New Mom Finds Out In Hospital That Baby She’s Been Caring For Wasn’t Hers

A new mother was left “absolutely terrified” after discovering that the newborn baby she was caring for in the hospital was not her own child.

The tragic occurrence took place in September at a hospital in Dorset, England, where Maisie Beth, 22, had given birth.

She gave birth to a daughter called Isabelle, but when she went to change her baby’s nappy, she discovered she had a boy.

“God knows what would’ve happened,” Beth told Caters News Agency on Wednesday, April 17.

“I could’ve breastfed this baby or the mom could’ve woken up to an empty crib.”

Beth explained how the mix-up occurred, stating that shortly after giving birth to baby Isabelle, midwives informed her that the infant required phototherapy and would be placed in a separate nursery. One night, Beth went to check on her newborn and discovered a midwife in an office with a baby.

“The midwife came out of the office and told me to come in because they had Isabelle in there and I just assumed they taken her out with her phototherapy crib while I was in the toilet,” Beth claimed.

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“They [nurses] told me they had her there for a while because she’s been crying a lot,” she continued.

“They told me that she looked exactly like me. At this point, it was so early and I was two days postpartum so I just didn’t question anything and I took the baby back to my bed.”

It wasn’t until Beth went to change the infant’s diaper that she realised she was with a boy, not her little daughter.

“My instant reaction was that somebody had stolen my baby,” the mom recalled. “I was absolutely terrified after four years of infertility. I thought I’d lost my baby after giving birth to her.”

Beth believes the midwives accidentally mixed up baby Isabelle and a newborn boy at the hospital, but she’s not sure if the other child’s mother ever noticed.

“The [other] mom was asleep on a completely different ward from me and I don’t know if she ever knew that the baby was passed to me,” she explained.

“As far as I’m aware, Isabelle was still in her phototherapy crib this whole time across the hall from me, but I have no idea what went on while I was in bed with the other baby.”

The hospital has begun an investigation into how the incident occurred.

Lorraine Tonge, director of midwifery at University Hospitals Dorset, told Caters: “We profoundly regret any anguish this has caused and have contacted out to the mother to offer her support.

“We would urge her to get back in touch with us to assist us in our investigation.

“The safety of our parents and babies is the highest priority and we are committed to providing full support to the affected families.”

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli