Looking After Your Partner After the Loss of a Baby

Warning, this post contains details of baby loss that some might find upsetting.​

Whether you’re the parent who carried a baby who has died or not, the experience of losing a little one is no less devastating.

We know that the needs of dads and partners are often overlooked. There is no right or wrong way through grief, but it’s important to find something that works for you.

As a partner, you might be expected to take the lead role in telling family and friends, liaising with health professionals, making funeral arrangements and supporting the baby’s birth mother. This can feel overwhelming, particularly when you’re also grieving for your baby.

Here are some tips from various charities and organisations about how partners can take care of themselves after the loss of a baby…

• It’s important to accept your need to mourn and express your grief. Remember that as you grieve, you are healing. Take one day at a time and trust the process.
• If you are comfortable speaking to others, it can be good to talk or message close friends and people who understand what you are going through.
• When you’re ready, you could take on a challenge that could be linked to fundraising for a cause that’s important to you, in your baby’s memory.