Baby Loss Awareness Week

Every year, thousands of people are affected by the death of a baby or experience pregnancy loss.

This year, the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, are highlighting the isolation many people experience after pregnancy and baby loss – women, partners, other family members and friends.

The effect of social distancing from Covid-19 has had a major impact on access to care and support and has complicated grief and responses to pregnancy and baby loss.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, feelings of isolation have become more widespread around the world and many people have begun to talk more openly about loneliness.

Now more than ever, we can all come together to let those affected by pregnancy and baby loss know they are not alone and that we are all here to support them.

For those of us who have never experienced this loss, we often don’t know how to act or what to say to those who have lost a child and have absolutely no way of comprehending how parents who do sadly lose a child feel. We’ve not been there and my heart goes out to anyone who has experienced this loss. Here at Mumbler we are turning pink and blue this week to support Baby Loss Awareness Week.

I was contacted by one of the charities supporting the campaign,  JOEL – The Complete Package, based in Worksop. JOEL – The Complete Package is a charity supporting families through pregnancy and parenting after baby loss, set up by Emma and Matthew Pearson, whose twin boys were born sleeping in 2011. I thought it would be good to share the support that this charity can offer parents.

Team JOEL offers support to parents online, via closed facebook groups and email. They have a range of free resources such as sibling resource packs, information for employers and a pregnancy rainbow pregnancy diary.

Their aim is to celebrate families as a whole and they are a very positive charity, helping families nationally.

Sarah, the Vice Chair for the charity says “Our Family Support Packs were created carefully with love and thought, by bereaved families, for bereaved families. Losing a baby is a life long journey and this pack is created to help and support parents through many different stages of emotions, feelings and moments. It has journal elements for you to complete as a family to record precious memories and spend time reflecting.  The pack contains a comprehensive support directory, as well as a recommended book list for adults and children, plus a beautiful certificate of life, which can be displayed or kept in a memory box.”

If you would like to find out more about JOEL – The Complete Package, visit their website here.

Alternatively, visit their facebook page or contact them on 07591 740287

On 15th October at 7pm, join families across the world in remembering all babies that have died too soon. Light a candle or join virtually, by posting a photo of your candle with #WaveOfLight

Discover more about Baby Loss Awareness Week here.

Visit the RDaSH NHS website – Bereavement and Grief 

More Support: 

• Sands is the leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity and exists to reduce the number of babies dying and to support anyone affected by the death of a baby, before, during or shortly after birth. Click here for more information and support 
• Bliss exists to give every baby born premature or sick in the UK the best chance of survival and quality of life. We support parents to be involved in their baby’s hospital care by providing them with information and emotional support, and training healthcare professionals. We campaign for changes in policy and practice and fund life-changing neonatal research. Click here for more information and support.
• The Lullaby Trust provides specialist support for bereaved families, raises awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and promotes expert advice on safer baby sleep. Working with the NHS, we run a national service for bereaved parents, supporting families before and after the birth of their new baby. Click here for more information and support.

Useful articles – The Independent ‘Knowing I wasn’t the only one helped me heal from my baby loss’