Maternity Bereavement Care

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Would you like to know more about bereavement care?

We provide emotional and practical support to families experiencing a pregnancy loss and the death of a baby.

The maternity bereavement team is made up of two Specialist Bereavement midwives and a dedicated Bereavement Lead Consultant. The team offers care and support for women and their families at Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust following a pregnancy loss and the death of a baby due to identification of fetal anomalies, pregnancy loss after 16 weeks gestation, stillbirth and babies who have sadly died shortly after birth. Prior to 16 weeks’ gestation, women will be supported by the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service. If your baby died before 16 weeks there is still lots of helpful information below.

The Bereavement Team offer ongoing practical and emotional support and guidance in the weeks and months following a pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. They make sure that families understand how and when they need to register their baby, and guide them through some of the choices they need to make. For example, the team can provide families with information about funerals or about any tests that may be undertaken on the mother or baby (such as a post-mortem examination or placental investigations).

The team continue to offer support to families after their loss and will arrange an appointment for them to discuss any test results, ongoing plans and concerns for a future pregnancy with a consultant. This appointment may be several months later whilst the hospital is waiting for the final investigation reports. The team can also provide information about local and national support groups, counselling and psychological support services available.

All Maternity staff are also able to provide support to bereaved families. As part of mandatory training, midwives and other health professionals have a year’s Multi-disciplinary Bereavement Training update. This includes important topics such as sensitive communication, memory making, choices, resources and the National Bereavement Care Pathway Standards.

Language and terminology is personal to each individual and family, and we understand that some may prefer certain terms over others. Please let our teams know the words and terms you would prefer for them to use when communicating with you.

Bereavement room

The team continue to offer support to families after their loss and will arrange an appointment for them to discuss any test results, ongoing plans and concerns for a future pregnancy with a consultant.

This appointment may be several months later whilst the hospital is waiting for the final investigation reports.The team can also provide information about local and national support groups, counselling and psychological support services available.

All Maternity staff are also able to provide support to bereaved families. As part of mandatory training, midwives and other health professionals have a year’s Multi-disciplinary Bereavement Training update. This includes important topics such as sensitive communication, memory making, choices, resources and the National Bereavement Care Pathway Standards.

Language and terminology is personal to each individual and family, and we understand that some may prefer certain terms over others. Please let our teams know the words and terms you would prefer for them to use when communicating with you.

A skylight in our bereavement room

Memory making

Many parents treasure the time they were able to spend with their baby, and keepsakes can play and important role in the grieving process, following pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. Most parents find making memories and having such reminders afterwards a great comfort.

Our hospital offers a range of memory making opportunities, which includes photographs, memory boxes, inkless hand/footprints and clay imprints. Memory boxes are donated by the charities 4Louis, The Lily Mae Foundation and (SANDS). Aching Arms offer a beautiful comfort bear to fill parents’ arms as a gift from one bereaved family to another. We are also able to offer Ibraheem’s Gift packs – a culturally appropriate baby loss pack for Muslim parents – containing the immediate necessities that parents may need to help them prepare for their baby’s Muslim burial. These packs are provided by 4Louis.

We have some beautiful homemade knitted baby clothing which has been donated by our local knitting community. These are available for our bereaved families to have. Please speak to one of the bereavements midwives for more information.

Our hospital also works with many other charities that provide memory making opportunities to families; please ask the specialist bereavement midwives for further details. Many families supported by our hospital have told us how thankful they were to spend time with their baby, bathing them, dressing them and making memories.

Please discuss with the midwives if you have any personal wishes you may wish to consider relating to capturing memories.

Clothing

Families can bring in their own baby clothes and belongings.

Alternatively, we have a range of hats, clothing, nappies, moses baskets and blankets, knitted and donated by our volunteers, which are available for babies of all gestation.

Please speak to one of the bereavement midwives for further information.

Book of Remembrance

In Maternity, we have a ‘Book of Remembrance’ for babies.

Parents can write a message or poem and add a picture of their baby, if they wish. The book is kept secure with the specialist bereavement midwives. Once families have written a message, they can give this to the Midwife to place in the book.

Spiritual and pastoral care

Our hospital’s chaplaincy team provides spiritual, pastoral and religious care to patients and their families.

Whatever your circumstances or beliefs, you may find that you would value the opportunity to talk with someone in confidence about your feelings or thoughts. You do not have to be religious to talk to a chaplain. Our Chaplaincy Team are committed to care for each individual and to respect all people regardless of race, religion, creed or belief, gender, culture or lifestyle.

Our Chaplaincy Team are also able to provide a religious or non-religious naming ceremony or blessing for babies. Please talk to the midwife caring for you or the specialist bereavement midwives if you would like a blessing or naming ceremony for your baby.

Lighthouse Service

This service is for women or birthing persons who live in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin with moderate-severe or complex mental health difficulties associated with loss, grief and trauma directly arising from, or related to, the maternity experience.

For example:

Those who experience PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) following birth trauma
Service users, their partners and families who have experienced a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, a medical termination, a stillbirth or neonatal death
Those with severe fear of childbirth (Tokophobia)

Any health professional, such as midwives, doctors and health visitors, can refer families to the Lighthouse Service.

Going Home

While you are in hospital, our team will discuss with you the ongoing support you require.

With your consent, we will inform hospital and community healthcare staff of your baby’s passing.

This will include community midwives, GP’s and health visitors.

Baby Loss Awareness Week

Our hospital participates in the annual Baby Loss Awareness Week by lighting the outside of the hospital in pink and blue.

Further information on Baby Loss Awareness Week can be found here.

Gathering of rememberance events

Gathering of remembrance events are held every six months by the Trust and are an opportunity for families who have suffered pregnancy loss or the death of a baby to gather and commemorate the lives of their babies.

The events have been resumed following a pause due to Covid-19 and are open to families of all faiths and beliefs and will include readings, reflection and the reading of names of children who have passed. Representatives from across our Maternity services and local communities will be in attendance.

The next Gathering of Remembrance will be held at 3pm on 9 October, marking the start of Baby Loss Awareness Week. The remembrance event will be held in Telford, children are welcome and activities will be available throughout the gathering for them.

If you would like to attend this event, please email sath.bereavementmidwives@nhs.net for further details and to register your attendance. If you are unable to attend but would still like to be involved in the gathering or have your child’s name read out, please contact sath.bereavementmidwives@nhs.net.