Looking After Your Emotional Wellbeing
You are living an incredibly hard reality and I am so sorry for your loss. My hope is that you feel both safe and empowered as you focus on your postpartum physical recovery, however, I know that there are likely to be emotional triggers along the way. It is important that you prioritise your emotional health and access support when you need it. Below are some ways through which you can do that:
(This list is specific to the UK and will be different in other countries).
Healthcare-based support
Ask your GP or bereavement midwife to refer you on to the services in your local area.
Local Support Groups
Local support groups are often a fantastic way to connect with people walking a similar journey for peer support. Ask your bereavement midwife for a list of local groups.
Helplines
Sometimes it helps to talk to someone who isn't directly involved in your situation and sometimes none of your local support network is available for a chat when you need it. There are a number of helplines available if you need someone to talk to.
- Sands - The Sands National Helpline provides a safe, confidential place for anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby.
- Child Death Helpline - Run between the Alder Centre in Liverpool and Great Ormond Street and manned by volunteers who are themselves bereaved parents.
Organisations
- Tommy's - Tommy's provide information and support for anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or termination for medical reasons.
- Sands - Sands supports anyone who has been affected by the death of a baby before, during or shortly after birth. Bereavement support is at the core of everything they do. Some of the services that they offer include a free national helpline and a bereavement support app for parents, families, carers and health professionals; a UK-wide network of support groups with trained befrienders; an online forum enabling bereaved families to connect with each other and a wide range of bereavement support resources available online and in print.
