The birth of a baby is a moment of joy for most families, but for some, it marks the beginning of an unimaginable loss. Too often, grieving parents are left to navigate this heartbreaking experience without the peace, support and facilities they need.
In the UK, 13 families a day lose their baby before, during or shortly after birth—around 4,500 babies a year.
I was inspired by my constituents who fundraised for a bereavement suite at Kettering General Hospital’s maternity unit, where I was born prematurely at eight weeks early. It was a complicated and traumatic birth, and my mother nearly lost her life after an emergency C-section. While she recovered, I was small and my future was uncertain. All around her new families celebrated the arrival of their babies, which only added to her emotional strain.
In many hospitals bereavement rooms are either inadequate or non-existent. Some are located within the busy labour ward, others lack soundproofing, and many simply do not offer the privacy parents desperately require during such an emotionally raw time.
For over two decades, this situation has remained unchanged. We have the opportunity to address this issue so that every family, no matter where they are, has access to a proper bereavement suite.
I have put forward my proposal for a legal requirement that every newly-built maternity unit must include a specialist bereavement suite.
Since introducing this proposal in Parliament I have heard from many parents who have experienced the loss of a child, whether during pregnancy, birth or shortly after. Many have shared how vital proper bereavement facilities were to them, while others spoke of the agony of grieving in the midst of celebratory sounds from others. The response to my proposal, from cross-party MP support, messages I have received and on social media, has been really heartwarming to see.
I’m pleased that my local hospital will soon have a specialist bereavement suite when its maternity unit is expanded. However, there is still much work to be done on a national scale.
Fundraising campaigns for bereavement suites, services and counselling are widespread, but this should not be a lottery based on geography or public donations. It is a matter of ensuring that every family, in their darkest moments, has the support they need.
Even small changes can make a world of difference. A private room with a cold cot away from the main labour ward allows parents to spend precious moments with their child in peace. A separate office space for bereavement midwives provides them with a place to conduct sensitive conversations privately. Importantly, bereavement suites give families the opportunity to grieve without the added emotional strain of hearing newborns or facing other pregnant families.
While we cannot undo the pain of losing a baby, we can ensure that, in their grief, families are met with compassion, dignity and privacy. That begins with a bereavement suite in every newly built maternity unit.
Rosie Wrighting is a British Labour Party politician and the Member of Parliament for Kettering.