Baby Loss Awareness Week And 9 of the Ground-Breaking Charities Behind It.

• In the UK, it is estimated that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss during pregnancy or birth.
  
• Every day there are 515 miscarriages, 144 babies are born preterm and 8 babies are still born.
  
• 100,000 babies are born every year that need neonatal care.

Baby Loss Awareness Week is held annually from 9 to 15 October and is a special opportunity to mark the lives of babies lost in pregnancy, at or soon after birth. It is also the chance for people to talk openly about what is often a taboo subject.

During this week, more than 90 charities and groups called The Baby Loss Awareness Week Alliance work together to raise awareness of key issues that affect people who have lost a baby and to drive change. The week ends with the global Wave of Light on 15th October, where candles are lit across the globe as part of International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

Baby loss touches millions of people and many UK small businesses want to support Baby Loss Awareness Week for personal and heartfelt reasons.

For Baby Loss Awareness Week 2020 the wonderful gift brand Hello Treacle Store in partnership with Origami Blooms, crafted a beautiful Ltd edition paper rose . This was a very special gift for anyone who had lost a baby and money raised from its sales went to the charity Sands.

You can also read the moving and inspiring story behind why small business founder Cat, from the ethical baby brand Pattie & Co choose’s to support Tommy’s here

Support from small businesses helps to ensure that more people are made aware of this very special week whilst also raising funds so bereaved families receive the ongoing help they need.

At times of loss it can be difficult to know where to seek support. 9 of the charities that are part of the Baby Loss Awareness Week Alliance may however be able to help.

Sands leads the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance. The charity exists to reduce the number of babies dying as well as make sure anyone affected by the death of a baby receives proper care. The charity provides bereavement support services both nationally through its Freephone helpline, mobile app, online community as well as work in partnership with health care professionals, trusts and health boards and offers a range of training programmes and bereavement care resources Their aim is to break the taboo and to drive tangible improvements in policy, bereavement care, and support.

Tommys is committed to saving babies’ lives. They fund research into miscarriage, stillbirth and premature birth, and provide pregnancy health information to parents. Through their Pregnancy Hub they support families through every part of the pregnancy journey. Their charity’s mission is to make the UK the safest place to give birth, halving the number of babies who die in pregnancy and birth by 2030. They are doing this by funding medical research and empowering mums and dads with cutting-edge pregnancy information.

Bliss supports the 100,000 babies born needing neonatal care every year. Their work ensures that all babies born premature or sick in the UK have the best chance of survival and quality of life. They also support families, work with health professionals, campaign for change to improve policy and practice, and enable life-changing research.

The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust believes that the deaths and trauma associated with ectopic pregnancy should be prevented. The charity provides information, education and support to those whose lives are affected by ectopic pregnancy. They also work with the health professionals who care for them. The charity works to relieve the distress associated with the experience and provides ongoing support through their treatment and beyond.

Kicks Count aims to reduce the UK's high stillbirth and neonatal death rate by raising awareness of baby movements. By encouraging mums to report any change in movement immediately it is estimated that a third of stillbirths could be prevented. The charity also provides free resources to midwives through a free mobile app that helps women to keep track of their baby’s movements and identify a change in pattern.

Kit Tarka Foundation strives to eliminate preventable neonatal deaths in the UK, primarily through raising awareness of neonatal herpes. Established in 2018 by Sarah and James de Malplaquet after their son Kit Tarka died at just 13 days old from neonatal herpes, the charity funds research and provides advice for healthcare professionals and the general public.

The Mariposa Trust (more widely known by the name of its primary division 'Saying Goodbye') supports anyone who has been affected by the loss of a child at any stage of pregnancy, at birth or in infancy. This is provided via a support service and by putting on remembrance services both online and in Abbeys and churches. The charity also provides a range of free resources to the NHS. Additionally the trust works with Government, MP’s, Peers and medical professionals to improve the care and support of people pre, during and post baby loss.

Rainbow Trust Children's Charity supports families who have a child with a life-threatening illness, this includes neonatal support. The charity pairs each family with an expert family support worker who gives them practical and emotional support, whenever they need it, for as long as is needed. They have six care teams of family support workers in nine locations across the UK providing support for families at home, at hospital and in the community.

Together for Short Lives helps seriously ill children and their families so they can make the most of every moment they have together,whether that’s for years, months or only hours. They also support the professionals who are there for babies, children and young people with life-limiting conditions offering resources and tools to support their work. The charity also campaigns for policy change, so every child and family can get the right care and support.

Small businesses can fundraise for any of these charities through their business sales. Find out how simple it is to make a difference on the Work for Good ‘How It Works Page’.