Maternity Bereavement services at Frimley Park Hospital

Meet the team

Jo Cox and Monica Eve specialist bereavement midwife team at Frimley Park Hospital

A Caring Environment

The Rowan suite enables parents to have time together in early labour and following delivery with their baby. It is located close to the delivery suite to enable on-going care from midwifery staff, but with the facilities of a home from home room, bathroom and nursery provides a private and quiet space to spend time as a family and for memories to be made. We have a cold cot or cuddle cots to ensure that families can spend as much time as they need together.

Memory Making

For many families, it is important to create as many memories and keepsakes as you can when your baby has died. Many of the families we support often tell us how important it was to have photographs and other keepsakes especially to share with friends, family and children for many years to come.

Staff will therefore help to support you in making decisions about mementoes that is right for you. We are lucky to have the support from the Sands charity, who kindly donates all our memory boxes. We are mindful to have appropriate sized clothes, Moses baskets and hats, all of which are provided by local knitting clubs and charities.

Families have found the following helpful:

• Naming your baby.
• Seeing and holding your baby.
• Washing and dressing your baby.
• Photographs and scan pictures.
• Having hand and foot prints
• Receiving hand and food castings
• Keeping name bands and the cord clamp.
• Blankets.
• Certificates of acknowledgement.
• Teddy bears.
• Holding a special blessing or ceremony.
• Memorial Book

Spiritual support

The hospital Chaplaincy Service includes representatives from all faiths and they are here to support families in any way that they need. The team is committed to listening to parents and you don’t have to be religious to talk to a member of the team. Many parents have found it useful to help them through this difficult time.
If you would like support from the chaplaincy you can contact them on: 01276 604184
For babies born before 24 weeks our chaplaincy are able to offer individual hospital funerals.

Practical & Emotional Support

We are able to provide practical support and guidance in relation to registration, arranging post-mortems and funerals. Also we are available for emotional support and are able to signpost you to other organisations who can help.

Follow up

Our team will liaise with the community midwives, GP’s, antenatal clinic and screening to ensure that everyone is aware so that no inappropriate contacts are made. We will arrange home visits; ring you and /or text to provide you with support.
You will be invited back to the hospital for an appointment with the consultant to go over the events of your pregnancy, receive support and discuss results from investigations and post mortem results if there has been one. Depending on the types of investigations performed sometimes the appointments can be up to 12 weeks after admission to the hospital. Often these appointments are a stressful and emotional time and for this reason a member of the specialist bereavement team can attend these appointments to give extra support. We can also be available to you in future pregnancies.

Baby memorial service

In May every year the trust holds our baby memorial service, parents are sent an invitation to attend this lovely service. Parents of all faiths and none are welcome to the service and it is often attended by several staff members.

Frequently asked questions