Wakefield Museums and Castles

Baby Lucy Downes wore this identity wristband after she was born in Pinderfields Hospital. It reads 'Baby Girl of Rebecca Downes’ and includes Lucy’s date and time of birth.

Bex Downes and her husband Thomas welcomed Lucy in March 2023. She was conceived through in vitro fertilisation (IVF). 

IVF is a process where the egg is fertilised by the sperm in a laboratory. The embryo is then implanted into the mother’s womb. 

Bex and Thomas chose to use IVF because Thomas has a hereditary disease in his family. IVF allowed doctors to choose a sperm that did not carry any disease. 

Bex and Lucy are taking part in the BaBi Wakefield project. The project is recording and sharing families’ experiences of raising children in Wakefield.