Baby Loss Awareness Week is from 9th to 15th of October this year. The annual event is a time for everyone in the baby loss community and beyond to come together, remember much-loved and missed babies, and raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss.
After pregnancy loss, life can take a path that was never expected. This year’s theme is ‘Stepping Stones’ and will focus on the steps of that journey and how they are unique to everyone. The week also aims to share how the pregnancy and baby loss community is there for help and support every step of the way – both during and after loss, and to spread the word that you don’t have to navigate pregnancy loss alone.
It can feel overwhelming to know where to start, however, help is available in many different formats, from podcasts to books, counselling and online communities. If you’re looking for yourself, you might want to explore which format suits you best. Or, if you’re looking for help and support on behalf of someone else, offering a list of options might be useful. That way, they can choose what they might feel would be the most useful to their personal circumstances.
Websites
The official website of Baby Loss Awareness Week, with support, stories, ways to get involved and information about the Wave of Light.
The leading stillbirth and neonatal death charity in the UK. Sands provides bereavement support services both nationally through its Freephone helpline, mobile app, online community and resources, and locally through a UK-wide network of around 100 regional support groups.
Tommy’s is a pregnancy charity working to make the UK the safest place in the world to give birth, supported by people who refuse to accept that a baby’s death is just ‘one of those things’. Tommy’s funds pioneering research and offers expert advice together with a connected community.
The Miscarriage Association was founded in 1982 by a group of people who had experienced miscarriages. The charity continues to offer support and information to anyone affected by the loss of a baby in pregnancy, raise awareness, and promote good practice in medical care.
The Lullaby Trust is a charity that saves babies’ lives and supports bereaved families. Around 4 babies a week still die from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and the charity’s work is committed to bringing that number down to zero.
Podcasts
Created by Laura and Bex, The Worst Girl Gang Ever community features a popular podcast (available on Apple and Spotify), book, blog and membership area.
Baby Loss, Grief and Love is hosted by Kelly Wells MBACP, founder and CEO of Making Miracles Charity. Kelly is a counselling specialist in pregnancy, birth trauma and baby loss at all stages. The podcast discusses everything related to trauma and loss, and is available on Apple, Spotify and Overcast.
Jenni Thomas Talks About Child Bereavement
As a leading figure and pioneer in child bereavement, Jenni Thomas OBE provides support and guidance to those grieving the death of a baby or child and for children facing the death of a mum or dad, brother or sister.
The Parent Hood with Marina Fogle and Dr Chiara Hunt features two episodes related to baby loss – supporting parents through baby loss and baby loss.
In this episode, Clemmie speaks to Jennie Agg and Elle Wright about the heartbreaking experience of baby loss. Navigating this difficult conversation, Clemmie learns how Elle and Jennie’s different experiences of grief have led them to encourage a more open dialogue for other women who have also lost children.
Books
The Baby Loss Guide by Zoe Clark-Coates
Written by one of the world’s leading baby loss support experts, The Baby Loss Guide is designed to help you navigate this complex issue. Whether you have personally encountered loss or are supporting people through this difficult time, this book provides practical and compassionate advice.
Ask Me His Name by Elle Wright
After the death of her son, Teddy, at three days old, Elle started writing to navigate her new life and as a way to feel purpose again. Elle was the 2018 recipient of the Mum’s Voice Award from Tommy’s, the baby charity.
We mentioned ‘The Worst Girl Gang Ever’ earlier in our podcast list, but Bex and Laura have also written a book that deals with recovery after miscarriage and baby loss, with guidance from experts in mindfulness, grief, therapy and relationships.
Online communities
An account passionate about sharing the honest truth of baby loss, stillbirth, miscarriage and pregnancy after loss. Featuring blogs, personal journeys, resources and support, as well as a Facebook community group.
We featured Elle Wright’s beautiful book ‘Ask me his Name’ earlier in this list. Elle’s Instagram account and blog are, in her words, “a way of finding light in darkness, positivity in times of desperation and, hopefully, making a few people laugh along the way.”
