Being only 5 when my sister died, my parents decided that my brother and I wouldn’t attend the funeral, we didn’t get the chance to say goodbye, if I am honest I’m not sure that I have ever really gotten over this fact. My sister’s...
If you’re the brother or sister of a baby who died it may feel like there is a missing piece of the family. If you’re younger than them you may only know about your sibling through what you’ve been told or seen in photos. Even if you were living at the time, your childhood memories...
Every year during baby loss awareness week, I reflect on the families I have cared for and how much they have taught me about love, life, and grief. However, this year I am also drawn to remembering the maternity staff I have worked with who...
Midwife Amina has shared some of her top tips on how she looks after herself and her team. Amina said: “On the ward, I work in a great team who are constantly making sure we're taking our break. We also have a volunteer wellbeing service who visit every day with a tea...
Throughout the pandemic, those working on the frontline have not only had to face the personal impact of lockdown and changing restrictions, but also its effect on the way they carry out their important jobs. Increased pressures on services, alongside the added stress restrictions have had on parents, made supportive...
Sarah lost her baby boy 24 hours after his birth, 11 years ago, due to an inoperable heart condition. She said: "Having also lost a parent (my mum died six years ago), the thing that is so challenging and life-limiting about losing a child, is the loss of a future in which...
In January 2021 Emily made the heart-breaking decision to terminate her pregnancy, after he was diagnosed in a 20-week scan with Myelomeningocele, the most severe type of spina bifida. Emily says: "I honestly thought I would fight for my baby, and I have always said that nothing would...
Every experience of grief is individual, and how you feel following your experience of pregnancy or baby loss is valid. You may find that you feel like you don't know how to act, or fully understand your feelings. Grief is not linear, and while overtime you may feel you grow around...
From the moment your baby dies, your world changes forever. And there are no simple answers to grief; it is a journey to a new way of living, and how you look after yourself is different for everyone. Grief is a personal and unique emotion...
‘I am really sorry Leanne, but I am afraid there is no heartbeat.’ Those dreaded, empty words play out around and around in my mind every single day. When Leanne went to hospital earlier this year for a regular check-up at 34 weeks pregnant, she felt...