NEW BRIGHTON, Minn. — Amanda Duffy said she didn’t even realize stillbirth was a risk when she was pregnant with her daughter, Reese, a decade ago. But when she arrived 16 hours before her scheduled delivery, she was already gone.
“It was earth-shattering. I always say that my life as I knew it ended at that point, and then a new life started, and one that I did not sign up for,” Duffy recalled.
She is not alone in her grief: 1 in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Some reports suggest 25% of stillbirths are potentially avoidable.
Duffy explained Reese’s movements in utero started to change, which can be a sign of distress. But she said she was told it was normal, and only later learned that it was a warning sign when it was too late.
“I knew, moving forward, that I would take my anger and sorrow and funnel that into Reese’s legacy to try and make change for other people,” she said.