Grief and Its Impact on Families: Marking Baby Loss Awareness Week 2025

For Every Birth. For Every Baby. For Every Family.

Each year, Baby Loss Awareness Week (9th–15th October) offers a moment of reflection – a time to honour babies who have been lost during pregnancy, at birth, or soon after – and to stand alongside the families who carry their memory every day. 

For many, it’s also an opportunity to speak openly about a subject that often remains silent. Baby loss brings a profound and complex grief – one that can be difficult for families to bear. It is not only grief for a child, but also all the many possibilities that never had the chance to be; the life that was never lived, the relationship that was never developed, and the hopes and milestones that were never experienced. 

In this piece, three professionals – Kashmir Uppal, Partner and Medical Negligence Specialist at Fletchers Solicitors; Dr Hannah Bashforth, Clinical Psychologist; and Dr Rebecca Moore, Consultant Psychiatrist – share their insights on the emotional, psychological, and practical realities of baby loss, and how compassion and communication can help families begin to heal. 

The Emotional Landscape of Grief 

“There is no single way to grieve,” says Dr Hannah Bashforth, Clinical Psychologist. “Each person’s experience of baby loss is unique, shaped by their hopes for the future, the circumstances of the loss, and their own ways of coping.” 

Grief after losing a baby can be especially complex. It involves not only the loss of a life but also the loss of dreams, such as birthdays, first steps, and the moments parents had imagined. For many, it can feel as though the world has stopped while everyone else keeps moving. 

Sometimes distress is intensified by painful thoughts or images, such as the fear that the baby suffered or that they were not treated with dignity. Exploring these thoughts gently in therapy can help parents update those meanings, often through imagery.  

“For example,” Dr Bashforth explains, “a parent might imagine their baby now at peace and no longer in pain. This can help the heart catch up with what the mind already knows.” 

“Some people describe feeling disconnected, angry, or numb,” says Dr Bashforth.  

“Others feel deep sadness or guilt. There is no right way or right pace to grieve. What matters is having the space to talk about what has happened without pressure to move on.” 

When grief feels tangled with anger or unfairness, perhaps about how parents were treated or the circumstances of their care, therapy can help make sense of those feelings and find ways to move forward without silencing them. 

The Ripple Effect on Families 

Grief reverberates through entire families. Partners may process the loss differently – one needing to talk, the other turning inward – which can create strain at a time when both need support the most. Siblings, grandparents, and extended family members also experience their own forms of loss, often unsure how best to express their grief or offer comfort. 

Dr Bashforth highlights that social support plays a vital role in recovery.  

“Families heal through connection. Having people who listen, acknowledge the pain, and remember the baby with you can make an enormous difference. When friends, relatives, or communities reach out, it helps parents feel less alone in their grief. Silence, even when well-intentioned, can make loss feel even more isolating.”  

She adds that experiences of grief and the ways families seek and receive support can vary greatly across cultures. In some communities, mourning is shared openly, while in others it is expressed more privately or through ritual. Understanding and respecting these differences is essential, so that support can be offered in ways that truly meet each family’s needs. 

The Role of Professional Support 

“When something has gone tragically wrong in a medical setting, families are often left searching for answers,” says Kashmir Uppal, Partner at Fletchers Solicitors. “In these moments, the legal process should never add to their distress – it should be about empathy, clarity, and helping them understand what happened.” 

Kashmir, who has supported many families following the loss of a baby where medical negligence may have been involved, emphasises the importance of compassion and communication throughout any legal process. 

“Our role isn’t just about the law – it’s about listening. Families often come to us not because they want to blame, but because they want to make sure no one else has to endure the same pain. Providing that space to ask questions, seek accountability, and feel heard is an essential part of their healing.” 

The Mental Health Impact 

Dr Rebecca Moore, Consultant Psychiatrist, highlights that baby loss can have profound and lasting effects on mental health, particularly in the perinatal period. 

“Many parents experience trauma responses after loss,” she explains. “Flashbacks, anxiety, depression, or difficulties bonding with future children are all possible outcomes. Unfortunately, perinatal mental health is still under-recognised and underfunded – but we know that with the right early support, people can and do recover.” 

Dr Moore advocates for joined-up care between medical, psychological, and community services. “When healthcare professionals, therapists, and support charities work together, families are more likely to feel held and understood. Breaking the isolation that surrounds baby loss is one of the most powerful ways to promote healing.” 

Breaking the Silence 

For generations, baby loss was a private grief, rarely spoken about beyond the home. But as awareness grows – through campaigns, charity work, and brave personal stories – so too does understanding. 

Baby Loss Awareness Week invites the public to take part in the Wave of Light on 15th October, lighting candles at 7 p.m. to remember all babies gone too soon. Each flame represents a family’s love and an ongoing commitment to compassion and connection. 

“Talking about loss can be really difficult. The process is often painful for families,” says Dr Bashforth. “But talking about it in a safe environment, and ensuring that you feel understood, often makes the grief feel more contained.” 

Supporting Those Affected 

Often, wider friends and family of those affected by baby loss, can struggle to understand what to do and how to offer support. But the simplest of gestures can often make a huge difference. Acknowledging the baby’s name, sending a card, or simply listening without offering solutions – can mean the world to bereaved parents. 

As Kashmir Uppal reflects: 

“Empathy goes beyond words. It’s about showing people that their loss matters, that their baby mattered, and that they don’t have to carry that pain alone. I’ve worked with many families affected by baby loss, and each one is different to the last. But one core theme does tend to run through – every family wants to be heard. Every family wants to acknowledge that their experience was real, and that their baby will be remembered.” 

A Shared Journey of Healing 

This Baby Loss Awareness Week 2025, we stand with all families who have experienced the heartbreak of losing a baby. Their grief is enduring, but so too is their love. 

By continuing to talk openly, to listen deeply, and to support one another with kindness, we honour not only the babies who are missed, but also the strength and courage of the families who remember them every day. 

At Fletchers, we stand by the many families affected by loss; championing better maternity care through every family’s story.  

For Every Birth. For Every Baby. For Every Family.

About the Experts 

Dr Hannah Bashforth is a highly experienced Clinical Psychologist, specialising in medical psychology, chronic pain, birth trauma, and psychological trauma. She has worked in psychological medicine and pain services across the North West for over 17 years.  

You can learn more about Dr Bashforth here. 

Dr Rebecca Moore works as a Perinatal Psychiatrist in London, dealing with infertility, pregnancy loss, anxiety, depression, OCD and trauma. She has experience spanning over twenty years. She developed a particular interest in birth trauma, which led to co-founding the annual Birth Trauma Conference and Make Birth Better in 2018.

You can learn more about Make Birth Better here.

Kashmir Uppal Kashmir is a Partner and medical negligence solicitor, with a wealth of experience in the field. She previously won the accolade of ‘Partner of the Year’ at the Birmingham Law Society Awards 2018, and also won ‘Clinical Negligence Lawyer of the Year’ at the national Eclipse Proclaim Personal Injury Awards in November 2018.

You can read more about Kashmir and her experience here.