The Specialist Bereavement Midwife provides sensitive holistic care to parents and their families following the death of a baby either during pregnancy or soon after birth.

On-going support is provided for all parents following discharge home and the Midwife will liaise with the obstetric team to ensure that any results following the death of a baby are sensitiviely communicated. Parents are also given the opportunity to ask questions and discuss implications for future pregnancies.

We as a team, supported by local charities including Sands, SiMBA and Abigails footsteps, ensure parents are able to make memories that last a lifetime.

Sharon Hurst

Lead Bereavement Midwife

Grief Recovery Specialist

Sharon.hurst@nhs.net

Continuity of Care

We at Darent Valley Hospital have also developed a care pathway for women who are subsequently pregnant following the death of a baby.

The ‘Blossom’ care pathway provides continuity of carer and some, often much needed, additional emotional support for women and families.

Grief Recovery Programme

We are now offering ‘The Grief Recovery Programme’ to all our bereaved families.

This is an eight-week rolling programme held once a week for 2 hours. The goal of the programme is to ‘help them complete their relationship to the pain, isolation and loneliness caused by significant emotional loss’.

The benefits two-fold, providing them with the tools to recover from loss and to meet with others who have had a similar experience.

bereavement picture 2.image content embed.jpg.pngSands | Stillbirth and neonatal death charity

bereavement picture 3.image content embed.jpg.pngHome | SiMBA Charity, Simpsons Memory Box Appeal

bereavement picture 4.image content embed.jpg.pngHome - Abigail's (abigailsfootsteps.co.uk)

bereavement picture 5.image content embed.jpgAching Arms – the charity bringing comfort after baby loss

bereavement picture 6.image content embed.jpg.pngNational Bereavement Care Pathway | National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) (nbcpathway.org.uk)