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Support for families whose baby has died

Specialist bereavement and family support

If you have had a stillbirth or you have experienced the death of your baby:

These charity websites will direct you to the parent and families support nearest to you.

Muslim bereavement support:

Support for Black parents and families after baby loss:

Parent and family support if you have a baby with a diagnosis of HIE:

Local and national helplines and text message support

Listed below are some of the professional and voluntary organisations you can contact to get help in a crisis, or if you have been experiencing periods of low mood, stress or anxiety and wish to seek further support.

These helplines and text message services support people with their mental health problems. Some are specifically for parents; others are for anyone who is struggling with their mental health.

Important note: If at any point you feel in crisis or suicidal, please seek appropriate help.

  • Phone 999 if you are concerned about an immediate risk of harm to yourself or someone else.
  • Visit A&E if you need an urgent mental health assessment or urgent physical care.

For urgent, non-emergency advice call NHS 111 (health advice) or 101 (non-emergency police).

You can also seek support from someone you know (such as a friend or family member), from a health professional (such as your GP or health visitor), or from one of the helplines listed here.

Local NHS mental health crisis lines

If you need urgent mental health support, you can phone one of these NHS helpline numbers. There is a local phone number according to the area where you live in England. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and are free of charge.

PANDAS

PANDAS offers support for people experiencing postnatal depression. The helpline is run by trained volunteers.

Phone: 0808 1961 776
Website: PANDAS Foundation
Email: info@pandasfoundation.org.uk (PANDAS will aim to respond to your email within 72 hours)

Open 11am-10pm every day.

Free PANDAS text support

PANDAS offers a WhatsApp Messaging Support Service for parents who are feeling anxious, stressed, lonely, depressed, suicidal or overwhelmed.

To use the service, simply message 07903 508334 and you will be connected to a trained PANDAS volunteer.

PANDAS do their best to answer messages within 30 mins, but during very busy periods this may not always be possible. In such times they will endeavour to let you know via the automated messages you’ll receive through the service, so that you are aware.

Once connected, the volunteer will listen to anything that is troubling you, providing support and signposting to services where appropriate.

It is free and confidential for users of this service. It is available every day from 8am to 10pm via WhatsApp.

More information: PANDAS WhatsApp support

Samaritans

Well-known national helpline to support people going through a difficult time: “If you need someone to talk to, we listen. We won’t judge or tell you what to do.”

Phone: 116 123
Website: Contact a Samaritan
Email: jo@samaritians.org (it may take several days to get a response by email)

Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This service is free.