Hello everyone, It's finally time, and I am coming here to tell my story.. actually, OUR story.. the story of a couple that loved their daughter in a way we didn't know was possible..

My name is Marta Prince, I'm 21 years old and I'm the mum of an angel born asleep only two days before her due date.. her name, Ellie Lara Prince..

Our story started in August in Rome! we were traveling to Italy to enjoy ourselves when I already had a feeling that I was pregnant.. we made two tests.. and there it was.. two very dark lines! how exciting! Pregnant with my first baby! And married to my soulmate!

Everything went smoothly and perfectly fine for 9 months.. yes! 9 months.. we were so happy, her room was just been completed .. shocking.. the day before we lost her..

All day my princess was moving normally, quite active as usual.. she's always been such a monkey inside me.. loved every kick, every punch! Was like our way to communicate.. well it had just turned 30th of March 2020 when I was exactly 39+3 weeks pregnant.. i went to bed at 1 am.. after feeling her move I decided to sleep. Slept until 12pm and when I woke up I had a weird feeling.. I always wake up to her kicks.. but that day.. it didn't happen.. I waited in bed for a few more minutes.. poked her, moved around, went to the toilet.. no movements.. nothing at all..

My thoughts ? "She's just asleep" .. but I didn't give up on waking her up.. but never I would've thought that.. my baby girl was never going to wake up again.. but still I decided to do everything to make her move.. had some food.. coffee and a sandwich.. I knew after that she always kicks.. I used to say a lot "you'll be chubby like mummy" as she loved her food.. as soon as I was eating, she would "fight me" for some.. but nothing that day.. then I thought.. after a walk, she always moves.. I went out with my husband.. no movements.. he tried to talk with her, she loves him and his voice!.. nothing.. drank orange juice, had lots of chocolate.. no movements.. it was already 5pm.. then I said "okay.. this is not normal" and we then called the midwife and they told me to go for a check up..

Went with my husband.. but Covid-19 is basically taking everything from me.. so my husband had to stay outside.. I went in alone.. shaking in fear.. first time alone as my husband is so present all the time, went to all appointments, would change his work day or the time of his lunch to be with us at all appointments..always present in everything.. but this time I was alone for the first time.. and there it was.. the "I'm sorry.. I don't find any heartbeat" that no one thinks it can happen to us.. am i wrong ? We never think it can happen to us.. but at some point.. it did.. having to hear that alone was heartbreaking.. and having to wait for my husband to be found and come to me to hear it again.. was even worse..

All we could say was "I've done some bad things but I don't deserve this" or "why us.. why now ?" That day, after me taking the medication to prepare my body, we went home.. we went home completely broken.. that night, my husband spent all night hugging my belly crying just as much as me and saying how much he loves her.. loves us..

Two days after.. 1st of April.. woke up with contractions.. mucus plug leaving my body.. my husband and I could only cry our hearts out.. we didn't know how to cope.. but somehow we did.. I was in labour.. we were going to meet our beautiful daughter.. but never going to hear her cry.. never going to feed her, never going to calm her down.. never kiss her wherever it was hurting after she fell and say "it's going to be alright".. we were never going to see her walk.. or crawl.. or talk but we were going to meet our daughter..

10am I was at the hospital.. contractions 5 minutes apart.. got the tablet to get induced but.. not sure it did anything as she flew out..

Our beautiful angel was born asleep on the 1st of April 2020, at 15:45, with 3,255kg, and 47,5 cm.. perfectly healthy.. placenta perfectly healthy, her cord ? Around her waist and legs.. Long and no knots.. perfectly healthy.. not even the post mortem found any reasons on why our little girl passed away.. why we lost our beautiful angel.. is simply a mystery... But until then.. we have one job..

Our job is to love each other as Ellie would've loved to see how much her parents are in love.. our job is to believe she was happy.. she left this world inside me.. Listening to my heartbeat.. cozy, warm.. having everything she could.. she left this world knowing how much mummy and daddy loved her.. and how much all her family wanted to create memories with her..

Then there it was, her funeral.. 29th of April 2020, almost a month after she left this world..and again.. covid taking everything from us .. my family couldn't come because they're in Portugal and they couldn't travel, couldn't have my family support.. and also almost no family allowed at her funeral... There was me and my husband.. broken in pieces, carrying her casket to her forever bed..

I always said that I wanted to die before my husband and babies as I couldn't stand the pain of losing any of them.. but today I am here.. I am here without my baby girl.. but I am alive ... I am positive.. I am being stronger than I thought I was! My husband is so supportive.. even broken he managed to glue my pieces together.. my baby girl is sending us strength.. and we just want to make her proud.. make her proud of her parents.. that keep their head up knowing that one day we will meet again.. 💞

I try to keep positive, I try to grab positive thoughts.. for example, thinking that our little girl was a really naughty angel that ran away from heaven to meet us sooner, but as it wasn't our time to meet she went back and now she will wait for us to meet again.. I believe that she will come back to us.. her heart, her energy, her beauty.. she will come back again to us when its time for us to meet..

Now she is in her forever bed.. she is just sleeping.. she looked like she was sleeping, and that's how I am always going to remember her.. but let's not forget her, or any of our angels.. of her room, of how much we wanted her and loved her..let's keep her memory alive and when we look up, we will see all those shinning starts and smile because they're all our angels! ❤️

I always said, no matter if our next baby is a boy or a girl, her incredible light will be in him or her.. we promised her a little brother or sister to play with while she was with us, and we will make our promise come true even though she is gone.. our little princess. ❤️


And that dream came true, today I'm 24 weeks pregnant with our (hopefully) rainbow baby boy, I'm sure our little princess light is here through him, and that she's watching above making sure we are all okay!

This time I know about Kick count app and the wristband and thanks to them, I can make sure I notice any change in his movements!

I am nervous, anxious, and afraid, but I'm sure I will be able to bring this little one home..

So please! To any of you that notice a change in your baby patterns, make sure you get checked, no matter how many times you need to go and get checked! You are NOT a waste of time, midwives WON'T think you're being annoying.. your baby health is important, and so is yours!