Baby Loss Awareness Week is an event held annually in remembrance of all babies lost through pregnancy or soon after birth. This includes mothers, partners, other family members and friends.
During this week, more than 90 charities get together to tackle key issues that are common among those who have lost a baby, with the main aim to help them feel less isolated and not alone.
If you have lost a baby, or you have been given the news to expect a loss, we are very sorry. Below we will be outlining services that you can make use of, as well as some things that you can do in remembrance of your little angel baby, especially during the Baby Loss Awareness Week:
Bereavement and Support
Dealing with and coming to terms with the loss of your baby may require as much support as possible. The emotional impact of such a loss may be experienced immediately after, or sometimes after several weeks. Emotional as well as physical symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, insomnia, guilt, shock, sadness and anger. If you are experiencing any of this, you may contact the Practice Midwife (Bereavement & Support), Mater Dei Hospital 25454442 for personal counseling and support.
Miscarriage Peer-to-Peer Support
Miscarriages Malta is a peer to peer support group led by Martina Maria Hili offering support for those experiencing or dealing with miscarriage; support for those trying to conceive after miscarriage or currently pregnant after miscarriage and support for husbands, partners, relatives or friends of persons who have passed through a miscarriage, in order to be informed, educated and find solace.
Pink and Blue Ribbons
This idea can be implemented during this Baby Loss Awareness Week by the grieving relatives of the baby as well as by all those who want to show support to all who have lost a baby.
Since the first inauguration of the Baby Loss Awareness Week back in 2002, pink and blue ribbons have been used as a sign of support to the bereaved. You can buy some pink and blue ribbons and display as a sign of support or in remembrance of lost angel babies. You may also print out ribbon templates from https://babyloss-awareness.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/BLAW-Ribbon-Template.pdf.
Wave of Light
Baby Loss Awareness Week reaches its climax on the 15th of October, where a globally recognised ‘Wave of Light‘ event takes place. Families across the globe are encouraged to light a candle at 7pm local time, leaving it burning for at least an hour, in remembrance of all angel babies.
This year a virtual Wave of Light is also taking place, where you can take a photo of your candle and post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram along with the hashtag #WaveOfLight at 7pm local time.
Share Your Story
Every story is important. Sharing your story helps with your emotional healing as well as others who may be going through the same experience as you. If you have experienced baby loss in any way, as a bereaved parent, grandparent, sibling, healthcare professional or as a friend, you can share your story with our wham followers by sending your experience to [email protected].
Reference
SANDS. (2020). Baby Loss Awareness Week. Accessed on 8th October 2020 at https://babyloss-awareness.org/
You can read further about what happens during a miscarriage as well as about how it is handled here in Malta here.
Claire Galea is a mum of three currently reading for a Degree in Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta, as a mature student. She is keen about holistic patient-centered care as well as public education about health-related subjects, which she frequently writes about on Wham as a Content Writer and Website Editor.
Claire is also passionate about spreading awareness on the negative effects that domestic abuse leaves on its victims’ mental, emotional, social and physical wellbeing. She is the author of two downloadable ebooks, namely Heal Your Life Forever and 5 Simple Steps To Creating The Life Of Your Dreams.
Click here to check out Claire’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
