Baby Loss Awareness Week
Let us start by saying how sorry we are if you have experienced the loss of a baby. We understand from personal experience how you feel and the need to break the silence surrounding this taboo subject. That is why we’re proudly supporting Baby Loss Awareness Week from the 9th – 15th October 2017.
Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) is recognised around the world every year from 9 to 15 October and it provides an opportunity:
- for bereaved parents, and their families and friends, to unite with others across the world to commemorate their babies lives.
- to raise awareness about the issues surrounding pregnancy and baby loss in the UK, and push for tangible improvements in services, support or policy around bereavement support.
- to let the public and key stakeholders know what charities and other supportive organisations are doing on bereavement support around pregnancy and baby loss.
This year 40 Baby Loss charities are working together as the BLAW Alliance to raise awareness about the importance of excellent bereavement care for all parents after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
Here are just some of the ways in which you can support us……
Share our posts
Throughout the week, our social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will be full of baby loss facts for you to share to help raise awareness. A selection of graphics are below:
Share our CEO’s story
To mark the beginning of the week, our Founder and CEO, Heidi Eldridge, shared her stillborn son’s story for Eagle radio.
Change your profile picture
Email us with the name of the baby you’re remembering this week and we’ll send you a personalised profile picture for you to have as your Facebook profile.
Send a card
Our brand new Baby Remembrance Cards are available from our online shop. Send one to a friend to let them know you’re thinking of them and their precious baby this week.
Go Pink and Blue
Wear pink and blue for a day. Tell your friends and colleagues why and then text MAMA00 £5 to 70070 to help us continue to reduce baby loss in the UK.
Wave Of Light
BLAW finishes each year on October 15th with the global ‘Wave of Light’. October 15th is also International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and is recognised across the world. Everyone is asked to simply light a candle at 7pm local time and leave it burning for at least 1 hour to remember all babies that have died. This can be done individually or in a group as part of an arranged event.
There will also be a digital Wave of Light at 7pm local time on October 15th. Everyone is asked to take a photo of your candle and post it to Facebook or Twitter using #WaveOfLight.
Join us live on Facebook at 6.45pm where we will be lighting candles in remembrance of all your baby’s, ahead of the International Wave of Light at 7pm when the world lights candles for all precious baby’s gone too soon.
Get Political
In Westminster, the APPG on Baby Loss are hosting a reception on 11th October which we will be attending.
MPs will be asked by their constituents to light a candle for all the babies who have died and to post this on social media, they will also be asked to support the policy calls by writing to The Secretary of State for Health. If you would like us to light a candle for your baby, please contact us.
This year 40 Baby Loss charities are working together as the BLAW Alliance to raise awareness about the importance of excellent bereavement care for all parents after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.
In order to ensure that the necessary improvements in bereavement care are focussed so that all parents have equal access to individualised and excellent bereavement care, there are three specific policy calls that will be shared during the week:
We are calling for:
- Excellent bereavement care after pregnancy or baby loss is mandated by the NHS in each of the 4 nations
- Every healthcare setting where baby loss occurs to have a bereavement lead; and all health and social care professionals to receive excellent bereavement care training
- Bereavement rooms to be available and accessible in all hospitals
We will also be highlighting the National Bereavement Care Pathway (with 11 pilot sites being launched on 9th October) to show how excellent care and support for parents can be built into every hospital where pregnancy loss and baby deaths occur.
More Information
The Baby Loss Awareness Week Website is the hub for activity during the week – with information and updates and to share all the photos of buildings that are turning pink and blue and events around the UK.
The site will also be updated to include practical information on bereavement support, but also videos of parents, healthcare professionals, family and friends talking about their experiences.