Two Auckland mothers who have lost babies are trying a new method to ease other bereaved parents' grief.
They've introduced cuddle cots, which give parents extra time to say goodbye to their babies.
It's every parent's worst nightmare – leaving the maternity hospital empty-handed.
That's what happened to Claire Montgomerie and Kirsten Hartley, who lost their babies Kate and Emma two years ago.
Added to the heartbreak and pain, their babies were kept on ice-packs, wet and in the hospital refrigerators.
"All you want to do is cuddle them and keep them close," Ms Montgomerie says.
And they wanted time to say a final goodbye to their wee angels.
To help ease the pain for others going through similar tragedy, Ms Montgomerie and Ms Hartley decided to fundraise $7000 so Auckland could have a cuddle cot, which preserves a baby for a couple of days.
"They're not life-saving pieces of equipment, so they're not at the top of a procurement list for a hospital, but for a parent they're life-changing," says Ms Montgomerie.
Sadly, losing a baby is a reality for one in 200 New Zealand parents.
There are now 12 cuddle cots around the country. With an average of 700 infant and perinatal deaths every year, the goal is to have at least one in every hospital.
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