You are not alone. NHS Lothian has resources to offer you support in this shocking, devastating time. This page offers information about resources, both local and national, to offer you, your partner and family compassionate care and support at this difficult time.
We hope you find the information you need on this page. Please, talk to your midwife or doctor if you have any questions.
Image kindly shared by Held in our Hearts, a charity supporting bereaved parents in Lothian.
NHS Lothian Maternity Services
Your community midwife and care team will continue to look after you after your loss. They are here to support you and answer any questions you may have
NHS Lothian has a Maternity and Neonatal Loss Team who offer support for families whose babies have died after 24 weeks. This is provided through a phone call with a midwife and a psychologist. Your community midwife can give you more information and refer you to this service.
NHS Lothian Bereavement Service
This service provides practical support to parents. Depending on your circumstances, they can help with registration processes, funeral options and arrangements and can also signpost families to the bereavement support most suited to them.
You can contact them here 0131 242 6995 or 0131 242 1996 (Monday-Friday 9am-5pm) or via email at: bereavement.service@nhslothian.scot.nhs.uk
NHS Scotland Resources
NHS Scotland offers advice and information to parents following an unexpected loss of pregnancy.
NHS Inform Webpages
Losing a Baby
Information and support for anyone affected by the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or shortly after—offering guidance on what to expect, where to find help and how to access emotional and practical support.
After Losing a Baby
Support and guidance for life after losing a baby, including emotional wellbeing, practical matters and ways to seek help as you navigate grief and healing.
Support from Local and National Charities
We recognise that losing a baby is a deeply painful and often heartbreaking experience. It can feel overwhelming, isolating, and difficult to put into words. You may find it hard to connect with others who truly understand what you’re going through. Reaching out for support might feel like the hardest step—but you are not alone, and help is here when you’re ready.
If it feels too difficult to make contact yourself, a family member, friend or healthcare professional can reach out to these charities on your behalf.
Held In Our Hearts
A charity that partners with NHS Lothian to offer person-centred supports to bereaved families. Part of this includes Hospital to Home (H2H), a bespoke service supporting families in the transition from hospital to home.
SIMBA
A charity supporting families following the loss of a baby. They help those grieving create precious moments to honour their memory through a personal approach. One of the things they offer is a Memory Box, each one unique, handmade with love.
You can contact them here 0131 353 0055.
SANDS
A national charity providing help to parents affected by miscarriage, pregnancy loss and the death of a baby. They provide a variety of resources and various forms of support.
Call their helpline 0808 164 3332 .
Tommy’s
A charity offering compassionate resources for anyone affected by the loss of a baby, regardless of circumstance. They provides access to specialist midwife helplines, peer support groups and wellbeing programmes.
Twins Trust
A charity offering compassionate support to families experiencing the loss of one or more of a set of twins or triplets through peer-to-peer connections, online communities and resources.
Baby Loss Retreat
The organisation offers free retreats and counselling across Scotland to support bereaved parents and families coping loss. The retreats provide a peaceful space for reflection, emotional healing and reconnection.
Child Bereavement UK
A charity that supports children, parents and the wider family when a baby or child of any age dies or is dying. They offer free, confidential bereavement support.
Cruse Scotland Bereavement Support
An organisation providing professional support for bereaved adults, children and families across Scotland. They also train and educate individuals and organisations to help bereaved people.
Spiritual Care
Spiritual care is part of the care offered by the NHS. It recognises that our beliefs, values, and understanding of life can help us cope at times of illness, change or bereavement.
Chaplains offer spiritual care to patients, their family and loved ones, as well as to staff and volunteers. They listen to your story, offering space for reflection, supporting you at times of loss, and by facilitating prayer, blessings, ritual and celebration.
If you are a patient in hospital and would like to speak to a chaplain, we can be contacted via ward staff or you may phone our offices 0131 242 1990.
If you are not in a hospital, or should you need to speak with us urgently, please call Switchboard 0131 536 1000.
Helping you make a decision about a post mortem
We hope that this film, made by parents for parents, will help you with making your decision about whether to have a post mortem for your baby. We hope knowing others have faced the same decision, will help you feel less alone at this painful time and give you some comfort and help you make an informed choice to decide what is best for your family.
Memorial Book of Pregnancy and Baby Loss
To support families through a difficult time, the Memorial Book was launched in October 2023. It offers a meaningful way to acknowledge your baby’s existence and may provide comfort to those who wish to have a lasting record of their loss. The book was created in response to parents who shared how important it is to have their baby recognised, even when the loss occurred before 24 weeks of pregnancy.
In the UK, the law currently defines 24 weeks as the age of viability, which can be difficult to accept when a baby dies later in pregnancy but is still considered a miscarriage rather than a stillbirth. This means there is no legal process for registering the death of a baby before 24 weeks. In response to campaigns by bereaved parents, National Records of Scotland now offers a voluntary way to register a pregnancy loss or the death of a baby before this legal threshold.
There is no time limit for applying to the Memorial Book—you can apply at any point, whether your loss was recent or happened years ago. Each entry is completely voluntary, and a commemorative certificate is provided free of charge to those who choose to apply.
