Baby Loss Awareness Week is a held annually from the 9^th-15^th October. It is a collaboration, led by Sands , of 60 UK-based charities all with the hope of uniting bereaved parents and families and raising awareness about baby loss. This something incredibly close to my heart and I furiously campaign and fill my social media sites with retweets and statistics during this week. I feel as though I have an obligation as a bereaved mother to get the word out there and get people talking about baby loss and the effects it has had on myself and my family and friends.

For nearly 6 years now I have made the same point to anyone who strikes up a conversation about it, we desperately need to give expectant mums and families more information about baby loss, particularly stillbirth. When I was pregnant not one health care professional, family member or even stranger spoke to me about stillbirth. Miscarriage was mentioned once. From what I can remember the only thing that people were interested in is if I was going to breast feed or not. When I think of this now it makes me scream inside. Lets get the baby here safely first before we start talking about what I am going to feed it. I had a perfectly healthy pregnancy. Very little morning sickness, no problems other than a bit of a sore back and perfect blood pressure throughout. So when my son Isaac was stillborn I just couldn’t understand what could have happened. No one warned me. No one prepared me. No one said anything. Now I am not naive, I know how things work and how I should have just known that there was a slim chance not everything would be OK. But do you know the chance is not that slim? Every day 15 babies die before, during or soon after birth. 15 babies. Do you not think that this is something we should be told?

I am going to give you a bit of information about what we can do to help and take part in Baby Loss Awareness Week. I have taken this information from Sands as they do an amazing job…

• View the sands animation about pregnancy and baby loss and share it with everyone you know – the animation will be launched on 9th October.
• Snap a selfie or a photo wearing your pin badge (on sale from 3 September) and share it on social media – remember to add #BLAW2018 and tag sands in the photo.
• Use the specially designed Baby Loss Awareness Week images on your website, blog, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or work intranet.
• Sign up to the Twibbon and show your support on your Twitter, Facebook or Instagram profile.
• Add a Snapchat geo filter if you’re attending a Remembrance Event.
• Join the global Wave Of Light at 7pm local time on 15 October. Simply light a candle and leave it burning for at least 1 hour to join us in remembering all babies who have died too soon. Post a photo of your candle to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #WaveOfLight
• Contact your local media about a Ribbon Event or a local building that you have helped turn pink and blue!

Please please help me to spread the word for this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week. Your support means so much! Feel free to ask me any questions. I love talking about my son.

For further information check out the babyloss awareness website.

Thanks for reading.

Kim