“THEY were my favourite ‘what if’ - that’s what I always say.”

Shaneese Robinson discovered she was pregnant with her second child during the height of the pandemic.

The teacher, from Dennistoun, and her partner, Christopher, had been trying for two years and were ecstatic when they found out the good news – but it wasn’t long until she found herself in excruciating pain and was rushed to hospital.

The 35-year-old told the Glasgow Times: “I was referred to gynaecology but by this point, it was about 4am and no one was around to scan me. I was sent home and told if I passed a bowel movement, I would know if it was an ectopic pregnancy.

“That morning I went to the bathroom and I was in so much pain I had to crawl back to my bedroom. I knew it wasn’t good.”

Shaneese, who has an 11-year-old son, quickly returned to the hospital where her worst fears were confirmed.

Glasgow Times:

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Ectopic pregnancies occur when a fertilised egg implants itself outside the womb, typically in the fallopian tube.

It isn’t possible to save the pregnancy and, if left unattended, can be fatal for the mother. Shaneese was rushed to surgery.

While medically she recovered fairly quickly, she struggled with the loss of her baby, whom she dubbed “baby Kit”, and the gruelling process of trying to conceive again - this time through IVF.

“When you go through a pregnancy loss, you’re not just losing a pregnancy, you’re losing the hope,” said Shaneese.

“You’re constantly thinking ‘this should be our first holiday as a family of four’, ‘this should be baby’s first Christmas’.”

Shaneese leaned on longtime pal Rebecca O’Brien whom she met years prior when they were both early in their teaching careers.

The 31-year-old was a rock for Shaneese and the pair celebrated late last year when Rebecca fell pregnant.

However, it wasn’t an easy journey for the teacher as she was plagued with almost constant bleeding resulting in numerous hospital stays.

In March this year, almost two years after the loss of baby Kit, Rebecca was admitted once again and this time things took a turn for the worst.

At just over 22 weeks pregnant, medics realised Rebecca’s pregnancy was coming to an end and they did all they could to reach 23 weeks – when an unborn baby is classed as medically viable to receive lifesaving treatment.

Rebecca went into labour just two days shy of the 23-week mark.

“Maeva was so perfect. She was an angel,” said Rebecca, from Stepps, “the hospital did everything they could.

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“The doctors came to see us at the end of their shifts to say it broke their hearts as well.

“She lived for three hours.”

Rebecca and her husband Mark were able to bring their parents and her sister in to visit the long-awaited baby before she died.

Then the couple stayed with their daughter for around 36 hours thanks to a specialised room with a cold cot, which allows grieving families extra time with their infants.

Rebecca said: “The hope is just gone. The life you imagined with your child is gone.

“Sometimes I can speak about it and sometimes I can’t but if it wasn’t for Shaneese I don’t know what I would’ve done.

“We both have great, understanding partners who listen to us but there’s something different about having someone who has experienced the loss of a pregnancy themselves.”

Now, the teaching duo have decided to turn their pain into support for other women who have experienced the same agony with the launch of the White Elephant Child Loss support group.

The pair will be hosting weekly meet-ups to lend an ear for those struggling to conceive or coping with pregnancy loss.

“We have no qualifications, it’s not a therapy and we’re not medically trained,” said Rebecca.

“This is just women supporting other women. We’re so lucky to have had each other but we appreciate not everyone does.”

Shaneese added: “Whether you’re dealing with IVF or you’ve had a miscarriage or a neonatal loss, maybe it was recent, maybe it was years ago – it doesn’t matter.

“People don’t have to come to every week. It’s very casual. It gives you that chance to just chat and we’ll be there to listen.”

The first of the weekly events will take place this week on Sunday, May 21, at Alexandra Park at 10am at the main Alexandra Parade entrance.