Stillbirth

A stillbirth is when a baby passes away after 24 weeks of being pregnant. It’s a very sad time for families. If this happens, support is given through a specialist team including midwives, consultant/doctors, obstetricians, counsellors, and charities.

Some stillbirths are linked to problems with:

• The placenta, where your baby doesn’t get enough food or oxygen and doesn’t grow well.
• Medical conditions like pre-eclampsia (a condition that causes high blood pressure in pregnancy), obstetric cholestasis (a liver disorder associated with severe itching during pregnancy) or pre-existing diabetes
• Infections like Group B streptococcus, E. coli, listeriosis or toxoplasmosis
• a birth defect

For others, no cause is found. In the UK, about one-third of stillbirths don’t have a clear reason.

It’s hard to stop all stillbirths, but some things can help:

• don’t smoke, drink, or use drugs while pregnant
• try to sleep on your side starting around 28 weeks
• go to all doctor visits to check on your baby
• if you feel your baby move less than before, tell your doctor or midwife right away. Don’t wait until the next day.

It’s important to know that your stillbirth is very unlikely to have happened because of anything you did or didn’t do.

There is support available in Somerset through Somerset – End Of Life Care & Bereavement Support (eolcare.uk) including extra information, helplines, forums, online chat, groups that meet, talking to dedicated supporters and counselling. This support is available from local and national organisations.

Speak to your midwife about what support there is.

More  helpful information:

Towards Tomorrow Together – Towards-Tomorrow (Together)=

Yeovil Sands www.facebook.com/TheSnowdropGroupYeovil