This week saw the commemoration of Baby Loss Awareness Week (9th October – 15th October) with many events in Parliament.

As part of the week, Sharon attended the Baby Loss APPG reception where MPs heard many accounts from families affected by baby loss, including Emma who gave a heartfelt account of losing her baby, Oscar, which nobody will forget. This was as well as attending the General Debate on Baby Loss and the remembrance service in the Chapel of St Mary of Undercroft.

Many families will be affected by the loss of a baby and it is important that bereavement support is on offer to families to cope with such a loss at whatever stage it occurs from very early pregnancy through perinatal to neonatal and beyond; this was the theme of this year’s awareness week.

The week provides people with the chance to raise awareness of issues around pregnancy and baby loss in the UK and is a collaboration between more than 40 charities.

Following the week’s events, Sharon said:

“As someone who has experienced the loss of a baby, this is an issue very close to my heart and it is important for MPs to work together to raise awareness of such issues, especially ones which can prove difficult to talk about to show that people are not alone in coping with the sad loss of a baby.  I was proud to once again show my support and I thank everyone who made it such a special and memorable week.”

To find out more about Baby Loss Awareness Week, you can visit the Baby Loss Awareness Week website here: https://babyloss-awareness.org/

There will also be a global wave of light at 7pm on the 15th October (which coincides with International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day), where people will share a photo of a lit candle on social media and take a moment to remember. You can read more about this by following this link: https://babyloss-awareness.org/get-involved/#wave-light