Miscarriage still misunderstood, says Midlands baby loss charity
Founder of Lily Mae Foundation says families often rely on charities for support after pregnancy loss
A Midlands baby loss charity says miscarriage and pregnancy loss are still widely misunderstood, as new research highlights gaps in support for women after losing a baby.
Ryan Jackson, founder and managing director of the Lily Mae Foundation — based near Solihull — says although awareness has improved over the years, there is still a long way to go in how baby loss is recognised and supported.
The charity was set up by Ryan and his wife Amy after the stillbirth of their daughter Lily May in 2010.
“So my wife and I set the charity up following the loss of our daughter Lily May,” he said. “We gained UK charitable status in 2012, so we’ve been a registered charity now for just over 14 years.”
The Lily Mae Foundation supports families who experience stillbirth, neonatal death, miscarriage or medical termination, providing specialist support across the Midlands.
Ryan says while there have been some improvements in care since his own experience, support from hospitals is often limited.
“I do feel that there have been slight improvements in care from when we lost Lily back in 2010,” he said. “But the support that parents receive in hospital is obviously limited and also time-limited as well.”
He says once families leave hospital, many are left to rely on charities for continued support.
“Parents get to a point where they have to continue with their life journey and then become more reliant upon charities such as ourselves to access specialised support following the loss of a baby,” he said.
Ryan believes one of the most valuable aspects of charity support is that it often comes from people who have experienced baby loss themselves.
“A lot of the support we offer is delivered by bereaved parents for bereaved parents,” he said. “So people know they’re speaking to someone who has lived experience and understands what they’re going through.”
The charity now supports thousands of families every year through a range of services including one-to-one support, online resources and memory boxes given to hospitals across the Midlands.
He says pregnancy loss can be devastating for families regardless of when it happens.
“Once you see a positive pregnancy test your whole life changes,” he said. “You have hopes and dreams for that pregnancy, so whether that loss happens at six weeks or much later, it’s still the loss of a much-wanted baby.”
The comments come as research by the Miscarriage Association found nearly two-thirds of women felt they did not receive adequate follow-up care after a miscarriage.
Ryan says despite growing awareness, baby loss can still feel like a taboo subject.
“Baby loss is still something people shy away from talking about,” he said. “I do think it has got better because people are now more willing to talk about their own losses, but there is still an awful long way to go.”
He also welcomed moves to treat miscarriage as bereavement, but said meaningful change depends on how policies are implemented.
“In my personal opinion it’s something that should have happened a long time ago,” he said. “It’s positive that it’s been put in place now, but only time will tell whether it will be properly followed through.”
Ryan says continuing to talk openly about pregnancy loss is key to improving support for families.
“Only by raising awareness and having these conversations can the taboo around baby loss be broken,” he said. “We want people to have a clear understanding of just how devastating it is for bereaved parents.”