What is stillbirth?
When a baby dies after 24 weeks of pregnancy, before or during birth, it is known as a stillbirth.
4 babies a week are stillborn in Scotland and it’s a devastating experience for any family to go through.
Although the rate of stillbirth in Scotland has reduced significantly in recent years, this has not always been consistent year on year and there is still more that we can do.
Sometimes we don’t know the cause of stillbirth, but we do know that there are ways for pregnant women to reduce their risk.
Steps to reduce the risk of stillbirth
Pregnant women are advised to:
- Go to sleep on their side
- Not smoke
- Monitor their baby’s movements, contacting maternity services should these alter
Further information
More information can be found at Parentclub – stillbirth or see below:
Sleep
- Pregnant women should sleep on their side from 24 weeks.
- Sleeping on either side appears to be equally beneficial compared to sleeping on the back.
- Pregnant women should not worry if they wake up on their back they should just go back to sleep lying on their side again.
Smoking
- It can be tough to stop but there are links to support available a parentclub.scot and in Ready Steady Baby!
- There is also lots of help and support available to you help pregnant women quit smoking. To find out more and get started, visit quityourway.scot or call 0800 84 84 84.
Baby Movement
- Maternal awareness of fetal movements typically begins at 18-20 weeks’ gestation, although it may be later in first pregnancies.
- Although the nature of the movements may change in later pregnancy, as space around the growing fetus becomes more limited, it is not true that babies move less towards the end of pregnancy.
- Pregnant women should contact their midwife or maternity unit straight away if they experience a reduction in their baby’s movements.
Support can also be found at Held in our Hearts (previously SANDS Lothian) https://heldinourhearts.org.uk/
