Woman speaks of taboo surrounding baby loss

Sarah Conroy from Sevenoaks said losing a baby is a "different type of loss"

A woman has spoken of the impact of losing a baby after childbirth and of the taboo still surrounding it.

Sarah Conroy, from Sevenoaks, in Kent, lost her son Kit about six hours after he was born in March 2021.

She said she lost friends who did not how to handle the loss, as some people "don't know what to say".

Ms Conroy believes speaking about stillborn and neonatal deaths will help other bereaved families, as this week marks Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Ms Conroy suffered huge blood loss during the birth of Kit, who had to be resuscitated and was found to have extensive brain injuries.

'Ripped my heart out'

Ms Conroy described the experience of losing her baby.

"You might have well have just ripped my heart out. There's nothing that I could think of that could be that painful," she said.

Following Kit's death, Ms Conroy said she lost friends who were "unaware" of how to handle the loss.

"There will be those people that put aside their own discomfort and are willing to say 'I don't know what to say' but at least they're talking to you.

"There are others that will not know what to say and therefore they just leave," she said.

She also spoke of the existing taboo surrounding it.

"There is almost a kind of looking away when it comes to baby death.

"It's not something that should happen," she added.

Baby Kit had to be resuscitated and was found to have extensive brain injuries

Kent charity, Abigail's Footsteps, provides support and counselling for bereaved parents and families as well as training for midwives healthcare professionals.

Co-founder David Ward said more support should be available for grieving parents.

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