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Home > Counselling > Additional Support

additional support

Petals is a very responsive service, but we do not operate 24 hours. There are some excellent free listening services available to you if you need to talk to someone right now:

Samaritans: Call 116 123

Shout Crisis Text Line: Text ‘Shout’ to 85258

NHS 24: 111

If you are at risk of hurting yourself or someone else, consider seeking support by attending your GP, local A & E or contacting the Emergency Services on 999 [if you urgently need to take action].NHS Urgent Help for Mental Health information can be found here

Additional Support for bereaved parents

We understand that it can be confusing and overwhelming when you are looking for support and resources after you’ve lost a baby. Here are some of the useful resources available for bereaved parents to get you started.

 

    • Petals Together – a private Facebook group for anyone who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss

    • Petals Dads – a private Facebook group for men who have experienced pregnancy and/or baby loss.

    • Petals Grandparents – a private Facebook group specifically designed for anyone who has lost a grandchild following pregnancy or baby loss.

    • Petals PALS – a private Facebook group specifically designed for anyone who is navigating pregnancy after loss. 

    • #BabyLossHour – on Twitter, every Tuesday evening at 8pm UK time. Search for the hashtag and listen or join in with the conversation with other bereaved parents.

    • Instagram – many bereaved parents have accounts on Instagram; more so than on other social media platforms. Begin by searching for #babyloss or the type of loss you’ve experienced e.g. #stillbirth #miscarriage #tfmr #neonatalloss.

      • Brené Brown is a research professor who has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy. She rose to fame after giving a TED talk on The Power of Vulnerability which is now one of the top 5 viewed TED talks in the world, and has since released a series of books.

     

     

    • A more recent talk from her is The Call to Courage, which includes mention of trying for a baby after loss. It can be accessed on Netflix.

    • Dad Still Standing is a podcast for Dads (and families) which shows a bereaved father’s perspective and provides the tools to help them on their journey with grief

    • The Other Mothers is a podcast is hosted by friends Elle, Caro and Jen who speak candidly about their experiences of baby loss and invite guests to share their stories too.

    • Footprints on our Heartshosted by a bereaved mother talking to guests about their personal experiences of baby loss, legacy, and learning to live again.

    • The Parent.Hood is hosted by Marina Fogle who herself experienced baby loss after her son Willem was stillborn. Whilst this podcast covers all areas of parenting, there are several episodes which focus on loss and Marina often speaks openly about her experience.

    • Fertility Life Raft is hosted by Alice Rose who has experienced both loss and infertility. Her podcasts feature interviews with a range of people who have had similar experiences.

    • Grief Cast is an award-winning podcast which features interviews from comedians about their experiences of grief. The aim of the podcast is to break down the taboo around bereavement and grieving.

    • Becoming Us podcast – Four London based women from black and Asian backgrounds explore topics including pregnancy and baby loss, pregnancy after loss and infertility in the context of their communities.

    • The Worst Girl Gang Ever – a refreshingly honest look at all types of pregnancy and baby loss, hosted by two ladies who have experienced it themselves.

    • Time to Talk TFMR – a podcast where all the complexities of TFMR are talked about openly, with different topics covered in each episode.

    • Beyond Grief: Navigating the Journey of Pregnancy and Baby Loss. Pippa Vosper tragically lost her son Axel in 2017, when she was five months pregnant. This is the book she wishes had been available when her son died. It covers every aspect of pregnancy and baby loss at any stage, from the practical to the emotional, with advice from experts and stories from women who have been through it themselves.

    • Life, Almost: Miscarriage, misconceptions and a search for answers from the brink of motherhood.  After losing four pregnancies with no obvious cause, Jennie Agg set out to understand why miscarriage remains such a profoundly misunderstood, under-researched and under-acknowledged experience. Part-memoir, part-scientific investigation, Life, Almost documents Agg’s path to motherhood and her search for answers.

    • Ask Me His Name is Elle Wright’s story of finding hope after the tragic loss of her son Teddy.

