02/12/2025
OUR PEOPLE | “I share this job with another midwife, Michele, and we look after families where their baby has died during pregnancy or in the early neonatal period. We care for these families for weeks to months and then again in setting up their care in a pregnancy after loss.
We coordinate a clinic for the families to come back and get some answers as to why their baby has died. We're supporting them physically, if they have any complications after the loss of their pregnancy, we also support them emotionally and practically, which can include talking to employers, talking to their children’s school or cancelling appointments for them that they can't face doing. We can't fix what has happened, but what we can do is try and make the rest of their journey a little bit easier.
We do get feedback from families who say that it was the worst time, but they can't believe how well they were cared for by all the staff here at RHW. One card said ‘after the loss of my baby, your compassion, sensitivity and ongoing check-in meant so much. When I became pregnant again, you were there once more. Your presence gave me so much reassurance and comfort through every stage. So thank you for walking beside me through both heartbreak and hope. Your kindness will always be remembered.’
I don't know what I would do if I wasn't working in health. I'm very happy here and I love my job, walking alongside these families and learning something different every single time about their journey and how I can best support them,” Joanna Tam, Clinical Midwifery Specialist, Perinatal Loss, The Royal Hospital for Women.
