Running London Landmarks Half Marathon for Bliss

Hi, I’m Ashleigh and 3 years ago, I gave birth to my beautiful baby girl at 39 weeks and 3 years ago, my girl was whipped away up into the NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) before my eyes. As I was recovering from a caesarean, it was nearly a full 24 hours before I got to even see my daughter again, let alone hold her. Having to ask permission to hold your baby because they’re hooked up to all these wires and machines is such a weird thing and PTSD has stolen a lot of those early day memories from me but I remember feeling so alone in my feelings sat in my hospital bed at night without my baby next to me, especially as a second time mum wondering what went so wrong compared to my first birth.

Our stay was fairly short in comparison to others but something any NICU parent will say is that no matter how long/short your stay is, you are changed as a person forever. I will never be the person I was before the NICU. Every cold/respiratory virus my daughter gets terrifies me to my core and that is probably something that will follow me forever.

When I was in the throes of my PTSD and going through therapy, Bliss was a resource I stumbled across in my own desperate attempt to find people who felt like I did following a traumatic birth experience and it was something I clung too to not feel so alone in my feelings and know somewhere that I wasn’t alone in my experience and my feelings surrounding it were valid.

All parents/guardians/families of babies born premature or sick deserve to have all the resources and all the support they could possibly need because the NICU is an absolutely life changing experience for everyone involved, not just the mother. I so strongly believe in giving these families any additional support that can be provided, it’s essential in getting families through such an intense experience.

I am so proud of anyone who has ever been through these experiences and made it through and believe, wholeheartedly, that support is essential.

Any donations will make their way directly to Bliss where they can go straight to providing resources and support for families in these incredibly difficult situations.