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National Baby Loss Organisations

Aching Arms

Aching Arms is a national charity that donates its comfort bears to hospitals and hospices for midwives and nurses to offer to bereaved parents in their care. Along with the bears, it also offers a support service to parents after their baby loss, whether it was during pregnancy, at birth or soon after. As well as giving out bears via their health professional partners, they donate bears to other organisations who support families after baby loss at any stage of pregnancy. They currently work with 194 hospitals in the UK, as well as an increasing number of hospices, support groups and funeral directors. They also send bears to families who contact them directly to request one.

Child Bereavement UK

Child Bereavement UK helps children, parents and families to rebuild their lives when a child grieves or when a child dies. We support children and young people up to the age of 25 who are facing bereavement, and anyone affected by the death of a child of any age.

We provide training to professionals in health and social care, education, and the voluntary and corporate sectors, equipping them to provide the best possible care to bereaved families.

Child Death Helpline

The helpline offer support to anyone affected by the death of a child of any age, from pre-birth to adult, under any circumstances, whether recently or long ago. 

The Helpline is staffed by volunteers. They are all bereaved parents who are trained and supported by professional staff. It is an opportunity to talk in confidence to someone who has also experienced the death of a child. 

We also provide support to professionals who have been impacted by the death of a child and can provide details of services in local areas.

Opening times:

  • Monday to Friday 10am to 1pm
  • Monday to Sunday 7pm to 10pm

Contact details:

Life After Loss

Based in Northern Ireland, Life After Loss is there to help anyone affected by the loss of a baby, particularly via their online support forum. Support and information to those who have been through the death of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, or early in life, for any reason.

The Lily Mae Foundation

Supports parents and families who have lost a baby to stillbirth or to neonatal death, and raises awareness of the devastating impact of stillbirth and neonatal death.

The Lullaby Trust

The Lullaby Trust offer a safe and confidential listening helpline to bereaved adult relatives of a baby or young child who has died suddenly and unexpectedly, this may be for any reason such as SIDS, accident, illness. 

They also offer peer to peer support from a trained Befriender; a family member who has experienced a similar sudden death of their baby or child in the past. Support from a Befriender can be given over the phone or by email.

Lullaby Trust Befrienders also answer calls to their Freephone support line during Weekends and Bank Holidays between 6pm to 10pm where they are ready to listen.  

The Mariposa Trust

The Mariposa Trust works to support anyone who has suffered the loss of a baby, at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or in infancy, whether the loss be recent or historic. The charity provides a range of support options, such as befriending and information, as well as global services of remembrance called the ‘Saying Goodbye’ services.

Sands, the stillbirth and neonatal death charity

Sands supports anyone affected by the death of a baby; works in partnership with health professionals to improve the quality of care and services offered to bereaved families; and promotes and funds research and changes in practice that could help to reduce the loss of babies’ lives.

Petals

Petals is the Baby Loss Counselling Charity. They provide free-of-charge specialist counselling to support the mental health of women, men and couples who experience the devastation of pregnancy or baby loss.  Their trained counsellors provide a safe space to guide bereaved parents through the grief and trauma of their devastating experiences to a place of reconciliation and hope for the future.  You can find out more about accessing Petals counselling on their website. 

Scottish Cot Death Trust

Bereavement support is available to any family affected by the sudden, unexpected death of a baby or young child.  They support research to advance understanding of sudden infant death and inform awareness raising messages.  They also provide training on ways to reduce the risks of sudden infant death and how to improve care for bereaved families.

Tommy’s

Tommy’s is the UK’s largest charity funding research into the causes of miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth. They also provide information for parents-to-be to help them have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Twins Trust

UK-wide charity dedicated to improving the lives of thousands of families with twins, triplets or higher multiples. Offers a Bereavement Support Group for parents who have lost a child.

Winston’s Wish

Support for bereaved children and young people