Tidworth mum calls for more mental health support for parents suffering the loss of a baby
Wiltshire mum, Hollie Davis, sadly lost her baby to SIDS
A mum from Tidworth has launched a Government petition for expecting parents to get more support after the death of a baby.
Hollie Davis says more funding is needed for those who have suffered the loss of a baby so they are supported throughout pregnancy and the birth of their next child.
Hollie lost her little boy Kitt to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome when he was 20 weeks old.
"I gave birth to my son Kitt in April last year, born really healthy, put on loads of weight, no medical problems at all, I put him to bed one evening and I woke up and he had died in his sleep.
"Quite quickly after I feel pregnant with my second child and I experienced a lot of anxiety throughout that pregnancy.
"That then sort of lead to me to look at what extra support I could get because I was filled with fear from the very beginning, every tummy ache, every headache, every time I didn’t feel her kick regularly, you were just thrown straight back in to the oh my gosh something is wrong."
Hollie saw that support was available through local charities but not the NHS. She thinks parents should be given functional equipment to monitor the baby over the first 6 months, and that should be available nationally, regardless of location.
That would help parents with their mental health through what is often a very difficult time as Hollie feels there is a lack of consistent support services available nationwide.
It shouldn’t matter about a parent’s postcode when trying to access vital bereavement support after baby loss. Providing a service nationwide would allow all parents to feel more emotionally supported with the birth of their next infant.
Hollie says it could be delivered through more training for community midwives.
"If somebody was to turn around to you and say that their grandparents had died, you would cringe a little bit still because it’s death but people really don’t know how to approach child loss or baby loss and I think the more we can get it out there to not scare people but to let people know that these things do happen the more willing people will be to talk about it and provide support."
You can read more about the petition here.
Support after the death of a baby
The Lullaby Trust offer bereavement support for parents affected by the sudden and unexpected death of a baby or young child.
On their website you can find links to a helpline and online chat, there is also a closed Facebook group with other parents who have experienced similar.
For those living in Wiltshire and are expecting a child after the loss of a baby, The Lullaby Trust have The Care of Next Infant (CONI) programme.
They work with local healthcare providers to facilitate a service for bereaved parents.
Regular home visits, training on basic life support and borrow movement monitors are just some of what the group give.
Find out more on their website.