Comfort for couples who lose baby

Ashleigh French, centre, with baby Ever and partner husband Shane Morris deliver the Cuddle Cot to Rotorua Hospital.

Ashleigh French says handing over a special Cuddle Cot to Rotorua Hospital has brought mixed emotions.

She's devastated at the prospect the cot will never hold a living baby, but she's relieved that it will allow parents to create special memories taking their babies who have died home with them - something they haven't always been able to do without the special cooling cot.

Cuddle Cot is a cooling system that discreetly sits inside a bassinet, and allows families to keep their babies with them just that little bit longer.

After just a few months of fundraising, Ms French has been able to buy and donate the cot to Rotorua Hospital, with another heading to Waikato Hospital.

A plaque on the Rotorua cot reads "step softly, our dream lies here", with the cot in memory of her daughter Luka Pixie who died shortly after she was born.

"I'm a little bit sad knowing what it is for, but I'm relieved too I guess."

Ms French said the fundraising had consumed her life - with an original target to raise the money by December, which would have been Luka's third birthday.

While it's not the end of fundraising efforts for the cause, Ms French plans to step back and take a bit of a break.

She said one of the biggest surprises was seeing the way the community was willing to help out.

"You learn that people care."

The Clinical Midwifery Manager for Rotorua's Maternity Services, Sue Finch, said the Cuddle Cot was a piece of equipment staff hoped not to have to use too much.

"Not every family who has lost a baby will want to use it, but it will provide precious time for those families in need."

Ms Finch said there were only three in the country and the team was now looking at how it would be loaned out.