Mums and dads are encouraged to light a candle at 7pm on 15 October and leave it burning for an hour, then post images on social media with the hashtag #waveoflight.
“We hope that this week will help families feel less isolated and alone by giving them the opportunity to join with others and remember their babies, whether it be in public or private, across the world,” said Dr Clea Harmer, chief executive of Sands, which runs Baby Loss Awareness Week from 9 to 15 October 2016.
Harmer continued: “Since Baby Loss Awareness Week started, more and more charities have come together that are committed to raising awareness of the issues surrounding pregnancy and baby loss, and working for change to reduce the number of families affected each year in the UK.”
During Baby Loss Awareness Week, bereaved parents and their families are also encouraged to share examples of something that someone said or did that helped them after their loss.
Charities supporting Baby Loss Awareness week will also be working with the newly formed All-Party Parliamentary Group on Baby Loss to highlight in Parliament the impact of losing a baby.
Open Image Modal
kanzefar via Getty Images
One mother who is keen to raise awareness of baby loss is 31-year-old Rachel Kowalski. Kowalski’s twin girls were born 11 weeks premature at Worcester Royal Hospital on 30 July 2016.
Heidi was stillborn and Lydia was brought home from the neonatal ward on Monday 3 October 2016.
Kowalski wants to educate woman on reduced movements during pregnancy.
“The night they were born I started experiencing reduced movements,” Kowalski told The Huffington Post UK.
“Monitoring twin movements is always tricky and I did all the usual techniques to get the twins moving. After still not feeling anything from the top twin we headed into the hospital; this was more for peace of mind than anything else.
“After hours of searching for the second heartbeat we were told that it could not be detected and that they needed to be delivered straight away.”
Kowalski said she had been following the Kicks Count Facebook page - one of 24 charities supporting Baby Loss Awareness Week - after being given one of their packs at her work place when she announced she was pregnant.
“That lack of movement was from one of the twins who unfortunately was stillborn but her twin survived thanks to me knowing about how important it was to monitor movements,” she said.
“Without charities like Kicks Count raising awareness about the importance of monitoring your baby’s movements there is every chance both of our baby girls could have died.”
Kowalski said her daughter Lydia is “growing stronger” every day.
For further information or for details on how you can support the campaign, visit www.babyloss-awareness.org.
How To Help A Friend Through Miscarriage
Send Flowers(01 of15)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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.
(11 of15)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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!
(13 of15)
Open Image Modal
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)
Open Image Modal
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.
(15 of15)
Open Image Modal
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.