Baby Lydia, born on September 21, is doing well thanks to the vigilance and compassion of midwife Lydia Milner.
Raegan, Baby Lydia’s mum, shared her gratitude and described how Lydia played an important role in her delivery:
“I was cared for on the antenatal ward by an amazing team including Suzanne and Julie who were like a mum to me! My induction started and it was handover time, in walked my midwife and a student midwife, both called Lydia! Was this a sign? My induction picked up quickly and my midwife Lydia was friendly, caring but very vigilant too. She advocated for me when I was struggling and trying to decide whether to have an epidural. I felt really well supported.”
During labour, a cord prolapse was detected—a potentially life-threatening situation where the umbilical cord slips into the birth canal, cutting off oxygen to the baby.
Raegan recalled, “Lydia calmly and quickly identified the problem and carried out an intervention to relieve the pressure on the cord. The theatre team sprang into action, and although there were many people around, I felt safe because I could see how well the team worked together.”
Midwife Lydia Milner reflected on the delivery. “It’s always a privilege to be part of such an important moment in someone’s life. As midwives we are trained to be well prepared for emergencies that can happen during birth, and I’m pleased we could act quickly to ensure baby Lydia’s safe arrival. Hearing that Raegan and her family chose to name their baby after me was incredibly touching—it’s something I’ll never forget.”
Baby Lydia, who was initially going to be named Rosie, is now a testament to the care provided by the Leeds maternity team. “We had Lydia on our list of backup names,” Raegan explained.
“In the end, our baby girl didn’t feel like a Rosie. It felt all too fitting that our midwives shared our back up name and we wanted to remember how lucky we feel to have a healthy happy girl, so we named her Lydia.”
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust’s maternity team provides care for around 9,000 families each year, offering both clinical expertise and compassionate support.
Raegan, a nurse herself, emphasised her appreciation for the hospital staff:
“As a nurse myself, I could follow the communication between team members and they were amazing. Everybody had a role and I did not feel worried as I had complete trust in the team.”