It’s a week that helps to unite the pregnancy and baby loss community; we come together and speak out across the week to increase understanding of the impact of loss and remember all babies.

It also plays a crucial role in raising awareness of the importance of ongoing bereavement support, something our National Helpline are experienced in. We’re here to walk with anyone who has experienced baby loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth and loss through abortion, as they explore their feelings and ways to move forward.

The Baby Loss Alliance is an initiative started by a group of parents 22 years ago, it has now evolved into an Alliance of over 130 dedicated pregnancy and baby loss organisations, including Life. Whether you’re someone who has experienced loss, a family member, friend or healthcare professional, we want you to know this Alliance stands together with you.

Few experiences can compare to the trauma and pain of pregnancy and baby loss. During this Baby Loss Awareness Week, we will acknowledge that finding ways to nurture your mental and physical wellbeing is a vital part of anyone’s bereavement journey.

Together, we care for ourselves and each other as part of a community of people affected by all forms of pregnancy and baby loss, including miscarriage, stillbirth, and abortion. Self-care is essential, so you can sustain yourself and be able to raise awareness in a way that’s right for you.

Grief affects every person differently and can change over time, even during Baby Loss Awareness Week itself. It can be extremely hard for any bereaved person to speak out on the issues that matter to them, if they do not have the time and tools to care for themselves first.

Strong emotions after loss are common and completely normal, and we understand that these emotions may become a barrier to practicing self-care. We offer a safe space through our Helpline for anyone who has struggled or is struggling and wants a professional and compassionate ear.

And for those who want to be an ally to people affected by pregnancy and baby loss, we will help you share with care this Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Baby Loss Awareness Week ends with the global ‘Wave of Light’ on 15 October. Everyone is invited, wherever they are in the world, to light a candle at 7pm local time as a special mark of support and remembrance.

To anyone navigating this journey, whether recently bereaved or longer ago, we hope we can offer reassurance that there is a community that understands and is here for you, whatever you need – be it guidance, shared stories or simply a listening ear to help and offer comfort.

If you have been affected by any form of pregnancy loss, including loss through abortion, we’re here for you. Click here to contact our helpline.

The post Baby Loss Awareness Week – Together We Care appeared first on Life.

Allyson Felix, the most decorated female track and field Olympian ever, was instrumental in setting up the nursery, to provide a quiet environment and support for athletes who are parenting young children. The nursery featured a private breastfeeding area and its existence showed a great respect for parenthood, boldly stating to the onlooking world: parenthood is no barrier to success. 

“He made me who I am today” 

Joe Clarke, Olympic Slalom Canoeist, credits his young son after winning a silver medal 

Olympic fencer Nada Hafez announced on her social media during the games that there was in fact an extra person on the platform with her, as she was competing while seven months pregnant! Every pregnancy is different, but for Nada it was safe and possible to do this and so she didn’t have to put her dreams on hold while carrying a child. 

Amber Rutter, sharp-shooting women’s skeet silver-medallist came to the games without her three-month baby Tommy, as she felt that she needed to focus on her sport and it would be hard to be in mum-mode as well as battling it out in the greatest sporting games on the planet. Her husband James respected her need to throw herself into her mission, and to her surprise and joy, he also understood her need to be close to her young son in this special moment in her life. He followed her to Paris, waited secretly in the wings so Amber could focus on the games, before reuniting mother and baby as soon as she’d won silver! 

Everyone experiences pregnancy and parenthood differently. For the incredible stories arising from Olympians, there is always a foundation of the loving support of spouses, coaches, family and friends as well as an understanding of the importance of parenting and work/life balance even at the top echelons of sport. 

Not every woman is fortunate enough to have the support around her to make pregnancy, birth and parenthood or adoption as easy and joyful as it can be. Life Charity are here to change that. 

Offering the support a woman needs, right from wondering whether she is pregnant, through free counselling, practical support and even housing, we want to be here to every step of the journey into motherhood. 

If you or someone you know is pregnant in unexpected or crisis circumstances, contact our free national helpline here. We’re here for you before, during and after pregnancy or pregnancy loss. Whoever you are and whatever your circumstance, Life will walk with you on your journey. 

 Photo: Amber Rutter, Olympic silver medallist in Women’s Skeet Shooting, BBC News. 

If you are interested in supporting Life’s work, see how you can get involved here.

The post “He made me who I am today”: What Olympians say about parenting appeared first on Life.

What might trigger depression in expectant and new fathers?

The inevitable realisation that change is going to come can be scary for expectant and new dads. The responsibility is one thing, from both a financial perspective and a personal point of view. This new life will depend on them, yet their career demands may continue too. It is likely that the romantic relationship with their partner will change dynamic due to new priorities and heightened hormones. Meanwhile once baby has arrived, adjusting to parenthood can be a shock to the system. It is important to remember everybody handles life changes and stress in different ways.

It is estimated that on average 1 in 10 dads-to-be and new dads experience depression during and after their partner’s pregnancy.¹

What behaviour should I look out for?

