Pioneering baby bereavement centre officially opens

The centre will welcome families next month

A new centre for people who have experienced baby loss has been unveiled.

Woodland House, at the side of Birmingham Women's Hospital, cost £3m was opened by bereaved families on Thursday.

The money was raised through donations following a charity appeal.

The stand-alone centre is designed to be a safe haven in which families can grieve, away from the busy maternity ward.

Lynette Parkes lost her baby James at the hospital eight years ago and had been involved with the Woodland House project from the start.

“After James was born we were on the delivery suite and we were holding him – trying to make the memories that we could with him," she told BBC Midlands Today.

“But we could hear all the babies being born around us and they were crying when James wasn’t.

“It was extremely traumatic and that has lived with me for the last eight years.”

Lynette Parkes was involved with the project from the start

She said the centre symbolised “so much”, adding it provided hope for future families who might go through what she did.

“It will help them to create some better memories and spend precious time with their babies,” she added

Birmingham Women's Hospital Charity said the first-of-its-kind centre was made possible thanks to cash from the public, local businesses and philanthropic organisations.

Work began in July 2022 after an appeal was launched in 2019.

The centre was expected to host families from next month.

About 2,000 families experience pregnancy or baby loss at the hospital each year

Leon James lost his son Ezra, who was born prematurely at 23 weeks and died in his parents’ arms at three hours old.

He said he found it tough to be in the hospital environment while trying to come to terms with his loss and also be there for his wife.

“It was very hard seeing people being happy when inside I had sorrow and grief,” he said.

Mr James said Woodland House would ensure parents would not have to go through what he did, adding that he was "proud" of the work that had been done.

Leon James lost his son Ezra at three hours old

About 2,000 families experience pregnancy or baby loss at the hospital each year.

Alison Rea, senior bereavement midwife at the hospital, previously said: "Couples that lose a baby tell us that the spaces that we've cared for them in the past have affected them as they move forward in the future.

"We know that the spaces that we have at Birmingham Women's Hospital aren't very nice and they're not very friendly to families receiving devastating news."

Ms Rea added the new facility would "make a massive impact to so many of our families".