Families who have suffered losing a child are being invited to remember their babies as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Organised by the UK’s leading baby loss charity Sands, Baby Loss Awareness Week will run from October 9-15.
Throughout the week, bereaved parents and their loved ones will unite with others across the country to remember the babies who died during or after pregnancy.
Hilary Grierson, a volunteer at the charity, said: “The campaign itself is just to help open up conversations. It’s to acknowledge and remember the babies that have died.”
Several events will take place around the UK to mark the occasion. To kickstart the week, Alexandra Palace in London will light up its mast in baby blue and pink. There will also be a ribbon display in Priory Park and outside St Andrews Church, with each ribbon being dedicated to a baby who has died.
As part of the global campaign Wave of Light, organised by the charity, people around the world will light up a candle at 7pm. Last year social media was flooded with photos of candles burning as people paid tributes to those who lost a baby.
On October 15, there will be a memorial walk along the Parkland Walk to a baby loss tree where people can hang a ribbon with their baby’s name on it and reflect with others.
Ms Grierson, who lost her son Hamish in 2012, said: “I find it quite helpful. Just to be surrounded by other people, make connections, talk openly about what they’ve gone through and just share experiences.”
She said: “I gave birth to my child and I was able to hold him and we spent time with him. But some people don’t even manage to get that so the whole baby loss campaign is about opening up conversations and driving change about how we approach baby loss.”
In the UK, it is estimated that one in four pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth. In 2021, there were 1,719 neonatal deaths in England and Wales. According to Sands, around 13 babies die before, during, or soon after birth, every day in the UK.
Research done by the Baby Loss Awareness Week Alliance revealed that 60% of parents dealing with baby loss needed help with their mental health but were not able to access it on the NHS.
Clea Harmer, the Chief Executive of Sands, said: “Following a loss, people find themselves on a path they would never have envisioned for their life. During this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week, we will acknowledge the steps along this journey, how they are different for everyone and how to find support at any stage.”
“To anyone navigating this journey, whether recently bereaved or longer ago, we hope we can offer reassurance that there is a community that understands and is here for you, whatever you need – be it guidance, shared stories or simply a listening ear to help and offer comfort. You are not alone.”