Jennie Agg’s blog, The Uterus Monologues, has been featured by Vogue, Grazia, Marie Claire, the HuffPost, the Daily Mail and Red magazine. She has also campaigned with and raised money for Tommy’s, the baby loss charity.
Of course, it’s vital that dads are not forgotten about regarding baby loss. Dad Still Standing is a podcast about baby loss by two fathers and is available to listen to on Spotify and Apple.
Tommy’s Support Group is a safe space for all members of the baby loss community. Its belief is that by talking about baby loss openly and honestly, we can help each other feel less alone. The group is a place for members of the baby loss community to connect with each other, ask questions, share advice in a safe and private environment, and offer mutual support. The forum is open to everyone who wishes to share their story and is inclusive to all types of experiences and situations related to baby loss.
At Hand on Heart, baby loss is a topic very close to our hearts. We’re honoured and humbled that our customers have shared their stories of loss with us. We take the responsibility of creating a tribute to a loss very seriously and sympathetically. We understand how difficult an experience it is to endure, and our staff are completely understanding and sensitive to any requests for memorial keepsakes around baby loss.
Our aim is always to provide a sensitive service for a beautiful memorial keepsake that will offer comfort in the dark days of grief. We’d love to share some of our customers’ kind words with you ahead of Baby Loss Awareness Week (shared with their permission).
“Honestly can’t recommend Hand on Heart Jewellery enough. Customer services were so helpful both before ordering and after. They ensured I received my necklace in time for my baby boy’s funeral, which was so special, being able to have his prints with me. The necklace itself looks amazing and is of such high quality, along with the packaging it comes in. 100 per cent recommend, I already know I’ll be ordering other items from this company.”
“Thank you so much for the beautiful necklace and charm, which I bought in memory of my baby daughter. They are absolutely perfect. It was so easy to upload images of her prints, and with the express service I had the jewellery in a matter of days. It was beautifully presented with a personalised leaflet from the jeweller who created the pieces, and I was so delighted to have such a fitting, personal memorial. I love that our baby’s prints have been retained by HoH so that we can request more jewellery for our family and ourselves. Thank you for everything.”
“We recently lost our baby girl at 21 weeks into my pregnancy, I purchased a necklace with her footprint on, and this was a great comfort to me. I was so impressed with every aspect of the service/product I then bought a keyring for my father and a charm for my mother. Again, both detailing my daughter's footprint. Would highly recommend hand on heart, good quality, good customer service all around brilliant.”
“Beautiful necklace with baby’s heartbeat taken from a phone recording. Given as a gift to a friend who unfortunately lost her child. She was incredibly grateful that this could be done.”
“After having a sleeping baby girl, I was told about this company and so glad I was. I now feel I have my daughter with me all the time. Such amazing service too. Thank you so much for a necklace that means everything to me.”
We are truly honoured by these testimonials from our customers who have bought memorial jewellery for themselves or for somebody close to them who has experienced baby loss. A treasured keepsake that can offer a glimmer of light and hope during an extremely difficult time is exactly why we do what we do, and it’s why we started our memorial jewellery collection.
Our treasured memorial keepsake jewellery collections include Baby Heartbeat and Ultrasounds, Angel Wing Jewellery, Handprint Jewellery, Fingerprint Jewellery, Hair Keepsake Jewellery, and Cremation Ashes Jewellery. If you have any questions at all about any of our memorial products or collections, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team. They are more than happy to help with any queries about memorial jewellery, no matter how big or small.
If you or somebody you know needs help or support for baby loss, please visit https://babyloss-awareness.org/ for information, resources and the support to know that you’re not alone.
A spokesperson for the campaign says: “The Baby Loss Awareness Week Alliance are committed to raising awareness of pregnancy and baby loss, providing support to anyone affected by pregnancy loss and the death of a baby, working with health professionals and services to improve bereavement care, and reducing preventable deaths.”
The Baby Loss Awareness Week’s global ‘Wave of Light’ takes place on 15th October. The globally recognised event will see people across the world lighting a candle at 7pm local time and leaving it burning for at least one hour to remember all babies that have died too soon.
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