There are plenty of occasions in my work as a community midwife where I wish I could offer more support than is possible within the limitations of my job. This often occurs when I am caring for those experiencing pregnancy after loss – something which can lead to huge amounts of anxiety, fear, and a sense of isolation. My feeling that there should be more support available was one of my main reasons for joining Willow’s Rainbow Box as a trustee in January 2023.
Willow’s Rainbow Box was founded by Amneet Graham in 2019. After a missed miscarriage in 2017, her subsequent pregnancy with daughter Willow was full of anxiety. Amneet felt there wasn’t much support available during this difficult time, so set up an organisation to help fill this gap.
Willow’s Rainbow Box helps those who are pregnant again following a loss at any gestation, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, or termination for medical reasons. We provide free comfort boxes with resources including a journal; hope and support cards with affirmations and mindfulness techniques; crochet set and colouring pages; and a business card resource to alert healthcare staff to a history of loss (“Is this your first?” is such a standard small-talk question for us as professionals, but can be complicated to answer for those pregnant after loss). We also provide online resources, including first trimester support groups, and our annual Rainbow Baby week. We have had great feedback from those who have received boxes or used our resources, including the comments below:
“It feels very validating that there is an organisation out there specifically for pregnancy after loss, which can be so anxiety-inducing”
“On bad days, the affirmations and colouring/journaling really helped me.”
“It gave me hope and reminded me I’m not alone.”
Over recent years, the charity has gone from strength to strength, expanding from its initial base in the North East to provide boxes across England and Wales. We have just had funding confirmed which, among other things, will allow us to provide stock of our boxes in up to 20 maternity units, perinatal mental health teams and early pregnancy units over the next two years. This is something particularly close to my heart, as I feel it will widen access to those who (perhaps due to language barriers or complex social factors) would not otherwise have known about or been able to self-refer for our boxes.
If you are caring for someone who you feel may benefit from our support, signpost them to our social media pages or website, where they can self-refer for a free comfort box and access our other support. Please let your colleagues know about us too. If you would like to receive a poster and/or pack of signposting cards for your workplace, please email us.
We now have available funds to provide stock of Willow’s Rainbow Boxes to a limited number of NHS units, although we’re a small team, so it will probably take a while to get these orders out and priority will go to those already on our waiting list. You can also be added to the list for our community “Raise for Rainbows” campaign, where members of the public can choose to fundraise for boxes in a particular unit.
I know that I will never be able to make everything okay for the families in my care who are struggling with the complex – and often extremely challenging – emotions associated with pregnancy after loss. However, I am confident that the work Willow’s Rainbow Box does as a charity can help to provide parents with support, validation, and the knowledge that they are not alone.
