I had a health pregnancywith no complications. This has absolutely devistated our family and changed the rest of our lives forever. We never found out what happened, just promises that the "next" baby if I cohse to have one would be monitored very closely. Well, why wasn't Ava monitored closer? I did have another. A baby boy born on December 15 2009. I went through my whole pregnancy scared to death that the same thing was going to happen. Then didn't know why Ava died so how could it be prevented again? We need to get the word out there that this can happen to anyone! It happens way to much in our country and it is just swept under the rug because who wants to talk about our "dead" babies. Please Please Please do a show on stillbirth!!!!

Please feature this. Our son Luke was stillborn due to preeclampsia with HELLP syndrome at 24 weeks. What caused this is a mystery, and I was not prepared to deal with his death. When one day everything is fine and the next you have Dr's telling you that you're going to lose your child (and possibly your own life), you are not in any state of mind to make a decision based on information. They ask "what do you want to do with the remains", all during the most vulnerable you will ever be in your life--you're juyst trying to figure out what in the world just happened to you...Plus the after effects of the stillbirth don't go away; having to deal with people expecting you to move on, the utter despair and depression, having to work a job and deal with your emotions (or not working and having the silence in the house to deal with), having to look at other pregnant women and newborns and then what happens if when you are ready to get pregnant, and you don't get pregnant right away. It is absolutely horrible, torture. I would not wish this on my worst enemy

My husband & I lost our beautiful baby girl, Brooklyn Marie McCutchan, on her due date ~ Thurs. Nov. 12, '09 at 40 weeks. Brooklyn was perfectly healthy in every way; she weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. & was 21" long. Our active little girl never stopped dancing around in my tummy, and unfortunately got the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around her precious little neck. Brooklyn did a massive full turn while I was in my Dr.’s office waiting room, when I told them about it they did not do anything. If they had monitored Brooklyn’s heartbeat for more than 30 seconds they would have known she was in distress & they could have saved her life. Instead, they blew it off like it was nothing, & now I’m left with nothing!

I too lost my first baby, Rebecca, to stillbirth. She died during labor, within 10 minutes of birth, at 39 weeks 6 days gestation. A full autopsy was unable to find any cause. They could only conclude that she was full-term and healthy, and her death was "unexplained." This is a tragedy that strikes thousands of families each year. Many people do not understand, especially with a full-term stillbirth, that a woman must go through the entire process of labor and delivery, just like with any baby. The same physical toll is taken on your body. But you return home with nothing to show for it. A picture, maybe a footprint or a crib card if you are lucky. And your life is never the same. After Rebecca died I heard from many friends and acquaintances that they, too, had gone through this. But it is almost always kept quiet and private, as no one wants to talk about babies dying. So much research has gone into stopping SIDS, but hardly any into this tragedy that kills 10 times as many babies each year.

Our first son was stillborn at 37 weeks after lack of movement and ultrasound showing no cardiac activity. If it wasn't for a lot of medical research we may have never known what was wrong but I ended up with a blood clotting disorder (common issue with stillbirth that goes unknown until you have a loss) and an antibody issue between my blood and his. This was the absolute worst day of my life. My baby boy was born on 12/30/2008 PERFECT in every way. I miss him so very much.

It would be very important for Dr. Jason Collins from the pregnancy Institute in Slidell, LA to be included on this show. He is a compassionate physician and researcher who is willing to go against popular opinion to bring healty babies into the world alive. He gave me hope when no one else was willing to do that. It's been 5 1/2 years since Carson Glenn was born still and it doesn't get easier, just more time passes.