    • Grief Works by Julia Samuel (who is a grief psychotherapist and Patron at Child Bereavement UK) contains real stories of loss and survival, and provides psychological insights along the way. It includes a chapter that focusses specifically on child loss.

    • Trauma is Really Strange by Steve Haines gives a short but clear summary of what trauma is, how it affects our minds and bodies, and how it can always be overcome.

    • Coping with Pregnancy Loss by Petra Boynton provides practical advice and self-care strategies to help you cope during or after loss, alongside ideas that will enable you to make sense of what’s happened.

    • Option B was written by Sheryl Sandberg (COO at Facebook) after her husband died suddenly. It focusses on how to build resilience and find joy in the face of adversity.

    • These Precious Little People by Frankie Brunker was written to help bereaved parents explain the loss of a baby to their living children.

    • Meant To Be by Lisa Faulkner may be helpful if you are coming to terms with the knowledge that you may never have a living biological child of your own; and particularly if you are now considering adoption.

    • Where are you Lydie? by Emma Poore is written for 3-7 year olds to help them cope with the loss of a sibling.

    • The Brink of Being: Talking About Miscarriage by Julia Bueno focusses specifically on the experience of miscarriage.

    • The Coat I Wear by Mel Maxwell looks at what grief looks like for a child who has lost a sibling.

    • Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief by David Kessler is an extension of the Kubler Ross five stages of grief, written after the author lost his son.

    • Life After Baby Loss by Nicola Gaskin is a companion guide for all parents and relatives who experience the loss of a baby.

    • Relax with LucyBaby loss mindfulness and relaxation support. Lucy and a team of instructors deliver projects to help support the baby loss community through the development of mindfulness & relaxation resources.  The team have also created the Ellie’s Gift App –  a baby loss support app set up to support families through baby loss and beyond. The app is available to download on Apple & Android.

    • Still Standing Magazine – contains articles and stories from other bereaved parents.

    • Terminations Remembered – for parents who’ve had to make the incredibly difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons (TFMR).

    • #LGBT Baby Loss – stories of love and loss

    • Dope Black Dads – a digital safe space for fathers who wish to discuss their experiences of being black, a parent and masculinity in the modern world (including pregnancy and baby loss).

    • Dope Black Mums – a digital safe space for black women to navigate motherhood together (including pregnancy and baby loss).

    • The Motherhood Group – dedicated to share and support the black maternal experience through events, workshops, peer support, projects and advocacy. They also founded Black Maternal Mental Health Week. 

    • Willow’s Rainbow Box#SouthAsianBabyLoss – a mini series of blogs and stories from people who identify with South Asian communities.

    • The Legacy of Leo#LBGT baby loss – a blog series that shares experiences of early miscarriage, recurrent loss, stillbirth, neonatal death, prematurity, preeclampsia, and twin loss from within the LBGT community.

       

    • Muslim Bereavement Support Services – a charity serving the Muslim community, supporting bereaved women who have lost a loved one.

    • Children of Jannah – offer a range of support services to any Muslim that has experienced pregnancy or baby loss.

    • Jewish Bereavement Counselling Service – their counsellors specialize in the specific issues raised by bereavement within a Jewish context.

    • Chana – a fertility support organization for the Jewish community, focusing specifically on all stages of fertility including pregnancy and baby loss.

    • Sikh Your Mind – mental health resources for the Sikh community.

    • Catholic Miscarriage Support – offers faith-based support for Catholics who experience miscarriage or stillbirth.

    DISENFRANCHISED GRIEF: Grieveing is hard enough, but it is even harder when your grief is largely ignored by society.

    LOSING A CHILD: After their son Josh died suddenly, psychotherapist Jane Harris and filmmaker Jimmy Edmonds discovered creative ways to rebuild their lives and support other bereaved families.

    We will keep adding to this page over time so please do check back regularly for more recommendations from the Petals team.

    For friends and relatives of bereaved parents:

    We know it can be difficult to know what to say or do when someone close to you loses a baby. Please click the button for some information and tips.

    Advice on looking after siblings (children and adults) after pregnancy and baby loss