Baby Loss Awareness Week is an event of great meaning for many, and it also marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of By Your Side – an EPUT service supporting women and birthing parents across Essex who have experienced a perinatal loss.

The loss of a baby is a devastating experience and one that can bring a range of thoughts, feelings and responses, which can feel confusing, bewildering and isolating.

By Your Side is a maternal mental health service provided by Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, in collaboration with midwifery colleagues, which offers therapeutic care and grief therapy for people who were pregnant and have experienced a perinatal loss. The team aims to help people with their loss, being by your side during a devastating time.

By Your Side integrates joint working between mental health and maternity services, while working alongside pre-existing mental health services and third sector organisations across Essex.

The service launched across south west Essex last October, and gradually expanded to cover the whole of Essex. Since its inception, By Your Side has received almost 120 referrals and has helped many birthing parents to manage their grief.

The team have been collaborating with people with lived experience, to shape the service. Lived Experience Ambassadors have helped to create patient leaflets in different languages, share ideas on how to improve the service and provide valuable insight during recruitment processes.

Patients have shared their feedback after receiving support from the service, with one saying “The By Your Side psychological therapist helped me through the worst part of my life, and I couldn’t thank her enough for all the support and techniques she gave me.”

Another said,

“I was made to feel that my time during my sessions was safe and secure and that I was able to talk about anything I needed to, and received all the help, guidance, and support I needed in a very dignified and respectful space.”

Stephanie Lambert, Principal Practitioner Psychologist and Clinical Lead, commented on plans for the future: “As we move into our second year, we are looking forward to being joined by specialist midwives as their expertise will help us to integrate further joint working between mental health, maternity services, and third-sector voluntary organisations.”

Stephanie added,

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to anyone who has experienced the loss of a baby or pregnancy and are available to provide support to those who need us.”

For more information on By Your Side, including referrals and other support available, please visit the EPUT website.