Whether you are the partner, or a friend, family member or colleague of an expectant or new father there are symptoms of mental health problems to look out for. A shift in behaviour may be noticed during pregnancy or after, differing from the personality you know. Look out for distant, quiet behaviour, a switch in mood such as sadness or anger, an apparent change in appetite or a reluctance to socialise.

It is only natural that waves of emotion can affect expectant or new fathers but if the behaviour continues for an extended period (weeks or months) it may signal signs of depression, and they likely don’t even know it.

How can I support them?

Communication can make such a difference. Ask them how they feel. Offer your support that you are here for them. Should they speak out, they may feel like a weight has been lifted off their shoulders. If you get an indication that talking to someone professionally such as a counsellor or GP would suit them better then there is no harm in suggesting this. If they are your partner, you could even suggest couple counselling to help move forward positively for your new or expected arrival. Local self-help groups for men are also on the rise in communities, which are great for expectant/new fathers to empathise with and compare pregnancy journeys.

Official Support:

• The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) hosts local support meet-ups, which can be found here.
• MIND
• PANDAS Foundation
• The NHS can also recommend further groups to support partners and families

Expectant and new fathers can also contact the Pregnancy Matters helpline here.

References

Disclaimer

Through this blog you are able to link to other websites which are not under the control of Life 2009 Ltd. We have no control over the nature, content and availability of those sites. The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views or products expressed within them Any commercial benefit is incidental.

The post Supporting expectant and new fathers appeared first on Life.

“The Life house had helped me in so many ways- how to become a better parent, how to become more grateful for the things we have.

The activities they provide are so good for the children’s development.

I suffer with anxiety and the Life house had made me feel so much more comfortable & confident.

It’s a brilliant idea to have all young mums in a house together because we were able to seek advice from people that were possibly in the same situation as us.

I now live in my own place and I honestly love it!

I’m so glad the Life house helped me become as stable as I am. I’m now very good with money due to the help with budgeting! I’m soon going to the signing up with Open Uni.

The Life house makes you believe you can achieve anything and not to down play your dreams.

The Life house makes you believe you can achieve anything and not to down play your dreams.
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Even though now I’ve moved out the support workers are still only a phone call away if I was needing support with anything – they offer support even after you leave which is amazing.”

Our Impact – Life houses

Last month we supported 250 mothers and babies in our Life houses across the country.

With a network of supported housing, we can provide clients with the practical and emotional support they might need until they’re ready to move on.

Our housing provides a home-from-home environment with other people in similar circumstances. A Support Worker works with each client to put together an individual support plan covering areas like budgeting, parenting, health & well-being, work & training and staying safe.

If you would like to enquire about available space or make a referral then please fill out the form here.

Pregnant & nowhere to live?

The post Life helped me in so many ways appeared first on Life.

online?

Pregnancy Matters online is a professional service run by Life to provide emotional and practical support to women, men and families facing difficult pregnancies. It can be accessed by phone, email or text. This service provides support for a range of pregnancy-related issues including:

• crisis pregnancy
• infertility
• abortion
• miscarriage
• stillbirth

All staff and volunteers adhere to the guidelines of the British Association for Counsellors and Psychotherapists (BACP). In addition, the service is accredited by the Helplines Partnership to ensure professional quality of provision. In May it supported 355 new clients.

How does it help?

For women, men and families facing pregnancy-related difficulties, it can be a very isolating time. Pregnancy Matters online is there to listen to clients and explore how they are. Our BACP trained counsellors and skilled listeners take the time to understand the unique situation each client is in. They offer a safe space for clients to explore their feelings and circumstances. By doing this, they help clients sort through what is going on for them. Every month, this service supports hundreds of clients. And for many, our team are the only people they can speak freely with. For more on this, see our impact page.

“[It] really helped me to get a focus…thank you”

“Thank you so much for the support”

Tell us about the conference

This year, Pregnancy Matters staff and volunteers focused their professional development on training around pregnancy loss and post-abortion support. With an estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage and over 200,000 abortions in England and Wales in 2018, the need for support for this client group is growing. Moreover, a previous miscarriage or abortion can impact a client’s approach to a future pregnancy.  And so training on this subject is vitally important.

What the team had to say about it

Clare, one of the most recent members of the team, attended the conference for the first time this year. Here’s what she thought:

It was really great to meet everybody. It was so helpful to understand more about what clients are going through. I am really impressed with the professionalism of the service. It is so important that we are offering quality care to people at such a critical time. It’s a privilege to be able to volunteer with Pregnancy Matters online.

Margaret, a volunteer with the service for many years, specialises in post-abortion counselling. She shared with us:

It was a great experience. I think these meetings give us the strength to carry out the work of Pregnancy Matters. The guidance, care and organisation make it such a special few days.

Jane, another stalwart of the service reflected:

It was useful and motivating to get up to date with new developments and to benefit from all of my colleagues with their undoubted experience and expertise.

Do you know someone who needs support?

If you ever know someone who could benefit from these services, please do put them in touch with us. Or perhaps you need some support? Whatever it is, we’re just a click, text or call away. You can read our Pregnancy Matters terms of service here. Simply visit pregnancymatters.org.uk and click on one of the buttons to access our support – we’re here for you.

The post Pregnancy Matters™ online host successful annual conference appeared first on Life.