Sherwood Forest Hospitals will be offering support to bereaved families to help cope with baby death during Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Each year between 9-15 October, Baby Loss Awareness Week commemorates the all too brief lives of babies lost and gives bereaved parents, families, friends and those involved in their care a crucial opportunity to talk openly about the subject of losing a baby.

Melanie Butcher, Midwife at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We hope that by acknowledging Baby Loss Awareness Week we can help families feel less isolated by loss and raise awareness of the additional services that we as an organisation provide.”

Information stands will be situated in the King’s Treatment Centre at King’s Mill Hospital on 14 and 15 October from 9.30am to 4.30pm. Whether families have been affected by the devastation of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, babies being born asleep or babies who have lived for only hours, days or weeks, health professionals will be on hand to signpost them to charities that can provide additional support.

Tea lights will be also be given out to visitors so they can take part in the global ‘Wave of Light’, which is recognised as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day across the world. Starting at 7pm on the 15th, these candles can be lit privately or with friends. If left burning for one hour, there will be a continuous wave of light across the whole world.

Melanie added: “Providing help and understanding to bereaved parents, their families and their friends is extremely important to us.

“We are currently fundraising to enhance our bereavement suite in the maternity unit at King’s Mill Hospital and have had a fantastic response so far. Providing an appropriate environment is a key element in the bereavement process and we hope the suite provides some solace in difficult times.”