It’s ironic that I was once a lawyer on One Born Every Minute. I watched loads of births; unedited. I looked aghast at the ones that went wrong; the worst of which became my first birth experience: shoulder dystocia. A process not unlike a calf being extracted forcibly from its mother by a strong-armed vet, and with as little dignity. 

20 years ago, I was given a tour of the maternity ward before the birth of my daughter. The first room I was shown as I was walked into the ward on the right, was the Bereavement Suite.

I had a healthy pregnancy until I reached 36 weeks, when a scan found the baby was on the bigger side. I went into labour nine days before my due date, and was repeatedly turned away from the hospital until eventually being admitted. I was given medication for raised blood pressure, as well as gas and air, which did nothing for the pain.