It was a ‘come full circle’ moment when Amy, who was born at The Royal Hospital for Women in 1989, birthed all three of her babies at The Royal. 

In 2017, Amy and her partner Simon fell pregnant for the first time, they were over the moon with joy. Unfortunately for Amy and Simon, it was not meant to be.

Just eight weeks into the pregnancy, they were referred to The Royal’s Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) and told the devastating news that the pregnancy was not viable. It was identified as a blighted ovum, a condition that occurs when an embryonic sac forms, but the embryo fails to develop. 

Because a blighted ovum still produces pregnancy hormones, it may still show up as a positive pregnancy test, however, a blighted ovum will eventually cause a miscarriage, usually at 7 to 12 weeks of pregnancy.

The Royal is there for every woman, newborn, and family.  Donations to Heart for Her will help hundreds of women cared for by The Royal's EPAS each year.

It turned out, that Amy's journey at The Royal was only just beginning. 

After the heartbreak that comes with miscarriage, which currently occurs in approximately 1 out of 4 pregnancies in Australia, Amy was over the moon when at the end of 2017, she fell pregnant again. 

Without hesitation, Amy registered to have her birth at The Royal, through the one-of-its-kind, Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) program. Her pregnancy was a happy and healthy experience and everything was going to plan and at 41 weeks and 1 day, Amy went into labour. After a very tough labour, an emergency cesarean was required to ensure the safest arrival of her baby. 

The Royal's expert team of Midwives, Nurses, Doctors, and specialists are there for every woman when things don't go to plan. 

Despite Amy's arduous labour, she and Simon were full of emotion and gratitude when their daughter Wylie was born on the 2nd of July 2018.

Amy and Simon always reflect on the wonderful experience they had at The Royal, both through the celebration of Wylie and the care they received through their first pregnancy. Amy felt safe and supported due to the ‘level of care, empathy, and education around loss’ they received.

"Having The Royal in our local catchment and having access to such a unique and specialised service, is something that should be available to all women, babies and families"

A year after Wylie was born, Amy wanted to continue her connection with The Royal and partook in the Sydney Morning Herald Half Marathon to raise awareness and vital funds for the hospital and premature babies.

Shortly after this, an opportunity to build upon Amy’s close connection to the hospital, which had already given her so much, took place in 2019 when Amy seized the opportunity to join the Foundation team.

‘Organically there were already a lot of touch points for me, having grown up in the area. I’m passionate about the local community and women’s health. I feel lucky to do what I love and work alongside an amazing team of like-minded women.’

Two years into Amy’s journey at The Foundation Team, she fell pregnant again with baby number two. 

During her pregnancy, Amy was introduced to a program at The Royal, VBAC, empowering mothers with the options around having a vaginal birth after a cesarean. Here, Amy was given all the information she needed to make the best decision for her baby's arrival, Amy says she felt supported in her decision to proceed with a cesarean section. 

It was on the 22nd of April 2021 that Amy and Simon welcomed their beautiful little boy named Tully via cesarian at The Royal.

Late last year, Amy and Simon fell pregnant with their third child. Amy again registered to be part of MGP at The Royal. This time, Amy was informed of a research program that she could take part in which focuses on improving the cesarean birth experience.

These improvements include various inclusions such as skin-to-skin following the birth and maternal-assisted cesarean (MAC) whereby the mother physically assists with the cesarean.

On the 24th of April 2023, Amy and Simon's third baby, a little boy named Tatum, entered the world safely via cesarean at The Royal.

The Royal's team of dedicated midwives are always working on bettering the birthing experience for mothers and babies. It is through donations to campaigns like Heart for Her, that enable The Royal to maintain this excellent level of care and be a world leader in women's and neonatal health. 

Amy's journey through The Royal is still far from over - being an integral part of the work we do here at The Foundation.

Like thousands of other women who have their babies at The Royal, Amy can't speak highly enough of the staff and the support she has been provided through the most pivotal moments of her life.