A MOTHER has told how taking up running weeks after the death of her baby helped her cope with the mental torment.

Barbara McIntyre was six months pregnant with her third child when tragedy struck.

The 36-year-old woke up in the middle of the night and knew that something wasn’t right as she couldn’t feel the usual kicks from her baby.

After checking with her midwife, Barbara and her husband Colin rushed to Crosshouse hospital in Kilmarnock where they were given the devastating news that doctors could not find their baby’s heartbeat.

Two days later, Barbara gave birth to a son, the couple named George.

She said: “I was six months pregnant with our third child and we had the scans and everything was fine.

“We were so excited for Easter as my due date was Easter Sunday.

“But I woke up one night and felt something was wrong.

“We hurried to the hospital but we were told that nothing could be done as they couldn’t find a heartbeat.

“Our son George was born two days later.

“We were so fortunate to have an incredibly supportive team of bereavement midwives and the use of a suite in the labour ward which meant we were able to spend quality time with George before saying goodbye to him.”

In the midst of her grief, a month after the death of her son in January, Barbara decided to start running.

At first she says she couldn’t run for more than a minute but gradually built up her stamina and she now does regular 10k runs.

The benefits of exercise, for mental health, are well documented.

Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, allowing it to almost immediately function better.

A number of neurotransmitters are also triggered, such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine. Some of these are well-known for their role in mood control.

Experts say, even the process of putting one foot in front of the other and moving forward, can provide a boost.

On Sunday, Barbara will take part in the Great Women’s Run in Glasgow in aid of the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society, SANDS.

She said: “Until a few months ago I had never gone out for a run and I couldn’t imagine ever wanting to.

“After saying goodbye to George, I started running in February.

“It felt good to be outside in the fresh air and helped manage my grief and feel some control over my body again.

“At first I couldn’t run for more than a minute or so at a time but I slowly got more stamina until all of a sudden I was able to run up to 10k in a reasonable time.

“I decided that I wanted to give something back to SANDS as they supported us so much and helped us prepare ourselves for each stage of our journey.

“The memory box was incredibly important as it is the only thing you take home from the hospital.

“They had also provided guidance to the midwifery team on how to support us in gathering momentos in the short time we had with George.

Barbara will join thousands of women who are taking on the women’s10k for fitness and fundraising in the heart of Glasgow’s West End.

The 10k route takes runners along the quayside, passing some of Glasgow’s most iconic buildings including Kelvingrove Art Gallery, Glasgow University and the SSE Hydro, before finishing in Kelvingrove Park

The event has grown into the UK’s biggest women’s-only run and will be Barbara’s first 10k race.

Barbara said{ “Learning that your baby has died is only the first of a terrible series of difficult events.

“I want to raise money in the hope that fewer families have to go through what we have suffered and to ensure that SANDS are able to continue to support people affected by the death of a baby.

“It is a terrible fact that for about 6 of the 10 babies who die, there will be no cause of death identified, as was the case for our son George.

“Not knowing what causes babies to die makes it harder to prevent future deaths.”

To support Barbara’s fundraising go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Barbara-McIntyre

To enter the Simplyhealth Great Women’s Run go to www.Greatrun.org/Womens

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