Mother funds special pram for bereaved parents

Parents who suffer the heartbreaking loss of their baby at birth will soon have the option to take them outside the hospital in a special privacy pram.

A woman whose daughter was stillborn is funding a privacy pram for Jersey's Maternity Unit, saying she would have loved to make those precious memories herself.

Lauren has sourced the pram from the charity 4Louis, in honour of Aoife Rose.

“When I found out 4Louis made prams that parents who have been through a loss can use, I knew it was something I wanted to get more information about.

"I always remember when we had our daughter, Aoife, and leaving the room for simple tasks, such as a walk for fresh air or to get a coffee, felt incredibly hard.

“But knowing families can choose to use the pram if they want to for these precious memories, is something I would have loved to have had and so is something I feel passionately about.

"It’s giving parents the choice and memories to cherish in those incredibly hard moments.

"Jersey Maternity, Philip’s Footprints and Karina, the HCJ counsellor, provided me and my husband with the most unbelievable support after giving birth to Aoife and I will forever be thankful to them all.

"So if by providing the pram for Jersey Maternity, can help families in the future going through a heart-breaking loss, then that’s the least I can do in honour of our daughter, Aoife Rose."

Health and Care Jersey supported around 170 families last year who suffered baby loss, including miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancies, terminations and stillbirth.

Midwife Ellie Bowling told Channel 103:

"Families, when they go through a pregnancy loss or a child loss, are also grieving the life that child could have had, and the memories that they would want to have with those child, and one of those could be taking the baby in their pram for their first walk.  It could be bathing their baby.  We are giving families the opportunity to be able to do that with their baby."

Today (15 October) a Wave of Light for Baby Loss Awareness Week will see the hospital entrance illuminated and the windows of the maternity unit glowing pink and blue, just as candles are being lit worldwide at 7pm in memory of babies gone too soon.

Ellie said:

"A lot of people - it might be within their generation or their culture or within their family unit - may not feel able to speak up about their experiences and then wanting to find support.

"Baby Loss Awareness Week is more about seeing that you're not alone, other people are going through the same things, and the support is there and available.

"It encourages people to tell their stories and remember their babies."