The National Maternity Hospital will light up in pink and blue on the 15th of October as part of the Global Wave of Light to mark Baby Loss Awareness Week in remembrance of all babies who have died during pregnancy or after birth.
Clinical Midwife Specialist in Bereavement at The National Maternity Hospital Brenda Casey said:
“The loss of a baby during pregnancy or after birth is devastating. In Ireland, each year, as many as 14,000 early pregnancies end in loss, with approximately 380 stillbirths and neonatal deaths reported. The National Maternity Hospital’s Bereavement Team provide specialised supportive care based on parents’ unique needs. Providing compassionate individualised care is central to the services that we provide.”
Baby Loss Awareness Week begins on Monday the 9th of October and aims to raise awareness of pregnancy and baby loss. The National Maternity Hospital is proud to have now finished work on a themed mural outside our Chapel of Rest. The NMH, together with Dublin City Council, commissioned the mural by artist Shauna Heron of Blu Heron Design to enhance the area outside the Chapel. The Chapel of Rest is a non-denominational space where parents can choose to have a naming or blessing ceremony before transitioning from the hospital to their chosen place of rest.
Artist Shauna Heron’s work was inspired by an old Irish legend. She says: “The mural depicts the mother goddess Danu, who in legend was said to safely guide fairies or spirits to peace and tranquillity in the land of Tír na Nóg. In the legend, Bile, the god of healing and protection appears as a mighty oak tree, helping direct them, and watching over them thereafter. In the mural I chose to depict the fairies or spirits from mythology as butterflies.’
The NMH hope that this mural will enhance the area and act as a tribute to the lives of all of the babies who have died too soon.
Supports available at The National Maternity Hospital for bereaved parents:
TLC Clinic - A dedicated ‘TLC Pregnancy Clinic’ designed specifically to support women who have attended the recurrent miscarriage clinic in The National Maternity Hospital. Women are invited to contact the bereavement midwives with a positive pregnancy test. Individual clinical needs will be assessed based on recommendations from the recurrent miscarriage clinic. Following a viable scan at 7 weeks, an appointment will be posted for the TLC Clinic where regular scans and review will provide reassurance up until 12 weeks, at which point an antenatal clinic of choice can be explored.
Early Pregnancy Loss Support Group - A monthly, online early pregnancy loss support group for women and their partners who have experienced loss through ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy or first trimester miscarriage at The National Maternity Hospital. It is facilitated by a Midwife Specialist in Bereavement and Loss. Please email bereavement@nmh.ie for more information.
Pregnancy After Loss Support Group - The Pregnancy after Loss Support Group (PAL) is a collaboration between the bereavement and mental health teams in The National Maternity Hospital. Women who are booked to attend The National Maternity Hospital who have previously experienced pregnancy loss are invited to attend. It is facilitated by the Clinical Midwife Specialist in Bereavement and Loss and the Clinical Psychologist. Please email pals@nmh.ie for more information.
Bereavement Clinics - There are four specialised consultant led bereavement clinics providing follow up care for couples who have experienced pregnancy loss through miscarriage and stillbirth. Follow up with a consultant neonatologist is arranged on an individual basis for parents whose baby has died in the neonatal period.
These clinics provide an opportunity for couples to be counselled, in a timely manner, in relation to results of medical investigations carried out following the pregnancy loss. The provision of medical certificates in relation to stillbirth and neonatal death are completed, where relevant, and given to parents at this time so that they can register their baby’s birth/death.
For further information on bereavement services at The National Maternity Hospital, please visit www.nmh.ie/support-services/bereavement
For supports and resources available in Ireland for bereaved parents and their families please visit www.pregnancyandinfantloss.ie