WINDOWS in the Hospital’s Maternity Unit will glow pink and blue this evening as part of a nationwide campaign to highlight support for bereaved families that have lost babies.
The Health Department is marking Baby Loss Awareness Week by illuminating the Parade entrance of the Hospital and, from 7pm this evening, the windows in the Maternity Unit will be lit.
Alongside this, a local mother, Lauren, who was supported by the service after her daughter was born sleeping, is funding a specialist 4louis privacy pram, which will allow grieving families to sensitively spend time with their babies outside of the ward.
Lauren said: “When I found out 4louis made prams that parents who have been through a loss can use, I knew it was something I wanted to get more information about. I always remember when we had our daughter, Aoife, and leaving the room for simple tasks, such as a walk for fresh air or to get a coffee, felt incredibly hard.
“Jersey Maternity, Philip’s Footprints and Karina, the Health and Care Jersey counsellor, provided me and my husband with the most unbelievable support after giving birth to Aoife and I will forever be thankful to them all. So if providing the pram for Jersey Maternity can help families in the future going through a heartbreaking loss, then that’s the least I can do in honour of our daughter, Aoife Rose.”
In 2025, the Health Department supported around 170 families who were affected by baby loss, including early pregnancy loss, ectopic and molar pregnancies, terminations and stillbirths.
The Maternity Unit provide specialist care, a dedicated family room, follow-ups from the community midwife, counselling and partnerships with organisations including Philip’s Footprints, Jersey Hospice Care and Jersey Talking Therapies.
Midwife Colette McGirl said: “We know that baby loss affects the whole family and that grief does not end when someone leaves hospital. Our teams are committed to providing compassionate care and ongoing support to families at every stage of their journey.
“Baby Loss Awareness Week helps to encourage conversations about bereavement and is also a time for us an organisation to reflect on how we care and support those going through a pregnancy loss.
“To anyone grieving the loss of a baby, we want you to know that we remember your baby, and we recognise you as a parent.”
