Death of a baby or child.
https://childbereavementuk.org/for-families/
Baby death, miscarriage and stillbirth
The agony of losing a child at any age is unparalleled. There is no age or point in time that makes it any easier. No parent ever expects that they will have to deal with the death of their child.
The death of a child goes against the natural order we expect life to follow and the feeling has been compared to a physical amputation. The loss carries with it the loss of the future, the hopes, dreams and potential that can never be fulfilled. The longing for the child and the feeling of emptiness can last a lifetime.
You may suffer feelings of guilt, believing the child was your responsibility, it was your duty to keep him/her safe, that there should have been something you could have done to prevent your child’s death. However irrational, these feelings can be strong and can be replayed over and over again as you try to make sense of what has happened. When a child dies, parents sometimes express guilt that they have survived their child.
More information:
Capturing Memories
if your baby has died before they were born or around the time of birth, when there are so few memories, scan images or photographs are one of the most precious mementos that you can have. Keepsakes such as foot and hand prints, perhaps a lock of hair or a written description of what your baby looked like can capture a memory of your baby’s life, however short, and can give you a focus for your grief.
You might like to make something in memory of your child, or if you don’t feel you can do this, you might like to buy something or ask someone to make something for you.
“This was very, very serious, our lives had suddenly changed forever. Everything we thought we knew, everything we had learnt to that moment was no longer valid and everything needed to be reassessed” – Bob, bereaved father after the death of his son
Support around the UK
Bicycle health. learn to cope with grief in recovery.
an online medication-assisted treatment provider for opioid dependence.
Losing a child is one of the most difficult types of grief to bear. Grief caused by miscarriages, stillbirth and infant loss can all have severe effects on mothers and families.
We recently published an educational guide to help the public understand how to best cope with grief including information on how grief can trigger addiction, tips to cope with grief and some helpful resources.
Please take a look:
cope with grief in recovery
We support families and educate professionals when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying, or when a child is facing bereavement.
National helpline
We provide confidential support, information and guidance to families and professionals throughout the UK. Our professionally trained bereavement support workers are available to take calls 9am – 5pm Monday-Friday. We are a member of the Helplines Partnership.
Download a copy of the Bereavement Support leaflet here.
Our support team can be contacted by phone 0800 02 888 40 and email: support@childbereavementuk.org
Family bereavement support service
We offer a face to face bereavement support service for families where a baby or child has died or where children and young people, up to the age of 25, are bereaved. We are also able to support families who are facing bereavement, where a child of any age is not expected to live, or where children and young people are facing the bereavement of anyone significant in their lives. The service provides a range of responses including:
Booked telephone support
In addition, we can offer a series of booked telephone sessions for parents facing the bereavement of a baby or child of any age, and for parents/carers supporting children or young people, living anywhere in the UK, if someone close to them is not expected to live, or has died.
When a child or young person is bereaved – telephone support for parents/carers
When your baby or child dies – telephone support for parents
Call us on 0800 02 888 40
Support 4 Grenfell Community Hub
Child Bereavement UK, Place2Be, Winston’s Wish and The Art Room are working together with local partners, schools, children’s centres and community groups responding to the needs of those impacted by the fire.
To arrange an appointment, please call 07964 560 175.
For more information please visit www.support4grenfell.com.