Welcome to the
Professionals Support Library

Red Nose Grief and Loss Bereavement Support Services provide many options for the Service user:

For parents who have lost their first child, they might question their capabilities as parents, requiring support and encouragement to rebuild their confidence. Engaging in open discussions about thei...

Some health professionals have told us they are unsure how to talk to families about an autopsy for their baby.

This volume provides guidance, support and wisdom for those who have lost a child. There is honest recognition of their grief and pain,and of the tragedy inherent in such loss.

The death of a child is perhaps the greatest tragedy that can occur to parents. Your will be changed by this devastating loss and you may and that your previous thoughts and plans about having another child will now also be affected.

Red Nose Grief and Loss is aware that people need different kinds of support at different times, so we offer you a range of bereavement support options.

The funeral is the last physical act of caring for your child. It is a time, amid profound grief, when you can acknowledge your child and the meaning your child’s life holds for you and your family.

You are reading this pamphlet because your baby, or babies, has died or will soon die. In the next few hours and days you will be faced with decisions that you may find difficult, especially as you struggle to understand what has happened. Support is available and we hope this pamphlet will give you information about the choices you have at this difficult time.

This booklet is an acknowledgement that grandparents experience deep sadness when a child dies. We hope that in reading it you may and support in the words of other grandparents.

This brochure provides information on the range of Bereavement Support Services provided by Red Nose Grief and Loss.

The death of a loved one is hard to understand at any time but, for many, the loss of a baby is incomprehensible. Yet this loss is experienced by one in every hundred families. For those families, the stillbirth or death of their newborn is something that will affect them, and their families, for the rest of their lives.

The death of a child is like no other death – it has been described as the ‘ultimate loss’, a loss of hopes and dreams, a loss of part of oneself as a parent, the loss of a role and purpose in society, a loss of a future with your child. This grief is not only painful, but profoundly disorienting – children are not supposed to die.

To every family, the sudden unexpected death of a baby or young child is devastating. The family’s world is turned upside down. They may feel angry, confused, hurt – and alone. Your support, caring and friendship are so important during this time.

When a child dies suddenly and unexpectedly, it has an impact on the whole family. Like you, your surviving children will be deeply affected by the death of their brother or sister.

In our society we are often ill prepared to deal with grief. The death of a child is so unexpected that few of us have had time to think, let alone talk, about these issues.