Longridge coffee shop couple's pledge to Baby Beat after suffering two devastating losses

Last September, at two months into her first pregnancy, Ellie Manley, 25, went to A&E with severe cramps. Ellie then had to wait a week for a scan at which she was told her baby had no heartbeat.

Following her scan, Ellie underwent a surgically managed miscarriage at the Royal Preston Hospital’s Gynaecology and Early Pregnancy Assessment Unit. While there, she and fiancé Jake Binstead were introduced to early pregnancy loss bereavement nurse specialist Kirstie Russell, who came into post in December 2023 with Baby Beat funding.

Ellie said: “Kirstie was really lovely. You could ask her anything without feeling you were asking a stupid question. She really understood how devastated we felt. We had already told close family about the baby, which was good in that they were supportive, but we had clothes and had talked about what colour of paint we were going to paint the baby’s room. All of a sudden, all that is ripped from you.”

Jake, who helps Ellie at the coffee shop on weekends but works as a lorry driver during the week, said: “As the pregnancy was still early, you almost feel that you don’t have the right to feel upset but we’ve learnt it’s okay to acknowledge how affected you are by the loss. It turns everything upside down but there’s still a taboo in talking about it.

“I had a family member and a friend message me to say how sorry they were to hear about our miscarriage and how they had both been through their own miscarriages but until they messaged, we didn’t know that. Miscarriage is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s just really difficult but the staff at Preston and Baby Beat were incredible.”

Now Ellie, who sadly suffered a second, earlier miscarriage in January, is making plans for a ticketed summer Baby Beat fundraising event, while Jake has an action plan of physical challenges kicking off with the Brighton Marathon next month, the Manchester 10k in May, the Great North Run in September and the Manchester Half Marathon in October as well as a HYROX competition and summer skydive.

All are detailed on his fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/jacob-babybeat

Jake said: “I started running last year to lose weight and for fitness but I became hooked. I find it therapeutic. It gives you time to think. I’m also a very competitive person and I enjoy setting myself targets to reach. I am starting with the Brighton Marathon as my late dad was originally from Brighton. He moved north, met my mum and stayed but he also ran the Brighton Marathon 10 years ago.”

Jake does most of his training on his own but he also sometimes joins the run club at Binny & the Bean organised with Longridge’s Build and Burn Fitness Studio every first and third Sunday morning of the month.

The runs are usually around 5k in distance, open to all abilities and regularly attract 40 or so participants.

Ellie said: “It’s about chatting and making connections and having the coffee shop has helped me to meet so many amazing people that have suffered through similar situations. We want Binny & the Bean to be a supportive and friendly space for everyone.”

Joanna Allitt, fundraising manager for Baby Beat, said: “We are very grateful to Ellie and Jake for fundraising for Baby Beat and for being brave enough to speak out about the devastating impact of early pregnancy loss, which is miscarriage at up to 16 weeks.

“The grief it causes and the emotional burden it places on families has been woefully under-recognised but that is now changing with more support becoming available.”

What is Baby Beat?

Baby Beat is part of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals charity family. It funds specialist equipment, patient services and comforts, clinical care, local research, additional training and staff welfare projects so that the maternity and gynaecology teams can offer the best possible outcomes for babies and mums in the Central Lancashire and Chorley area.

Baby Beat also supports the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), which is Lancashire and South Cumbria’s regional specialist NICU. It provides exceptional care for the most premature and poorly babies and their families from across the two counties. For further information on Baby Beat’s work and how to support, visit www.babybeat.org.uk

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