Supporting Bereaved Mums This Mother’s Day 

As Mother’s Day approaches, pregnancy and baby loss charity Sands, is ensuring any bereaved mums and their partners can find support. 

Family celebrations, such as Mother’s Day, can be a difficult time for anyone who has been affected by pregnancy loss or the death of a baby. With so much focus on family, children and socialising, those living with loss can feel even more isolated and alone in their grief. 

10 ways to help support a bereaved mum around Mother’s Day 

1. Say something (anything!) rather than nothing. 
2. Acknowledge their baby.
3. Say their baby’s name. 
4. Send a really simple message such as ‘I’m thinking of you and … today’.  
5. Ask how they are. 
6. Reassure them that it’s ok to feel how they are feeling. 
7. Encourage them to take things at their own pace, one step at a time. 
8. Encourage them to do what is best for them. 
9. Offer to do an activity together – a walk, a coffee – if they would like to. 
10. Be yourself and be genuine in whatever you say, and if you think you’ve said something unhelpful, just apologise and say something like ‘I’m really sorry and I think I might be getting this wrong, but I’d just like you to know that I am here for you.’ 

The charity is also inviting everyone to make a Mother’s Day online dedication to recognise all the wonderful mums and grandmothers in their lives. 

Sands’ spokesperson, Jen Coates, said: “We understand that some people find it difficult to know what to say to someone affected by pregnancy or baby loss. We’d like to remind everyone that however recently or long-ago someone’s baby died, they are always a mum or dad. The saddest days can be those when that is forgotten, or not acknowledged. At times like this, the simplest of words or gestures, can make a real difference. For parents, self-care and taking time to grieve or remember your baby in the way that feels right for you is important.”

For more information visit www.sands.org.uk.