I just had my first child, Tatum Jane, stillborn at 38 weeks on Christmas Eve. I had experienced a textbook healthy pregnancy. It was devastating. I knew the moment I woke up that morning that my baby wasn't kicking. It was a devastating shock. We were so ready to bring her home. We had read all the books, taken all of the classes, had prenatal care starting at 6 weeks, and prepared our lives in every way. Looking back, there were warning signs... Only they were written off as being normal. Tatum constantly had hiccups, and I noticed less fetal movement at times or even irradic movement in the evenings. And the only searching ultrasound I ever had was the gender ultrasound at 20 weeks to determine the gender. That was my last ultrasound. I wish I would of been given the opportunity to have a 3D ultrasound. Or some sort of fetal monitoring or stress test. I'm mostly at peace with what happened but I know that had my doctors and I been more educated about some of the subtle warning signs I think we could have prevented this tradgedy. I would have a 6 week old little girl today. Please air this show and invite Sr. Collins. There should be more awareness about stillbirth. I had no idea this could even happen. I was completely unaware of how important fetal movement and monitoring could be.

I lost my twins a son and daughter at 23 gestation not through still birth, but the death of a baby is so taboo. I have made several close friends via internet and some local couples who had lost babies for many reasons. One woman whom I have become close with over the past 3 years since I have lost my twins she had lost her son due to a cord accident. I think more people need to talk about the death of babies and help to teach people who have never expierenced it how to deal wtih a friend of family member how they can help the bereaved parents, also it would be wonderful to get some answers as to why cord accidents happen. After losing a child your life is never the same. You lose family members and friends over such a heartbreaking situation. You almost feel like a disease like if others come around you they may lose their child too. People think babies aren't supposed to die, but they do and the parents deserve answers as to why this happened to them and their child. Also it may help others who have had a friend or family member understand what the parents are going through and how they can help support them during there loss. We as parents the tragic death of a baby deal with the pain every day and after three years it still hurts. We get little to no support from family or friends when our children's birthday/heavens day comes around every year. The phone is silent and it breaks our hearts that family and friends can't pick up the phone and ask how are you doing today we are thinking of you and your baby. I know that if this show is chosen to air I will be spreading the word to everyone I know. Hopefully some parents can get answers as to why this happened to them and learn more about cord accidents. I vote yes yes yes to air this show!

I would love to see a show on this topic. I lost Kyndal on October 8, 2009. I was 37 weeks pregnant. She was stillborn, most likely a cord accident. I think it would be wonderful to get the information out to the public...and do a show on stillbirths.

I believe this TV program is an appropriate forum to bring to the public light this all-too-common, but hushed tragedy. I am posting this in support of my friend (VAL5322, above) who lost her son recently, after the hopeful anticipation she and husband Pete experienced before this sudden, devastating event occurred. I believe that no one should readily accept a dr.'s brushing aside the expectant mother's concerns as unfounded, or her worrisome symptoms as "normal" if she feels something is "not quite right". Doctors must respect the mother's intuition and fears with greater empathy and credence - after all, the doctor will not suffer the tremendous loss, feelings of guilt, and thoughts that "maybe I could have done something different" in the way the grief-stricken parent might if this tragedy strikes. Typically, the doctor moves on to the next patient, relying on the luck and statistics of her healthy and joyous birth event. However, whatever the reason the physician does not take the time to entertain the parents' concerns, and their right to know about risks and potential dangers of pregnancy and delivery (e.g., insurance co. won't pay for 5 more mins. w/ the pt?), we all know that a little education goes a long way in patient care. Often, education leads to prevention, or at least early treatment or alternative actions, possibly lessening a catastrophe. An educated patient is an empowered patient, and costs little more than time well spent. If anyone receives the attitude that the doctor is in complete control and knows what's best for every patient, remember that nothing is "normal" when every mother and every baby are unique human beings, who deserve individual treatment and compassion in the professional's hands. Do not let a doctor dismiss your fears: it's better to be embarrassed by overconcern and worry about your pregancy than be suffering through grief and "what-ifs" afterwards. For those who could not know or insist your doctor take a proactive approach in your child's development - or were assured everything was normal and healthy - I am truly sorry and send my condolences for your enormous loss. If only more doctors would practice preventive- and potentially life-saving healthcare we hear so much about in this country like Dr. Collins aims to do, perhaps more clinical professionals (and families) would benefit from his mindset and methods, and more babies might survive. It's a shame that that so many simple, painless, cost-effective tests and monitoring could be provided to expectant mothers routinely at prenatal healthchecks and aren't. And isn't it far better to educate expectant parents of the statistics of stillbirth - at the risk of scaring them - rather than delivering the horrifying news and, worse yet, the innocent and lifeless body of their child in whom they have invested so much hope and love to enrich their lives and hearts? My thoughts are with you all who have suffered such heartbreak. Your courage to open up and share your experience here may save many children's lives by bringing to light what should be taught to every expectant parent, and by the strength of your compassion and empathy for each other.

