When someone we love dies, we experience overwhelming feelings of loss and sadness, which we call grief. When a baby dies, it can be especially complex and difficult.
After the death of your baby, it is natural to feel a whole range of emotions, including shock, sadness, anger, love, guilt, loneliness and confusion. Grief is unpredictable and it’s normal to switch between these feelings on a daily and weekly basis.
There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Grief is a deeply personal experience, and everyone copes with in their own way, even within the same family.
Support & Counselling Services
We offer specialist bereavement counselling to birth parents who have experienced the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy (from 14 weeks gestation), stillbirth, termination for foetal abnormality, or during the neonatal period.
Maternity and Neonatal Bereavement Support and Counselling Service
Support Available to You
There are various ways you can seek support, and we offer guidance based on what might work best for you at this challenging time:
More information about support agencies can be found at the bottom of this page)
- Self-help Resources: Information that you can read at your own pace about grief after losing a baby.
- Talking to Family or Friends: Talking about your baby can be a great help when you are grieving. Many people turn to close relatives and friends for comfort
- Targeted Support: Connecting with other bereaved parents who understand your experience, through phone calls, social media, or support groups.
- Specialist Bereavement Counselling: If you're feeling stuck in your grieving process, speaking to a counsellor can help you process your loss, find healthy coping mechanisms, and explore factors in your life that may be contributing to your grief.
- Emergency support: If you are distressed and need help now.
More information about support agencies can be found at the bottom of this page)