Baby bereavement

Pregnancy and childbirth is safer than ever before, however sadly not all pregnancies have the happy ending we hope for.

It is always a very sad and difficult time when families are faced with unexpected loss and parents can be left feeling vulnerable, angry and confused.

In the UK around 12,000 families a year will experience the tragic loss of a baby, either due to stillbirth, miscarriage or neonatal death.

Unfortunately, we cannot take away the pain, but we do all we can to support families who experience this devastating loss.

Our experienced bereavement midwives can provide practical guidance, information and emotional support to families affected by baby loss. They also work alongside the chaplaincy service to support families in any way they need.

Bereavement rooms

We have rooms in our maternity unit dedicated to bereaved families.

All families are offered the opportunity to spend time with their baby and our team are experienced in supporting families with this.

The 'Forget Me Not' room is located on the delivery suite where women and their families are cared for during the birth of their baby.

Sometimes care may be provided in an alternative hospital room due to capacity.

Making memories

We offer a range of memory making opportunities, which includes photographs, memory boxes, and inkless hand/footprints.

Many families have told us how grateful they were to be able to spend time with their baby, bathing, dressing and making memories.

We are also able to offer Ibraheem's Gift packs containing the immediate necessities that parents may need to help them prepare for their baby's Muslim burial.

Further information

There is lots of support available, please see the list of links to websites below.

We understand that pregnancy after loss can be very difficult and our bereavement midwives are on hand to support women and their families with any pregnancy following a loss.

Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity (SANDS)

Sands is the stillbirth and neonatal death charity. Founded in 1978, Sands exists to reduce the number of babies dying and to ensure that anyone affected by the death of a baby receives the best possible care and support for as long as they need it wherever they are in the UK.