March 10th 2012 was the saddest day of our lives. Kris was so looking forward to being a daddy for the first time, and Lottie (15) & Steve (11) were so excited to have a new baby brother.

I had close care from professionals all throughout my pregnancy and it was the perfect pregnancy, I didn't have one single problem . . . until my waters broke. Lottie called the ambulance because she was so scared at the sight of all the blood. Arriving at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading by ambulance due to the amount of blood loss at home I was hooked up to a monitor but it wasn't picking up his heartbeat. The consultant attached a clip to Benjamin's head to pick up his heart beat better, in the meantime I had a lot more blood loss and when his heart rate dropped to less than 60bpm I was rushed in for a C-section.

When I woke up from the general anaesthetic the first word I heard was 'tragic' I knew then I had lost my baby.

Benjamin was born at 10.27am and had suffered severe blood loss when my waters broke. He was given a blood transfusion which helped him survive a few hours. On 11th March Benjamin died in our arms as a result of Vasa Praevia. 

The doctors told us that we were extremely unlucky, and there was nothing that could have detected this condition during the pregnancy. The blood vessels from the umbilical cord did not go into the placenta the way they normally should, they went into the membrane around the placenta hence the blood vessels had ruptured when my waters broke, so the blood being carried to and from Benjamin was lost. Vasa Praevia is described in the medical world as 'the baby living in the womb with a time bomb' . . . .

The tragic part of this condition is that undiagnosed the infant mortality rate is over 95% but if diagnosed the infant survival rate is 100%.

We have since been told that there is a scan that can detect blood flow which would highlight if Vasa Praevia is present, however this is not currently routinely offered to pregnant women. Over 500 healthy babies die each year due to Vasa Praevia - this scan would save these babies.

I am trading in my Birkin for a bike and my Jimmy Choos for Trainers (temporarily!) to raise money which will help raise awareness of Vasa Praevia, Kris and I along with my mum and dad, Chris and June Webb - Benjamins grandparents - will be cycling a series of events over the next 12 months which will include the 3 counties cycle ride and others then ending with the London to Brighton cycle ride in June 2013. Watch this page together with Facebook for our event updates and progress.

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