Turning an End into a Beginning, This Is My Brave Face, an Interview with Amy Campbell

In today’s episode Zoe speaks to Amy Campbell. Amy bravely talks about the premature birth of her twin girls, Esme and Charlotte and then the tragic death of Esme at 7 weeks old. Tune in today to listen to an inspiring and thoughtful episode showing Amy’s strength through trauma that is sprinkled with hope and inspiration.   KEY TAKEAWAYS   Amy feared before trying for a baby that she may have difficulties due to her polycystic ovaries and weight but it actually didn’t take her long at all to fall pregnant. Severe pregnancy sickness and a stressful work environment meant that Amy had to take sick leave from work at 16 weeks. Although Amy flagged pain several times it was never looked into further and turns out it was her body telling her that she was going to go into premature labour – at 24 weeks her waters broke. After being admitted to hospital the pregnancy was able to continue but then at 27 weeks both babies were born. Amy spent the first weeks of their life visiting them in NICU, but at 6 weeks things started to go downhill very quickly, Amy and her partner tragically lost their daughter Esme at 7 weeks. Losing Esme sparked Amy’s passion for writing and this is when she started her blog and began helping and inspiring others. 5 months after Esme’s death Amy realised she needed help, she was able to see a bereavement counsellor, she then went on to have psychotherapy both of which helped her deal with Esme’s death and her trauma.   BEST MOMENTS   “The mum guilt even starts before the babies are born”   “It wasn’t my body that was doing something wrong it was that I was listening to wrong advice”   “The word congratulations have never felt so wrong in my entire life”   “It’s incredible what a mothers instinct is like”   “I didn’t want my life to be full of sadness”     VALUABLE RESOURCES  www.petalscharity.org www.tommys.org Eggsnsoldiers.com Eco-aware and sustainable baby shop in Dubai. Use ZOECM10 for discount. ABOUT THE GUEST Amy Campbell   IG @thisismybraveface thisismybraveface.blog      ABOUT THE HOST Zoe Cresswell Devoted mother of two (and a big hairy dog), UK trained midwife, doula and personal trainer, specialising in pre and postnatal fitness. Zoe was born in the UK and before moving to Dubai in 2013 and worked as a midwife in central London, both in a birth centre and a very busy NHS hospital. Although late to the scene, Zoe is an aspiring athlete having won numerous triathlons and representing Great Britain where she placed within the top 10 on the world stage. With her husband James, the couple will soon be launching their cloth nappy company, Bop & Bee, where they hope to inspire families to swap a few disposable nappies a day for the more planet friendly option of cloth. Zoe’s goal is to share her knowledge and experience, tell real life stories, manage expectations and open up those often difficult conversations. Zoe’s own motherhood journey has been full of twists and turns as she put everything on hold and went through numerous miscarriages and rounds of IVF.   CONTACT DETAILS Instagram : @zoecresswell_me Facebook: Zoe Cresswell LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-cresswell