Our Bereavement Service

For a very small number of women, things do not go to plan and their baby sadly dies. Sometimes this can be during the pregnancy, birth or occasionally afterwards.

Our well established service here at the Women’s hospital is on hand to offer support and help and be there for you as much or as little as you want.  We can help you to create a memory box, be there to listen as well as offer you help with practical arrangements. We also arrange religious and non religous ceremonies available twice a year which give families the opportunity to remember their baby.

Although this is a really difficult time for women and their families, bereaved parents have greatly valued the support received from us.

The Bereavement Team

Karen Henson, Laura Fleming and Alison Rea are the lead specialist midwives for bereaved families.   You will be offered a visit from us following a loss.

If you wish to contact us either:

• Ring us on: 0121 623 6882
• Leave us a message on the above number and we will return your call.
• Ask the switch board on 0121 472 1377 to bleep us on bleep 1063.  

Memory Boxes

We have been given precious memory boxes from Birmingham Sands, part of the national charity Sands

It is a devastating and heartbreaking time when you are told your baby has died or is going to die soon after birth.  There is so little time and so many decisions that have to be made.  It is important that families are given the opportunity to create as many memories of their baby's  life as possible.  Precious memory boxes can help parents create some tangible memories.

Lisa Brayshaw, chair of Birmingham Sands said "Nothing is going to take the pain away but having something to hold with your baby's special things in can, for some, make stepping out of the hospital just that bit more possible to bear"

Ceremonies

We offer the following services twice a year:

Forever in our Heart: is a non religious service, held each spring.

Celebrating Brief Lives: is a Christian ceremony held each autumn at a local parish church.

Help for Bereaved Parents

Other Contacts

Sands is an organisation which can offer you support when your baby dies during pregnancy or after birth.  You can contact  their helpline and get in touch with a local group on 0207436 5881

This page was last modified on Thu Feb 17 2011