Tracy Bankier Counselling and Psychotherapy

08/07/2025

Parents who experience pregnancy loss at any stage will be entitled to leave from work under planned changes.

03/07/2025

Incredibly disappointed to hear that there is no mention of maternity services or bereavement care in the 10 year plan. Especially now as we see more of our valued charities and organisations disappearing. 😢

The Government has just announced the NHS England 10-year plan. After thousands of us have spoken up, it’s so disappointing to see that there is no mention of bereavement care in the plan.

Together with bereaved parents across the UK, we’ve been calling for urgent action to improve maternity services and bereavement care for anyone who experiences pregnancy or baby loss. It’s time for change.

The Sands and Tommy’s Joint Policy Unit’s latest report shows that at least 2,500 more babies would still be alive today if the government had achieved its ambition of halving the 2010 rates of stillbirth, neonatal and maternal deaths in England since 2018.

We also know that Black and Asian babies are more likely to die than their white counterparts.

And too many bereaved parents across the UK aren’t getting the support they need from the NHS. We will continue our work with the Government; we won’t stop until change happens.

17/06/2025

We’ve been here now for 7 & a half years and whilst we have no plans to go anywhere, it’s been a wild few years.

There’s been significant change since we first started in 2018 & we’ve seen so much change, both from a positive and negative perspective.

We know that how we function hasn’t been the “same” as usual and we are wanting to acknowledge that and move forward with our commitment to you, our community, students, health professionals and the families we care for.

From August 2025, we will be making a difficult decision to stop selling many of the items that we have and we will retain a small number of items and we will begin to only sell these on our Etsy platform.

With huge increases in costs of basic things like production, packaging and postage, we simply don’t make any profit on items and our commitment was always to make things affordable, and quite frankly without raising prices we can’t supply these and this doesn’t feel right for me.

This means that our website will soon have 20% off all items - which we will post about when live and funds will support our free resources.

We will continue to supply our free items and will be reflecting on the best ways to sustain these resources and seek sponsorships where possible to sustain free supply of “The Missing Chapter” resource and website for families that are experiencing the death of their baby in pregnancy (stillbirth/ late miscarriage or TFMR), our pregnancy after loss resources and handover communication cards for families for red books, nursery or school.

Our ordering process will change for free items and we will update anyone who has previously requested these.

Our online training platform will continue and from August 2025, we will be launching a new module every 8 weeks and we will aim to keep our prices consistently the same despite rising costs to keep training, updates and broader insight accessible. (£50 unlimited access to modules regardless of how many we add for LIFETIME access & £10 for our basic bundle). Existing modules will also be updated and a few glitches ironed out.

One of my toughest decisions is deciding that Face to face bereavement training will end in December 2025. This is my “baby” that I created from a place of anger, upset and disgust for the systems that so many families face and for the changes that are needed. Instead, I’m focussing (for once) on my own wellbeing, following multiple medical diagnoses and a need to care for my own wellbeing I cannot warrant travelling so frequently and not caring for myself. As an alternative I will be offering very very subsidised live online workshops for universities or hospitals or occasional guest speaking / lectures.

Beyond Bea is ran single handedly by me, a human, Steph, and I appreciate the kindness that this community has shown whilst I’ve navigated changes in my life over the last couple of years.

Every day I’m reminded of the families I started this all for and for my Bea, who continued to fuel that fire in my belly!

We’re here and we don’t plan on going anyway, but please, just bear with me ❤️

02/04/2025

Reflecting on the UK Preterm Birth Conference 2025

Last month, we had the privilege of attending the UK Preterm Birth Conference 2025 in London—a fantastic opportunity to engage with leading experts and connect with professionals dedicated to improving preterm birth care.

Hosted by King’s College London and the St Thomas’ Preterm Team at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the conference highlighted both best practices and key areas for improvement in preterm birth care.

It was particularly insightful to meet Baroness Laura Wyld, who recently led the House of Lords Preterm Birth Report—which calls on the government and NHS England to ensure equitable access to neonatal outreach and perinatal mental health services for all families affected by preterm birth. This recommendation is particularly significant to Petals, as we continue to advocate for specialist psychological support for parents facing the trauma of baby loss. Ensuring families receive the care they need, regardless of where they live, is a mission we are deeply committed to.

Karen Burgess, our CEO, shared her thoughts on this impactful event:

"Being part of the UK Preterm Birth Conference 2025 was a true privilege. Spending two days with passionate healthcare professionals dedicated to improving maternal care was inspiring. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to learn about Petals, shared their experiences, and engaged in meaningful conversations. This event was invaluable for us, and we’re excited to build on the new connections we made." 🌸

30/03/2025

30/03/2025

To all of the mothers in the Petals community, on what can be a difficult day… 🩷

Our specialist counsellors witness the strength of incredible mothers every day, and we are holding you in our hearts today and always.

However you feel today, whatever this day means to you, please know you are not alone. Petals is here to support you and help you find the strength you may not realise you have. 🌸

Take time for yourself today, and if you need connection, join our supportive online community by searching Petals Together on Facebook.

25/03/2025

We’re deeply disappointed by the unfounded and harmful comments made by MP Stephen Kinnock.

Mr Kinnock's sweeping statements about private therapy don’t accurately address the challenges or reflect the skills, ethics, and good practice of our members working in private practice. These remarks show a lack of understanding of the sector and the training and expertise of our members, as well as the public protection safeguards in place.

Read our full statement 👉 https://orlo.uk/CYZfu

18/03/2025

12/03/2025

12/03/2025

This is amazing news, well done Sands!

Leave For Every Loss – pre-24 week loss to be recognised as bereavement.

Today, the Government has committed to granting bereavement leave to anyone affected by pre-24 week pregnancy loss. This is an important step forward, and we look forward to hearing the detail of how this change in employment law will be implemented.

Our CEO, Vicki Robinson, said:

“We are extremely pleased to see, that for the first time ever, those experiencing pre-24-week pregnancy loss will be officially recognised in bereavement leave legislation.

“The Government’s commitment that pre-24 week pregnancy loss will be included in bereavement leave law, via the Employment Rights Bill, is an important milestone, and provides long-overdue validation that this type of loss can be experienced as a bereavement like any other.

“This achievement reflects the tireless efforts of the Miscarriage Association, Sarah Owen MP, our partner organisations, and individuals in calling for change through our Leave for Every Loss campaign.

“Whilst this is a very positive and welcome step forward, we are committed to engage with the Government as the Bill passes through the next stages to ensure it is enshrined in legislation and the details fully support our community.”

We hope you will join us in continuing to advocate for those going through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss.

Find out more about today’s updates here: https://ow.ly/z3bc50VfZr1

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Sarah Owen MP Sands, the stillbirth & neonatal death charity Tommy's The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust Aching Arms UK NCT Trades Union Congress (TUC) Co-op Footprints Baby Loss Little Wings of Hope CIC Anam Cara Fasgadh MISS The Worst Girl Gang Ever Public Page NASUWT Pregnant Then Screwed

12/03/2025

Without a volunteer photographer, we miss the chance to create memories and capture those only moments a family will spend with their baby. Your photography could make a profound difference for a family in your community. Join us as a volunteer, help us never miss a moment.

Visit nowilaymedowntosleep.org/volunteer to learn more about volunteering. Use the code RAV25 to waive the application fee through the end of the month!