Bree Woods

💛 Walking for Baby Woods – My Story, My Grief, My Why 💛

This October, I’m taking part in Walk Your Way 2025 with Choosing Hope - in memory of our precious Baby Woods, and for every family who has lost a baby far too soon.

In December 2024, my husband Brodie and I experienced the most heartbreaking moment of our lives - the loss of our first pregnancy, our miracle baby we had prayed so long for.

As October approaches, we want to honour our baby and raise awareness for others who are walking this same painful path. 💔

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Our Story - Cornual Ectopic Pregnancy 💔

We were so excited when we finally saw those two pink lines - we were expecting our beautiful Baby Woods, a baby we had prayed and wished for. It felt like a miracle, especially after not knowing if I could fall pregnant. The doctor confirmed we were 5 weeks along and everything felt like a miracle. We talked about baby names, wondered who they’d look like, and daydreamed about sharing our happy news at Christmas. But before the 8-week mark, I started cramping and spotting.

I was rushed to hospital. At first, we were told this could be normal. But everything quickly changed. After tests and scans, our world was shattered.

Doctors couldn’t find anything in my uterus and instead saw something suspicious near my right tube. Within hours, we were hearing words like “life-threatening,” “rupture,” and “emergency surgery.” My baby was implanted in the cornual region, a rare and dangerous type of ectopic pregnancy. I was days away from losing my life.

To save me, they had to take my right fallopian tube and my baby. We are shattered. We are confused. We are heartbroken.

This was a much-wanted baby, a miracle to us. I was left to recover physically while we both tried to process the grief of what happened and recover mentally. I woke up not knowing if I’d done something wrong, questioning why this happened to us. This baby was so wanted. We didn’t get to know if we were having a boy or girl. No chance to meet them, to know their little personality. Only love and loss.

Nine months later, the pain is still raw. But I’m walking for Baby Woods, and for every family who knows this kind of grief.

Pregnancy loss is devastating, physically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s a kind of grief that can feel invisible to the world, yet all-consuming to live through. The dreams you had, the future you imagined, are suddenly gone. What makes it even harder is how isolating it can be, people often don’t talk about it, which leaves so many of us grieving in silence. But loss matters. Every baby matters. And no one should have to walk through this alone. 💛___________________________________________________________________________

Why This Matters - The Hidden Reality of Pregnancy Loss

• Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation. It is the most common type of pregnancy loss, affecting about 1 in 4 pregnancies in Australia. Miscarriage can be physically and emotionally devastating, often accompanied by feelings of grief, guilt, and isolation.

• Ectopic pregnancy occurs in about 1-2% of all pregnancies, with roughly 95% happening in the fallopian tubes. It’s a serious condition and a leading cause of maternal complications in the first trimester. Early diagnosis is crucial to prevent life-threatening complications, and treatment options include medication or surgery. While many women recover fully, fertility can be affected if the fallopian tubes are damaged.

• Cornual ectopic pregnancy (what we experienced) is a rare, dangerous type of ectopic pregnancy where the embryo implants in the upper part of the uterus, called the cornua or interstitial area. Although it accounts for only 1–2.5% of all ectopic pregnancies, it carries a higher risk of severe complications like rupture and heavy bleeding, making early diagnosis and treatment critical. Prompt diagnosis and emergency treatment are often needed to save the mother’s life.

• Stillbirth is the loss of a baby after 20 weeks of pregnancy but before birth. It’s a heartbreaking event that impacts thousands of families each year. In Australia, about 2,000 babies are stillborn annually, that’s roughly 6 babies lost every day. The grief is profound and long-lasting, and families often need compassionate support to navigate this loss.

• Neonatal death refers to the loss of a baby within the first 28 days of life. It is a deeply painful experience for families, coming shortly after birth and often following a long journey of hope and anticipation. In Australia, approximately 1 in 300 live births results in neonatal death each year, affecting around 1,200 families annually.

Thousands of families suffer these losses every year, often silently, without the support or understanding they deserve. These aren’t just statistics; they are real families, real babies, real heartbreak.

Pregnancy loss is shattering and deeply personal. That’s why raising awareness and providing compassionate support matters so much.

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About Choosing Hope & Bears of Hope 🧸

The funds I raise will go toward organisations like Choosing Hope and Bears of Hope, who support grieving families through:

• Counselling and mental health care

• Peer support groups

• Wellbeing workshops

• “Bears of Hope” packages delivered to hospitals so parents receive a keepsake and comfort during their darkest days

Every $100 raised gives one grieving family a bear named in honour of another baby - creating a circle of compassion and remembrance. 💛

Brodie and I were lucky to receive a beautiful pack from Bears of Hope to help us navigate through our grief. Now it is my turn to return the favour.

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🌈 How You Can Help

💛 Donate – every little bit truly makes a difference

💛 Share my story – you never know who might need to see it

💛 Walk with me in spirit – for the babies, for the parents, for the healing

To anyone who has experienced loss and is grieving in silence - you are not alone. My heart is with you.

To everyone who supported us during the hardest time of our lives, thank you. And to Brodie - thank you for your love, strength, and calm in chaos. I’ll never forget it.

Now, we walk forward together, honouring the past and holding hope for the future. 🌈🕊️

Thank you for walking with me, for acknowledging loss - even the rare, the painful and for helping bring light and hope to families who are hurting.

#WalkYourWay #BabyWoods #PregnancyLossAwareness #CornualEctopic #BearsOfHope