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A heartbroken mother has shared her fury at her baby’s father – who abandoned her during her pregnancy but now claims a right to half her baby’s ashes.
Speaking to Kidspot, Naomi* says she hadn’t planned to fall pregnant to her then-boyfriend 0 who she had only known for 6 months.
It was too much for their young relationship to bear, and he left her when she told him about the baby.
‘He told me that he didn’t want to be a dad. Obviously, I was really shocked but I couldn’t force him to be a father so we broke up a week later.’
Naomi underwent a traumatic pregnancy. Diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum – a severe morning sickness – she lost 40kg in only 19 weeks.
‘I saw eight or nine doctors during that time and they just said to take Maxolon. But I couldn’t take medication because I couldn’t keep anything down – I couldn’t even swallow without being sick.’
Naomi eventually took herself to hospital where she discovered that she was two days from death, and her baby had no heartbeat.
‘I had a mental breakdown – I just couldn’t stop crying.’
A few days later, Naomi was induced and gave birth to her stillborn baby boy and they were able to spend a few precious hours together.
‘They took him away to clean and clothe him. It was so emotional to see him so tiny – then they sent him off for testing in a box with silk.’
After all she went through she says she will never hand over her baby’s ashes – which she keeps in a teddy-bear urn on her bedside.
‘I’m not giving part of my child away,’ she says.
‘I told him I would be happy to give him a photo but he was insisting on the ashes. There’s no way I’m handing them over, so I said I would see him in court. I haven’t heard from him since.’
*Name has been changed.
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