Hartlepool MP Jill Mortimer makes midwife investment plea

Jill Mortimer told of how she lost her first baby in the very early weeks of pregnancy

The Conservative MP for Hartlepool has urged ministers to invest more in midwifery as she shared the experience of losing her first baby.

Jill Mortimer was close to tears as she told a Westminster Hall debate baby loss was still happening all too often.

She said maternity staff were exhausted after the pandemic, with a "vicious cycle" of them leaving the profession.

The government said it was "committed to providing women with personalised and individual maternity care".

She said: "I lost my first baby in the very early weeks of pregnancy, and I was told by a very kindly midwife that sometimes you have to lose a baby to ripen the womb - this made me feel dreadful.

"I fought very hard not to grieve openly for that loss because I felt guilty that I should not."

Speaking of a later pregnancy, she said: "I did not know how to feel or how to grieve, while having to put all my efforts into sustaining my pregnancy, fearful every day that I would lose the baby I still carried.

"I was lucky that my beautiful daughter was born safe and healthy, but that loss never goes away."

'Postcode lottery'

Ms Mortimer said: "Sadly, experiences 25 years on from mine have not got any better, baby loss still happens all too often.

"We simply need more midwives so that they can feel confident that they are providing the very best care they can to all mothers."

She called on ministers to "commit to increasing investment in maternity services and fulfilling the shortfall of 2,000 midwives and 500 consultant gynaecologists and obstetricians".

Another Conservative MP, Guy Opperman, who represents Hexham, told MPs about the experience of losing his new-born twins.

He said "consistency across the NHS" was key to preventing a postcode lottery in maternity care.

He added: "We all have to accept that mistakes are made and that giving birth is a fragile process, but we should expect the NHS and our government to promote consistency of approach in dealing with the individual issues that mums and dads have."

Health minister Dr Caroline Johnson told MPs that the government remained "committed to our maternity safety ambition".

She said £127m had been invested in "bolstering the maternity workforce even further", on top of a £95m investment to establish 1,200 more midwifery posts and 100 more consultant obstetrician posts.

"Every woman giving birth has the right to a safe birth, and the government and NHS England are committed to providing women with personalised and individual maternity care," she said.