Chichester Cathedral to offer a space for reflection and remembrance during Baby Loss Awareness Week
As part of Baby Loss Awareness Week (BLAW), which occurs from 9th to 15th October every year, Chichester Cathedral will be offering a reflective space for remembrance, for anyone who has lost a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth. St Clement’s Chapel will be open throughout BLAW during the Cathedral’s normal opening hours, offering a quiet place of reflection.
Pregnancy Options Centre provides free, non-judgemental help and support to anyone struggling after any kind of pregnancy loss, including a termination, however recent. They are inviting visitors to St Clement’s Chapel as a space to remember and mark their loss experience with pink, blue and neutral coloured ribbons, messages, prayers, self-care packs and tealights to take home for the national #WaveOfLight ceremony on 15th October at 7pm. There will also be information and signposting available for other local organisations that support bereaved families in relation to pregnancy and baby loss.
25","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"times="" new="" roman",469777842,"times="" roman",469777843,"times="" roman",469777844,"times="" roman",201341986,"1",469769226,"times="" roman",268442635,"24",335559704,"1025",335559705,"2057",335551547,"2057",335559740,"240",201341983,"0",335559739,"160",469775450,"paragraph",201340122,"2",134233614,"true",469778129,"paragraph",335572020,"1",134233118,"true",134233117,"true",469778324,"normal"]">Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 22nd year, is a wonderful opportunity to bring together a bereaved community, giving anyone touched by pregnancy and baby loss a safe and supportive space to share their experiences and feel that they are not alone. It also provides an important opportunity to talk about pregnancy and baby loss more widely and help ensure that every bereaved family gets the support they need, when they need it the most.
Emily Castledine from Pregnancy Options Centre said: “We hope that this event will provide an opportunity for those affected by pregnancy and baby loss to pause, reflect and mark their losses in a place of safety and for their own unique experiences of grief to be acknowledged and validated. At Options, we recognise that every loss will be experienced individually, which is why we offer a range of support services to those who have experienced all kinds of pregnancy loss, including a termination, however recent that may have been.”
This year Baby Loss Awareness Week is highlighting the importance of self-care. Few experiences can compare to the trauma and pain of pregnancy and baby loss. Finding ways to nurture your own mental and physical wellbeing is a vital part of anyone’s bereavement journey. The overwhelming mixture of emotions commonly experienced as part of the grieving process can become barriers to practising self-care without the right support and awareness. Grief affects every person differently and can change over time, even during Baby Loss Awareness Week itself. It can be extremely hard for any bereaved person to speak out on the issues that matter to them, if they do not have the time and tools to care for themselves first.
Clea Harmer, Chief Executive of Sands and Chair of the Baby Loss Awareness Alliance, said: “To anyone navigating this journey, whether recently bereaved or longer ago, we hope we can offer reassurance that there is a community that understands and is here for you, whatever you need – be it guidance, shared stories or simply a listening ear to help and offer comfort. You are not alone22","classid":1073872969,"properties":[201342446,"1",201342447,"5",201342448,"1",201342449,"1",469777841,"calibri",469777842,"",469777843,"calibri",469777844,"calibri",201341986,"1",469769226,"calibri",268442635,"22",469775450,"normaltextrun",201340122,"1",134233614,"true",469778129,"normaltextrun",335572020,"1",469778324,"default="" paragraph="" font"]">.”