Publish date: 30 August 2023
Midwife goes above and beyond to return sentimental blanket to new mother
Paula Barlow, midwife at Northumbria Healthcare Foundation
Over the last 18 months since her daughter Nova was born, Sigourney hadn’t stopped thinking about the blanket that was given to her by the hospital as a keepsake. Unfortunately, on the day she took her newborn daughter home, the blanket was mistakenly left behind at Northumbria Specialist Emergency Care Hospital.
The maternity service at Northumbria Healthcare receives kind donations of knitted items from local residents, which are gratefully received by our new Baby Northumbrians and families are encouraged to take the items home as a keepsake.
It had remained in the back of her mind for some time after arriving home and she started to realise that it had more significance than she first thought.
Nova was Sigourney’s first child and she unfortunately had complications throughout her pregnancy. The blanket represented the struggles she had gone through but how at the end of it all she had her newborn daughter.
She also has a memory of her dad coming to visit her in the hospital and giving baby Nova a cuddle while she was wrapped in the blanket. Sadly, Sigourney’s father passed away last Christmas, and this made it even more important for the blanket to be replaced.
After having no luck trying to find the colours and patterns to replicate the blanket, Sigourney contacted the midwives at NSECH to see if they could help.
They searched for a similar blanket but also had no luck. Midwife Paula Barlow, however, wasn’t ready to give up and offered to make it herself.
Paula said: “It was my immediate reaction to re-create it once we realised, we couldn’t find one. It was a special memory for Sigourney and in comparison, to losing a parent, this is a tiny gesture.
“I’ve knitted on and off for years but learnt to crochet only a couple of years ago. I made one of the midwives a blanket when she was expecting her first baby and I’m currently making my 13th blanket for staff members.”
On finding out the news that she was going to be getting the blanket back Sigourney said: “I cried when I found out it was being made. I couldn’t believe the kindness shown by Paula.
“Nova obviously doesn’t remember the blanket but I think because I’ve made such a fuss over it, she knows it’s special. Every night when I go to get her ready for bed she’s always got it wrapped around herself like a cape.
“I just wish my dad knew that I’d managed to get a copy of the blanket as he knew the trouble I’d had trying to get it back.”
Sigourney now has her keepsake to remember her time with her dad and daughter.