Tania Tree is on a mission to make sure other mothers of angel babies don't go through the same ordeal she faced five years ago.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
On August 14, 2009, Mrs Tree gave birth to her sleeping beauty Hallie, who was stillborn at just 22 weeks. The midwife at Wollongong Hospital looking after the Balgownie mother folded a daily wipe and placed it on Hallie as a makeshift nappy as there was simply nothing small enough to give her some dignity.
A few years passed when Mrs Tree came across a Facebook page in New Zealand which made little cloth nappies for angel babies.
"In that moment I knew we needed these nappies here in Australia but I could not find any so I started Angel Baby Nappies," she said.
Angel Baby Nappies now make and provide tiny non-functional bereavement cloth nappies for pre-term stillborn babies and premature babies who pass away in the NICU.
Nappies and packages start at a size to fit 18-week gestations up to full term and beyond.
"The oldest baby we have supplied a nappy for was a 18-month-old little girl whose life support was sadly switched off," Mrs Tree said.
"We donate our nappies to hospitals around Australia, they are donated in pairs, so one nappy stays with baby and one nappy is for the family to keep in their memory box."
On Sunday August 31 Mrs Tree is holding a sewing bee at Fairy Meadow Demonstration School from 11am to 2pm.
The mother of three hopes many people drop by to help make nappies.
"Each bee costs about $350 to purchase all required fabrics, notions and packaging - $350 yields around 150 pairs of nappies, that's around 150 families we can help through one sewing bee," she said.
Mrs Tree said Angel Baby Nappies, which raised money through personal donations and/or monetary gifts from friends and family, also provided care packages for families going through the heartbreaking loss of their baby.
Packages include a pair of nappies as well as knitted clothing, beanies and booties and a pair of teddy bears.
"To date we have supplied to over 40 hospitals around Australia and organisations such as Angel Gowns for Australian Angel Babies who have grown their angel wings who make burial gowns out of donated wedding dresses," she said.
"I help them by making nappies out of donated wedding dresses to match their gowns.
"We also supply to other bereavement organisations," Mrs Tree said.
Information: angelbabynappies@mail.com or Facebook "Angel Baby Nappies"
Wollongong Advertiser