Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Week

The Burdett Trust for Nursing has been proud to support a range of projects working to improve care and support for families affected by pregnancy and infant loss and pregnancy-related bereavement.

Through funding to Abigail’s Footsteps, we supported the development of free online bereavement training for midwives and an educational film to help healthcare professionals better support parents following stillbirth, including those experiencing grief, anxiety, depression and PTSD.

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More recently, we funded Holding Her Space to develop culturally appropriate aftercare provision for Black African and Caribbean families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss in Manchester, helping address inequalities in bereavement support.

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Our support has also extended to projects improving maternity and neonatal care more broadly. Bliss worked with neonatal nurses to develop and pilot a skills improvement programme aimed at improving outcomes for premature and sick babies.

Alongside this, we have funded projects focused on improving support during pregnancy, childbirth and the postnatal period, including initiatives led by Wellbeing of Women, Institute of Health Visiting, King’s College London, and University of York, addressing areas such as bereavement care, perinatal mental health, maternal health inequalities, pregnancy after loss, and support for women experiencing mental health challenges during pregnancy.

Every family deserves compassionate, sensitive and person-centred care when experiencing loss. By supporting nurses, midwives and healthcare teams to develop expertise, confidence and innovative approaches to care, these projects are helping to ensure that families receive the support they need when they need it most.

On 15 October, we invite our community to join the global Wave of Light, lighting a candle in memory of babies gone too soon and standing in solidarity with all those affected by pregnancy and infant loss.