My daughter Ella was stillborn at 39 weeks gestation. Absolutely nothing was wrong with her. Her heart simply stopped beating and we have no idea why. We went in for our routine u/s and to check and see if we were progressing for delivery at all, and we found out she was dead. I didn't even know this was a possibility. I knew all about everything else. Strep B. Preterm. I thought once we healthily got to to 39 weeks, we would be having a baby in a few days, not buying our precious baby girl. Please do something on this topic. I think doctors in general don't want to scare patients, but women need to be aware that losing a perfectly healthy baby at full term is not only possible, but it is much more common than you may think.

My beautiful Avalon was born still at 40 wks and 6 days on 7/14/09. I had a completely uneventful pregnancy. At one point, my doctor even told me I was having a "perfect" pregnancy. I never knew Avalon was in distress. I went into labor after going through the weekend with off and on contractions. My water never broke. When my contractions were 4-5 min apart, we headed to the hospital expecting to give birth to a wonderful, healthy baby. We had no clue she was gone. She had kicked me just the night before. When I got checked into the hospital, the nurse went to find Avalon's heartbeat. But it could not be found. She was gone. We were in complete shock. We had lost our first-born baby. Avalon was beautiful! She looked perfect. We elected not to have an autopsy performed. Avalon was born with the cord around her neck once, so the doctors suspect it was a cord accident. So here we are, almost 7 months later. Our hearts are broken, our lives will never be the same. We're stuck in the position of now trying to conceive another baby...which we obviously wouldn't be doing right now if we had our precious daughter here was us today. Stillbirth is not something routinely talked and warned about. We never dreamed something like this would happen to us. Our doctors made it sound like once you got through the first trimester, you were golden. Little did I know that I could lose my baby 6 days after her due date, after having a perfectly healthy pregnancy. More could have been done to prevent this. But since my pregnancy was so healthy, I wasn't monitored that closely. I never even had an ultrasound beyond the regular 20 wk one. It apparently takes losing a baby to subsequently be monitored more closely. My doctor has assured me I'll be watched much more closely when I get pregnant again. That's somewhat re-assuring as we will be extra worried when we get pregnant again. But nothing can be done to bring back my beautiful, first born sweet Avalon. In memory of my sweet pie, Avalon Roza.

In January 2004, our only biological child was born still due to a uterine rupture. This was after fertility treatments and trying so very hard to have a child. We were unable to have further babies. Anything that can be done to prevent the heartache of losing a child will benefit all. Please consider a show on infant/pregnancy loss. And handle it with care and compassion. As parents we continue to silently grieve long after most people have forgotten our precious babies.

I am so glad to see stillbirth as a choice for the who, even more so that it is currently #1. Before I lost my only son, Owen, in June 2009, I new nothing about stillbirth. I now have to find a way to live with the fact that, if I had only known more, I might have been able to save my son. My doctor's arrogance, and my ignorance, cost my little boy his life. Please, please consider doing this show even if it does not receive the highest number of votes. Every baby deserves to live, please help educate women about stillbirth BEFORE it's too late, BEFORE more babies die senselessly.

Aiden alexander born an angel may 5th 2009. do a show that could save someones baby

Please don't ignore this subject like the rest of the medical community and society. Our voices need to be heard. Let us that have lost help prevent another woman from knowing this pain. I would love to share my story-my daughter, Faith's story.

My husband and I lost our son, Jackson Carl, on Oct. 19, 2009. I was 38 weeks pregnant. As they say, I had a "textbook pregnancy." There were no warning signs and I never, ever thought this would happen. I remember reading in one of my pregnancy books that "there is nothing much you can do now that would harm your baby." I thought I would deliver a living, breathing baby -- "stillbirth" was never even thought of or part of my vocabulary. I have never seen a show on this subject matter, and I think it is something every expectant mom should know about and I believe now every pregnancy should be treated as high risk. They are "fairly certain" a blood clot formed in my umbilical cord. The day he died he was moving around just fine and later that afternoon just quit and I never felt him again. I counted my kicks, knew his patterns and I still couldn't prevent him from dying. I would never wish this kind of pain on anyone and believe more education is needed in the medical world. Dr. Collins is doing all that he can, but he definitely could use some help!

My daughter, Sophia Rose, silently entered this world on May 12, 2009. I was 37 years old when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter. I had waited for years to hear those words, and I was thrilled! I immediately found a recommended OB/GYN and started my routine check-ups, etc. The doctor told me that he did not see a need for me to undergo any additonal ultrasounds as everything "looked great." However, during weeks 27-28, I started to lightly spot, so I immedately called my doctor and went in for a check-up. My doctor checked my cervix, but he NEVER checked my placenta. The spotting stopped and we thought everything was moving along as planned. As my due date neared, I told the doctor repeatedly that I did not my Sophia moving around as much, and he told me that is because she is running out of room. Being a first time mother, I did not question him. My original due date of May 4, 2009, came and went and he I asked him to "strip my membranes, which he did, but still no baby. Finally, on May 8, 2009, he asked me if I wanted to get induced. I said "YES, I wanted to be a mother by Mother's Day, which was on May 10, 2009. He said he was pretty busy over the weekend, and asked if I would wait until Tuesday. I reluctantly agreed...I so wanted to have my baby by Mother's Day, but I did not want to interfere with his plans... On May 11, 2009, I was getting everything ready to go to the hospital, and I noticed that Sophia had not moved very much. So I drank some juice and waited to see if she kicked. She didn't. I called my doctor and went to the hospital, but it was too late...Sophia's brave little heart had stopped beating. That night I was induced and the following morning I gave birth to my first daughter. She was amazingly beautiful, and perfect. After I delivered my placenta, my doctor discovered that he completely missed the vein running across my placenta, unprotected by the umbilical cord; a condition called Vasa Previa. I later learned that had he found it during a routine check, or even after I presented with the classic symptoms (unexplained bleeding during the 2nd trimester), Sophia would have been delivered before week 36, and she would be here with me today. Although knowing what went wrong eases some tension, it creates another. I say that because had the doctor performed a through check, I would still have my daughter...sometimes, I blame myself for not knowing to ask him to check my placenta, and that just destroys me. My partner and I have decided to wait until around her 1st Birthday before we try to have another baby. It has been the most devastating loss of my life...and one of the hardest pills to swallow is the fact that so little is know about stillbirth, and so few people want to discuss the topic with you. I can attest to the fact that people stop calling. I can only speculate that they do not know what to say, or they are just afraid that the same thing will happen to them...I'm not sure, but my new-found silence is deafening. What people need to know is: It is NOT okay for people to pretend our children did not exist. It is NOT okay to tell us "we need to get over it." It is NOT okay to tell us "It was God's will, and everything happens for a reason." It is NOT okay to tell us that we aren't REAL mothers...we are. I think this topic needs to be discussed on a large platform like the Doctors...it would help shed some much needed light on a dark and devastating issue. Most of all it would give the bereaved parents a voice.

