Lauren Goodger has ordered a post-mortem on her baby daughter in a bid to discover why she died just minutes after she was born.
The former TOWIE star revealed on Sunday (10 July) that her baby, Lorena, had died despite being born “without complications”.
Doctors believe the infant’s oxygen supply “may have been restricted”, she said, although it had been a “textbook pregnancy”.
Goodger said she wanted to share her grieving process to help other parents who may be going through a similar situation.
Speaking to The Sun, the Essex-based star said: “I went into hospital thinking I would come home with a baby girl but I came home with nothing.
“Lorena was a healthy baby and it was a textbook pregnancy. They think her oxygen may have been restricted because she had two knots in her cord, but normally babies can still get enough oxygen despite this.”
She explained that she ordered an autopsy because “I need to understand medically how she died, for my own sanity”.
“Lorena should be here with me. I held her, and she looked like she was sleeping. I thought she would wake up.”
Goodger described the experience as “the most traumatic” thing she had ever gone through.
She revealed that since announcing Lorena’s death, she has received messages from other women going through the same grief.
“I want to talk about her death to help other parents out there going through this. I want them to know they aren’t alone,” she added.
Goodger, who shares one-year-old daughter Larose with partner Charles Drury, wrote in an Instagram post revealing Lorena’s passing that she was “broken”.
“There was no pregnancy or labour complications and she was fine & healthy but I am not going into detail right now just know that there was nothing wrong with her or myself she was perfect I can’t understand it she is so so beautiful Larose twin so similar,” she wrote under a photograph of her daughter’s hand in hers.
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.
