Nottinghamshire woman invents 'Miscarriage Collection Cradle' following third baby loss
A North Nottinghamshire woman has invented the Miscarriage Collection Cradle after experiencing her own struggles with losing a baby.
Last updated 52 minutes ago
After losing her third pregnancy, and dealing with her own frustration and grief, a Nottinghamshire woman has invented the 'Miscarriage Collection Cradle', which allows women a dignified and safe way of collecting the baby tissue.
Laura Corcoran, 34, told us: “Dealing with a miscarriage at home is devastating — I felt abandoned. This happens to so many women, and it needs to be handled with more dignity.”
Many women choose to collect the remains, either for commemorative purposes or, like Laura, so testing can be carried out to find potential medical causes for the miscarriage.
After suffering yet anther loss, Laura, from Retford, was told there was no capacity at hospital to support her so she was sent home.
Laura said: “I hoped to have my miscarriage in hospital, but they said they were full and I’d have to wait. While waiting, I started miscarrying and was told to handle it at home.”
After three or more miscarriages in a row (also known as recurrent miscarriages), testing is offered to look for potential medical reasons for the repeated losses. However, there was nothing fit for purpose to help collect the tissue.
“I had to use a kitchen sieve to collect my pregnancy remains so they could be tested after my third miscarriage.”
With nothing fit for purpose, Laura, who is an engineer, said: "I entered problem-solving mode." She designed a device that fits over a toilet seat, with a removable pot and opaque container.
Laura told us she is now fighting to get the Miscarriage Collection Cradle into every hospital, having found success with 23 already.
A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said: “We recognise the importance of Laura’s work to both raise awareness and develop something that allows women to miscarry with dignity.
“Losing a baby is heartbreaking, and we are working to improve miscarriage care to ensure women get the support they need. This includes extending the reach of baby loss certificates to provide the recognition that can mean so much to affected families.”
Laura continued: "This very loved and wanted life ended up in that very undignified end, it just felt wrong. I was given no support and no practical tools."
As of January 2026, all Integrated Care Board (ICB) areas in England offer seven-day-a-week bereavement services across maternity settings.
According to stats from the NHS, around one in eight pregnancies will end in miscarriage. Recurrent miscarriages affects around one in 100 women.