i recently gave birth to my daughter Monoretta jayel irving feb 13, 2010. everyone tells you watch your first trimester. no one tells you that you are never in the clear. and after making it to the third trimester she had passed away inside the womb. i have gone through everything a person goes through after giving birth but i have no child to show for it. people need to know this happens more than you think

Please do this topic . I lost my son Kingston Echo Laurence Michel at 40 weeks Jan 6 2010, I went into labor on my due date to get to the hospital and find out there was no heart beat. My whole pregnancy was un complicated. Every ultrasound and Dr appointment went great.I noticed decreased movement.When i mentioned it they said the baby was bigger in my last week and had barley no room to move. I Think there needs to be more awarness because before this I've never heard the word stillborn/stillbirth. I am 20 years old, so my body is in it prime?

I am so happy to see that a well known show like yours is interested in doing a story on stillbirth. My daughter Ava Carmella was born still at 36 weeks 4 days on March 23, 2006. She was a perfect 4lbs 11oz and 17 1/2" long. I had silent preeclampsia and HELLP syndrome that came out during labor. I went into organ failure and almost died as well. It is believed that Ava suffered from a lack of oxygen and IUGR because of an undetected placental abruption. Three weeks postpartum I was rushed to the hospital with a blood clot in my lung that almost took my life yet again. It was then that we found out I had FVL a blood clotting disorder. FVL is so incredibly common (I believe 1 out of every 5 people have it!) and I have met so many woman who have gone through the same horrible things that I have because of it. This condition can be found with a simple blood test and pregnant woman who have it are put on daily asprin therapy or heprin shots. It's that simple. My daughter might be alive today if I had been tested for FVL. I am now the mother of a 2 year old girl who was born 2 years and 3 days after her sister. I was on heprin shots and asprin through my entire pregnancy and my daughter is healthy and happy. I would like to see pregnant woman being tested for more at the begining of pregnancy to help prevent these kinds of things. Are these tests really too expensive? Do they really cost more than the life of a baby? Please help bring awareness to this "taboo" cause and show some support for the families who need it most. In Loving Memory of Ava Carmella www.ava-anastas.virtual-memorials.com

Our daughter died in March of 2009 due to a cord accident (double nuchal cord with possible amniotic band). I had a textbook pregnancy with no indications of any potential risk to our daughter. Over the past year and with much research, I have learned a lot about possible preventative measures. I am currently 7MO pregnant and am handling things much differently this time. In addition to my routine OB care, I am seeking the care of a perinate and a stillborn research specialist, Dr. Jason Collins. Unfortunately, in order to obtain high-risk care and all the add'l testing that comes with it, you have to lose a child. There needs to be more education on this topic because it is currently treated like the white elephant in the room. To be honest, I had no idea about what it involved until it happened to me. I can't even begin to tell you the pain and suffering that the loss of a child brings, and I will do whatever I can to bring awareness about the subject so that others don't have to endure it. PLEASE run this topic on your show!!

Addisyns Mom Dr Collins has a website, do a search under Pregnancy Institute.com and send them an email. I know how frightening it is, I lived in fear everyday that something would happen to Jack, but he was born healthy with the help of Dr Collins and The Pregnancy Institute, they are doing some amazing work! Sending you positive vibes and big hugs, Jo

