Hospital opens pregnancy loss support suite

Former patient Serafina Pooja Jay helped design the suite with nurse Leanna Brace

A dedicated suite has been opened at a central London hospital to help support families experiencing early pregnancy loss.

The new facility at St Thomas' Hospital aims to be a home-like, less clinical, private space for patients losing pregnancies to rest and process their trauma.

It has been developed specifically to help people who were less than 18 weeks pregnant at the time of loss - which could be due to miscarriages, terminations for medical reasons, ectopic and molar pregnancies.

Former patient Serafina Pooja Jay, who had a miscarriage, said the suite would be a place for patients to acknowledge their loss and would help them feel "less lonely and isolated".

'So needed'

Ms Jay described her own loss several years ago as "very, very traumatic".

"It's part of your life forever," she said.

Ms Jay, who helped design the suite, said it would mean others would not have to "suffer" as much.

It was funded by Guy's & St Thomas' Charity after a campaign led by research nurse and early pregnancy specialist Leanna Brace.

Ms Brace said the project was "so needed".

"Early pregnancy loss isn't as recognised as later losses, but the effects are the same," she said.

"It can be a really, really awful experience and it stays with you.

"I want to be able to do something to make that journey a little better.

"What we're trying to create is a calm, more natural space where we can allow women, birthing people and partners to start their grieving process somewhere more dignified."

Ms Jay said she hoped the new suite would help people cope with loss

Ms Brace said it was important for the suite to include an extra bed so birthing partners could stay, as they can sometimes feel "forgotten".

"Having somewhere for them to stay, it makes them feel involved, it makes them feel acknowledged and it acknowledges their loss too," she said.

The room, located on the gynaecology ward, is expected to be used daily as the hospital sees an early pregnancy loss each day.

St Thomas' hospital said it was hoping to open a second facility of this kind in the near future.