As Rainbow Baby Week is marked in the UK, the Royal College of Midwives is shining a spotlight on bereavement midwives for the vital support they give to families navigating pregnancy after baby loss,
Pregnancy after baby loss can be filled with hope, but it can also bring fear and anxiety – and having a midwife who understands can make an enormous difference.
From taking extra time at an appointment, to understanding why a scan or certain milestones might feel particularly difficult, compassionate and personalised care can help families navigate a new pregnancy while still carrying the grief of the baby they have lost.
Rainbow Baby Week (16-22 August) was created by UK charity Willow’s Rainbow Box, to raise awareness of pregnancy after loss, the support families may need during this time and the work taking place across maternity services to help them through their journey.
Gill Walton, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Pregnancy after loss can bring so many complex emotions. It’s not unusual to feel happy, joy, sad, fearful, anxious and hopeless all at the same time in a pregnancy after loss.
“Bereavement midwives have such an important role to play during this time. Sometimes it is about the clinical care they provide, but it is the smaller things too – listening, making arrangements for an appointment or a scan which might feel difficult for the family, or simply giving someone the space to talk about how they’re feeling.
“This Rainbow Baby Week, we want to say thank you to all the bereavement midwives who provide that compassionate care. We know how much pressure maternity teams are under, but we also know what a lasting difference kindness and understanding can make to families experiencing pregnancy after loss.”
‘My bereavement midwife helped me embrace my pregnancy after loss’
Rachel Burn, who works in the RCM’s media team, understands first-hand the importance of bereavement midwives in maternity care. After losing a baby in October 2023, she became pregnant again in February 2024. But what should have been a moment of happiness was filled with anxiety and fear for what was to come.
She was referred to her local Trust’s bereavement midwifery service and was supported throughout the pregnancy.
Rachel said: “This pregnancy was terrifying because I was convinced I’d lose this baby too. I found it hard to bond with the baby growing inside me and I had panic attacks whenever I had a scan, because it was at a scan where we found out our baby had died.
“But my bereavement midwife was amazing – it was the small things which helped, such as making the sonographer aware of our experience before our appointment. I was triggered by going through certain doors in the antenatal clinic because of our previous experience, so my bereavement midwife arranged for my husband and I to enter through a different door instead. These thoughtful gestures helped me to embrace my pregnancy instead of enduring it.
“When my son Ozzy was born, my bereavement midwife visited me on the ward and I was so proud to introduce her to the baby she had walked beside me to meet. My husband and I will never forget her compassionate care towards us.”
Upcoming webinar
RCM Cymru is running a bereavement webinar on 22 September, giving midwives and maternity support workers in Wales an opportunity to learn more about supporting families who have experienced loss. Book your place here.
RCM resources
The RCM has a range of resources available on bereavement care in maternity, including:
