Meet Dr Katie…
Katie will be joining #TeamPetals for the first time in March as she runs the TTP Cambridge Half Marathon with us to raise vital funds to support bereaved parents following the loss of a pregnancy of baby.
We met with Katie to find out more about her work as a pregnancy doctor and researcher, and learn why she has chosen to fundraise with Petals this Spring.
Read the interview below:
Tells us about your career as a pregnancy doctor and researcher.
I feel very fortunate to have a job where I’m a pregnancy doctor but also work for the University of Cambridge in research.
There’s not that many of us that work both clinically and do research. I was very fortunate to be given the opportunity to complete a Masters in Pregnancy Research in Manchester, which was very kindly funded by a family who’d had a pregnancy loss. As part of that project, I looked at placental function in women of advanced maternal age – looking at why women who are over 35 or 40 are more likely to have poor outcomes.
The most important thing I took from this year was how much we don’t know about pregnancy and how vital research is. This has spurred me on to continue my research alongside working as a doctor.
My research interest has always been preventing pregnancy complications and stillbirths. Research gives you the opportunity to not only change the world for 10 or 20 women. It gives you the opportunity to change it for thousands of women.
Why do you think research in this area is important?
We know so little about pregnancy: we’re still using measuring tapes to measure the size of someone’s bump to estimate the size of the baby that’s inside, and that’s probably one of the best evidence-based methods of managing pregnancy we have got. I think that shows how much room for improvement there is.
We still have so much to learn about the how the placenta functions to support a normal pregnancy, but also why it sometimes goes wrong.
I think it is quite shocking that 50% of stillbirths are unexplained. A baby has died and in half of cases we can’t explain why. It’s also worth noting that 1% of research funding worldwide goes into women’s health and pregnancy.
What is your experience of the need for support for parents following a loss?
I love looking after women – and I actually love looking after women that have had a difficult pregnancy or a loss. These are the women and families where I think our care can really make a difference.
The people that go home with their baby with no complications, they look back and that’s a very short period of their lives, but for the families with bad outcomes that is a moment they look back on for the rest of their lives.
Scanning a patient and seeing there is no heartbeat and knowing you need to break such dreadful news is something that never gets easier. I think sometimes people think that they walk out of the door and we wave them goodbye and they are gone.
I’ve still got people’s names, faces and their reaction to the news in my head. These are the families I remember.
It is why Petals is so important: the care we provide in hospital is such a short period of the grieving journey and being able to send them home with some counselling support is so important.
Why have you chosen to fundraise for Petals this year?
I’m very grateful for what Petals do.
Petals includes the whole family, especially the dads. Losing a baby and then watching your partner go through so much, often feeling helpless and wanting to be able to do something to help them is so difficult. Talking is so important, and it can be a really isolating time for fathers.
The work that Petals counsellors do is vital. The emotional support that Petals provides plays a huge part in supporting these women and families – they are a unique and highly valued addition to the work that we do.
Why the Cambridge Half?
I moved to Cambridge purely for academia. I’m not from Cambridge and I actually don’t know the city very well. I’m really excited about just seeing more of Cambridge. I’ve always thought there was a real buzz about the half marathon. I wanted to do something locally, close to home, and I saw that I could run for Petals and thought it all linked together perfectly.
By supporting my fundraising, you’re helping Petals continue to provide vital emotional support to parents after pregnancy loss — and ensuring that families don’t have to face those moments alone.
We are incredibly grateful to Katie for sharing her unique perspective on why the work that Petals do to support bereaved families is so important.
If, like Katie, you would like to join #TeamPetals and fundraise to help us support even more bereaved parents following the heartbreak of baby loss, check out how you can get involved below:
Running and Walking Events
How far are you willing to go? Find a 5k, 10k, half-marathon or marathon near you.
Ultra Challenges
Ready to go the extra mile? Take on one of 20 epic endurance events across the UK.
Fundraise Your Way
Whatever you have planned, from a pamper day to a cake sale, a football match to a 24 hour walk, we’d love to hear about it and help you raise as much money as possible.