Eastbourne mum's miscarriage anguish after hospital sends her home

Heartbreak: Stacey Wickens pictured with her son Connor Junior, aged three

Stacey Wickens, 21, of Eastbourne, was three months pregnant when she lost her baby after visiting both Eastbourne DGH and the Conquest Hospital in Hastings where she was told she was fine.

Miss Wickens is a high risk pregnancy due to having had five miscarriages in the past, but she says this is the furthest into a pregnancy it has happened.

The mother of one said, “Everything was going well. But I started to bleed on New Year’s Eve.”

As she couldn’t get to Hastings’ maternity ward, she went to Eastbourne DGH where she says she was made to wait for hours and told there was nothing they could do. She said, “I knew I was losing the baby.”

Later, Miss Wickens made it to Hastings where she was diagnosed with a threatened miscarriage.

They sent her home but when the bleeding got worse she phoned Brighton Hospital where the maternity ward told her to get there straight away. Miss Wickens went, but sadly she lost the baby on Monday (January 2).

She said, “I can’t thank them enough for their service, but the fact I had to go to Brighton to get it is disgusting.

“I don’t think anyone should experience what I’ve been through. I heard its heartbeat. My son was really looking forward to it.”

Catherine O’Callaghan, Interim Head of Midwifery, said, “My sympathy goes out to Stacey for her loss at this sad time. Women in the early stages of pregnancy with bleeding are not routinely scanned as there is no treatment we can offer that would change the outcome of a threatened miscarriage.

“However, we appreciate how distressing this experience can be and I would like the opportunity to discuss the issues she has raised. If she contacts me through PALS on 01323 435886 I will arrange to see her and her family.”

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