PLEASE READ THIS AND VOTE TO RUN THE STORY SO YOU TO CAN HELP SAVE LIVES OF BABIES! My first daughter was a stillbirth. She compressed her chord and died about 33 weeks. She just ran out of room and when ever she would try to hiccup to remove the pressure she was putting on her chord she just exhausted her self. She fought hard, but no one listens to the tiny baby fighting on the inside. The Good news is my fourth child, second daughter who also fought hard on the inside lived. No one would listen to her either, or the findings of Dr. Collins. Until the mother, me, the voice on the outside, started fighting with as much heart as the little girl on the inside. She had every sign of chord compression. Her hiccup patterns and movement patterns followed the studies of Dr. Collins and other world renowned scientists. However, my doctors, as do many doctors, disregarded the studies. They knew something was wrong, but what. What did history offer them to help her? Nothing! The words of the one OB on duty, during one of my many instances for help summed up all their thinking, “Your baby could expire 5 minutes from now due to chord compression and there is nothing any of us can do about it”. Thank God that Dr. Collins did not feel that way. Many prayers went up to God and we all worked feverishly to figure out how to get them to listen. Then Dr. Collins agreed to say he would sign on as my out of state doctor and insist they hook me up to a monitor until she was delivered c-section. The night before, I stayed up all night, knowing through educating myself, that if I slept my BP would drop and the pressure needed to pass through the chord to save her, would not be there for her. The next morning, I marched in to the delivery dept. Everyone knew who I was. I slapped a bunch of papers I printed from Dr. Collins and the German scientists he worked with, who by the way save thousands of these babies in Germany, while they just die in the USA because no one listens. Then, I stated, “This will be my out of state doctor. Who will order me hooked up to a monitor until she is born? If you do not C-section her while she is alive, you will have a lawsuit on your hands. You will sign off that I am requesting all of this and if you do not treat me as requested by my Out of state Dr. you will hear from my lawyer today.” The Dr. who made the comment about my baby expiring said it was ridicules. The other dr. did an ultrasound; I mean another ultrasound and hooked me up. They agreed that things were not right and they never had to zap a uterus to stimulate a baby as much as they had to my daughter, but they did not know what to do. They said because of insurance, which dictates the whole doctor field apparently, they could not just c-section me, because I wanted them too. I said no, but because she becomes lethargic drops her heart rate and those things you could for that, right? Still they just left me hooked up. Finally, they agreed that at 10 pm after the other deliveries they would probably c-section. Thank God they left me hooked to the monitor. As usual her heart rate would lower, they would zap me and back up it would go. But, thank God Dr. Collins knew she was running out of time, because they zapped her almost three times in two hours. The final time, they could not get her heart rate up, it got slower, slower and almost gone. Sometime after 7pm, 3 hours before my newly scheduled and fought for c-section, while on monitor, they emergency c-sectioned her. She was in bad shape, but through the grace of God and passion /compassion of Dr. Collins she was saved, she did live. My second daughter made it. It was a fight worth every second. How many moms are out there that know something is wrong, but don’t know they have to fight, who will be their voice? Why should they lose their baby, because we live in a country that pretends to use modern store fronts but in reality choose not to consider, look at learn, become educated on new findings. This is just the one finding I know about…how many more things does our US medical field/insurance hide from us, are there other advances, cures, etc we just don’t know about? PLEASE VOTE FOR THIS TO AIR. YOU COULD HELP EDUCATE A MOM AND SAVE A LIFE. We need to get the word out there because the medical field is not.PS, I am sending this link and post to the hospital which almost stood by and let my baby girl die. If you have had a similar pregnancy forward the link to your doctor as well. Someone need to tell them, maybe they will eventually listen.

My daughter is 22 weeks pregnant with her first child. Her doctor called today and said that her utra sound reveiled an uncoiled umbilical cord. Should we be concerned? Thanks, Kim Esquivel

We lost our son Ethan Mitchell Takae Hanson on May 11th, 1991 (Mothers Day weekend) at 22 weeks. They could not tell us why he died. The staff treated us like it was just a run of the mill happening they saw everyday. They actually said, "better luck next time." I was devastated and my husband and I thought of not trying again since we had already had infertility issues and 2 miscarriages. We did go on to have 3 daughters and I became a childbirth educator, doula and midwife. I always made sure that my clients were aware of the risks of stillbirth and the signs to look for. Please do a segment on this, it is so very important.