Baby Loss Charity Visually Represents The 15 Babies That Die Every Day In The UK | HuffPost Life

'The death of a baby is not something we ‘get over’.'

By

Life editor at HuffPost UK

A charity has created a poignant visual reminder of how many babies die each day in the UK, to raise awareness of the prevalence of baby loss.

Stillbirth and neonatal death charity, Sands, is using a travelling washing line with 15 babygros pegged on it to symbolise the babies who lose their lives in the UK.

The charity launched the #15babiesaday initiative as part of Sands Awareness Month, as they believe that work to reduce the number of baby deaths is progressing “too slowly”.

“Losing a baby is such a tragic and devastating experience that turns your world completely upside down,” Erica Stewart, bereavement support and awareness specialist at Sands, told HuffPost UK.

“The death of a baby is not something we ‘get over’, it’s an experience that we have to learn to live with. It never goes away, the impact is huge.”

Sands

The washing lines will be on display in locations around London on Thursday 15 June.

Stewart continued: “People find it hard to relate to baby death.

“We are working to try and reduce the number through research and prevention, but we need more funds to do this.”

The charity wants to raise awareness of how many babies die before, during, or shortly after birth, so that bereaved parents and families can get the support they need in a way that helps them best.

Rachael Senneck, 42, a paediatric physiotherapist from Bristol, is one of many people who have already pledged their support for the campaign.

Senneck’s son, Gabriel, died in March 2013 when she was 20 weeks pregnant. She is also mum to Ella, 10, Freya, eight, Lily, six, and Zachary, two.

“I had no signs that there were any problems, I had a normal pregnancy,” Senneck told HuffPost UK.

“One Sunday, I had a feeling there might be something wrong. I called my midwife and went down to the hospital - they couldn’t hear a heartbeat.

“I had to go in hospital the next day to deliver my son.”

Sands

After giving birth, Senneck was given a bereavement pack from Sands. She called her local branch and spoke to someone on the support line. She was also put in touch with a “befriender” - a bereaved parent you can meet up with face-to-face.

From then on, Senneck went to monthly support meetings and soon joined the committee at Bristol Sands to help other mothers looking for support.

Senneck has most recently run the London marathon for Sands, in memory of her son.

“The money I raised went towards a refurb of the bereavement suite at South Meade hospital where I gave birth, designed for families that are delivering a baby that’s stillborn,” she said.

“When I share my loss, I remember him and it’s lovely to feel close to him. The charity has been amazing. 15 babies a day is just too many babies, and to know that 15 mothers and families are suffering like I suffered every day is heartbreaking, absolutely heartbreaking.

“The effect it has had on me is life-changing, you never recover from it.

“It’s never to late to get help. Mums need to know if they are struggling, even if it may be one or two years down the line, to seek help.”

For further information on the #15babiesaday initiative, visit Sands.

Before You Go

How To Help A Friend Through Miscarriage

Send Flowers(01 of15)

While not everyone is as open to talking about their feelings as I am, I think everyone loves to receive a bright bouquet of flowers –- it’s a nice way to say that you’re there for her, and you care, without forcing her to talk about her feelings. (credit:Getty)

Share Your Story(02 of15)

If you’ve gone through a similar experience, share your story with your grieving friend. While it’s unfortunate that miscarriage is so common, your friend can take comfort in not being alone. Knowing that others in their own network of friends have experienced the same thing makes it easier to work through the grieving process. (credit:Getty)

Pamper Her(03 of15)

There’s no better time for your friend to focus on taking care of themselves. A restful body will help to heal the mind. Gift your friend with a massage or a pedicure so she is forced to take time out to enjoy a little pampering. And if you can, join her! (credit:Getty)

Don’t Try To Tell Her That It'll All Be OK(04 of15)

Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything you can do to reassure your friend that they’ll feel better in a few weeks or months. It’s a grieving process –- one that affects everyone differently. All that you can do is lend an ear, hold a hand and wait it out with them. (credit:Getty)

Don't Pry(05 of15)

While you may be wondering what the doctors discovered or if your friend is going to try again -- wait for your friend to share those details with you. Don’t try to pry it out of her. She might not be ready to discuss the details with you yet, but if you let her know that you’re there for her and available if she wants to talk, then she will come to you when she's ready. (credit:Getty)

(06 of15)

1. Your fertility is mostly determined by genetics, which influences how many eggs you are born with. Doctors believe that the number of eggs you have at birth determines the length of time you will remain fertile. At birth, women have about two million eggs in their ovaries. For every egg ovulated during your reproductive life, about 1,000 eggs undergo programmed cell death. Other things, such as smoking cigarettes and certain types of chemotherapy, can accelerate egg cell death and promote an earlier menopause.

(07 of15)

2. Regular menstrual cycles are a sign of regular ovulation.Most women have regular cycles lasting between 24 and 35 days. This is usually a sign of regular, predictable ovulation. Women who do not ovulate regularly have irregular menstrual cycles. Those who do not ovulate at all may have a genetic condition called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

(08 of15)

3. Basal temperature charting does not predict ovulation.An older method of tracking ovulation involves taking your oral body temperature each morning before getting out of bed. This is called basal body temperature. This method is used to spot a rise in basal temperature, which is a sign that progesterone is being produced. The main problem with using this method is that your temperature rises after ovulation has already occurred. This makes it more difficult to time intercourse at an optimal time for conception. A better method is to use over-the-counter urine ovulation predictor test kits such as Clearblue Easy. These kits test for the hormone that prompts ovulation, which is called luteinizing hormone (LH).

(09 of15)

4. Most women with blocked fallopian tubes are completely unaware they may have had a prior pelvic infection.About 10 percent of infertility cases are due to tubal disease, either complete blockage or pelvic scarring causing tubal malfunction. One major cause of tubal disease is a prior pelvic infection from a sexually transmitted disease such as chlamydia. These infections can cause so few symptoms that you may be completely unaware your tubes are affected. This is why fertility physicians will order a dye test of the tubes, called a hysterosalpingogram (HSG), if you have been trying and failing to conceive for 6 months or longer.

(10 of15)

5. In most cases, stress does not cause infertility. Except in rare cases of extreme physical or emotional distress, women will keep ovulating regularly. Conceiving while on vacation is likely less about relaxation than about coincidence and good timing of sex.

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6. By age 44, most women are infertile, even if they are still ovulating regularly. Even with significant fertility treatment, rates of conception are very low after age 43. Most women who conceive in their mid-40's with fertility treatment are using donated eggs from younger women.

(12 of15)

7. Having fathered a pregnancy in the past does not guarantee fertility. Sperm counts can change quite a bit with time, so never assume that a prior pregnancy guarantees fertile sperm. Obtaining a semen analysis is the only way to be sure the sperm are still healthy!

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8. For the most part, diet has little or nothing to do with fertility. Despite popular press, there is little scientific data showing that a particular diet or food promotes fertility. One limited study did suggest a Mediterranean diet with olive oil, fish and legumes may help promote fertility.

(14 of15)

9. Vitamin D may improve results of fertility treatments. A recent study from the University of Southern California suggested that women who were undergoing fertility treatments, but had low vitamin D levels, might have lower rates of conception. This vitamin is also essential during pregnancy. At Pacific Fertility Center, we recommend our patients take 2,000-4,000 IU per day.

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10. Being either underweight or overweight is clearly linked with lowered levels of fertility. The evidence in recent years is that obesity is clearly linked with a longer time to conception. Having a body mass index less than 18 or over 32 is associated with problems ovulating and conceiving, as well as problems during pregnancy.

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