The Maternity Bereavement Service at North Middlesex University Hospital (NMUH) is available to support parents following the loss of a baby during pregnancy and up to 28 days following birth (neonatal death).
The following options are available:
Snowdrop Bereavement Service
Women who delivered their baby at NMUH at or above 18 weeks' gestation are automatically referred to the Snowdrop Bereavement Service, which offers dedicated support via named Bereavement Lead Midwives and an additional option for professional counselling services via Maple or charitable partners.
See the resources section for additional ongoing support links and information for families who have experienced loss.
These women are also eligible for referral to the inhouse Pregnancy after loss antenatal caseload clinic (Bluebell) in their subsequent pregnancy (if they wish).
Referrals for the Bluebell Clinic should be made FAO: Wiktoria Ciekanska and Ellie Coulter by completing the referral from attached and sending it to northmid.bereavementmidwives@nhs.net
Bereavement support services
The NMUH bereavement team organise a stand for Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW) every year between 9-15 October, where we aim to raise awareness. They also participate in the Wave of Light at 7pm on 15 October.
Everyone is welcome and if families are interested to participate during this time or would like to visit the stand, they should email to confirm which dates these events will run on closer to the time.
At present, the monthly Bluebell Bereavement Support Service coffee mornings at NMUH are not running. The bereavement team will be looking into starting this in the future.
Recurrent miscarriage
Women with a history of recurrent miscarriage can be referred to the general gynaecology outpatient clinics for further investigations and assessment. Referrals should clearly highlight the referral is for investigation of recurrent miscarriage. If a patient delivered at NMUH, these investigations will be arranged internally. Alternatively, these patients can be referred directly to the Tommy's Miscarriage Clinics via Choose and Book/NHS e-referrals.
Bluebell Bereavement Support Service
Any woman, or her family members, resident in Haringey or Enfield and suffering the loss of a baby or young child, may attend the monthly Bluebell Bereavement Support Service coffee mornings run at NMUH.
This is a drop in peer-to-peer support group permitting parents to meet others affected by the loss of a child and to take part in memory-making activities should they so wish. Multi-lingual support can be provided but advance notice is required for this. Otherwise there is no formal referral process, and families should be directed to either the group's Facebook or Twitter accounts (where dates are displayed) or asked to email the Bereavement Midwife.
