NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde maternity services welcomes the introduction of the Baby Loss Memorial Book that is being produced jointly by the Scottish Government and National Records of Scotland. The memorial book is for anyone who has experienced pregnancy or baby loss prior to 24 weeks.
Open now, the memorial book will give parents an opportunity – if they wish – to commemorate their loss with a physical record. It was developed after listening to people who have experienced a pregnancy or baby loss prior to 24 weeks of pregnancy and is a free and entirely optional service.
This will offer the opportunity to provide recognition and may offer comfort to those who wish to have a record of their loss. There is no legal requirement for anyone to record their loss. It is entirely their own personal choice, and they might want some time to think about it. The pre-24-week loss does not have to have been recent and can have happened weeks, months or many years ago. Parents can apply to record more than one loss, including the loss of one or more twins, triplets or more. Each loss will require an individual application.
Dr Mary Ross-Davie, Director of Midwifery at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde chaired the development group for the book alongside Alan Cameron, retired Consultant Obstetrician. Mary explained the significance of this move.
“Supporting mothers and their partners in bereavement is incredibly important and is something that we’re developing further across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, this includes introducing Bereavement Midwives and services to enable parents to process their loss. We welcome the introduction of this memorial book for babies born under 24 weeks from the Scottish Government and National Records of Scotland as it also presents parents with the option to create a record which can be an important and comforting step for some,” she said.
Mothers and families that experience a pregnancy loss before 24weeks of pregnancy are welcome to discuss this option with their midwife or visit Baby loss memorial book – gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for further information.
Monday 9th October 2023 to Sunday 15th October 2023 is Baby Loss Awareness Week. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde understands that this can be an emotional week for many. Anyone looking to seek support on issues relating to their baby loss can seek further information at the following sites:
- https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk
- https://www.arc-uk.org
- https://www.sands.org.uk
- https://ectopic.org.uk
- https://www.childbereavementuk.org
- https://babylossretreat.org.uk
- https://scottishcotdeathtrust.org
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