This theme for this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week (9–15 October) is ‘together we care’. It’s a time for remembrance, and open conversation about experiencing baby loss to help raise awareness for better bereavement care, maternity care and support.

Lucy Mellor, senior associate in JMW’s clinical negligence team, discusses the importance of support and how talking openly about baby loss can help those affected.

The power of conversation

Losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or termination for medical reasons is a devastating experience. Despite its prevalence, with one in four pregnancies resulting in baby loss, those who sadly go through baby loss often feel isolated and unsupported at a time when they need compassion and understanding the most.

Openly talking about baby loss helps to:

• Challenge misconceptions: When families share their stories, it challenges the misconception that baby loss is something to be hidden or feel guilty about. It validates grief and encourages others to seek help.

• Promote emotional healing: Honest conversations allow families to process their grief, access support networks, and find comfort in knowing they are not alone.

• Drive improvements in care: By raising awareness, it highlights the need for better bereavement support and safer maternity services, ensuring lessons are learned and standards are raised.

Why baby loss awareness matters

As a "rainbow baby" myself, I know how important it is to obtain answers and to encourage conversation, to ease the burden and sense of blame that so many women unjustifiably put on themselves after baby loss.

Most cases of baby loss do not involve anyone being at fault, but as clinical negligence solicitors we are often approached by families who have experienced the unimaginable, due to avoidable errors in care.

Making a claim can provide answers, accountability, and sometimes compensation, but it of course cannot erase the pain of loss. What it can do, however, is shine a light on systemic issues and drive change in the hope that others will not have to experience such unavoidable loss.

• Learning from mistakes: Medical negligence claims often reveal patterns, such as poor communication, inadequate monitoring, or failures to follow established guidelines. These are issues that can be addressed to prevent future baby loss tragedies.
• Supporting families: The claims process gives families a voice, helping them to understand what happened and why. It can also connect them with specialist support services and charities, such as Sands and Tommy’s, who offer invaluable resources for bereaved parents.
• Advocating for change: By sharing anonymised client stories and supporting awareness campaigns, we can help break the silence and push for improvements in maternity care, bereavement support, and patient safety.
• Educate on rights: By listening to families we can continue to amplify their voices and educate others about their rights when it comes to better maternity care and support following baby loss.

How can I support someone who has lost a baby?

Talking about baby loss is not easy, and everyone’s experience is unique, but we can find ways to support grieving families. Tommy’s has a useful guide to talking to someone who has been through baby loss, which is based on families’ lived experiences.

It can also be difficult at times of baby loss to ‘get on with everyday life’ and simple things like making meals can be forgotten or seen as a chore. Think of the ‘little’ everyday tasks that you could help a grieving family with, such as dropping off meals or offering to take them out for a coffee if they feel up for leaving the house.

It’s not uncommon for a woman to blame herself after the loss of a child. My clients regularly report that knowing that people are still there for them and think no differently of them as a person makes a huge difference. They look for time and patience, and not a ‘quick fix’.

Those who suffer baby loss often feel that months after their loss the messages stop. Don’t be afraid to drop them a message. The power of simple support networks should not be underestimated when it comes to the healing process.

As clinical negligence solicitors, we are committed to supporting families not just through the claim process, but by advocating for open conversation, compassion, and continual improvement in maternity care. In most cases the bereavement midwives are a fantastic support to families, and their care is imperative to the grieving process