Tommy's

Pregnancy loss is a lifetime of loss. Today, we’re launching a new campaign, to help people understand the impact of pregnancy and baby loss, and how our research is here to help more families bring their baby home. When you lose a baby in pregnancy or birth, you lose the chance to make future memories with them. Families tell us that’s one of the things they grieve most. And this isn't a small or isolated problem. The scale and impact of pregnancy complications and baby loss aren't widely known, understood or talked about. But, in a recent YouGov poll, we found half of UK adults have experienced baby loss or know someone who has. Our groundbreaking research is here to change that. We have over 30 years of pregnancy research experience and evidence to prove pregnancy and birth can be safer, and more families can bring their babies home. This is all thanks to support and donations from people like you. The sooner you act, the more lives we can save and the more families we can help to bring their babies home. Find out more and help support our work: https://bit.ly/40x4sfC

This week is Birth Trauma Awareness Week, organised by the Birth Trauma Association. The Birth Trauma Association define birth trauma as the symptoms of distress after going through or witnessing a traumatic birth. Statistics show 1 in 3 women and birthing people find at least 1 aspect of their birth traumatic. This includes Natalie, who shared her experience of birth trauma and PTSD with us last year: https://bit.ly/44VaqYk This year, the Birth Trauma Association are highlighting how women and birthing people are affected by inequalities in maternity care, because of ethnicity, disability, poverty or neurodivergence. We're proud to support the Birth Trauma Association this week and year-round. For information and support around birth trauma, visit: https://bit.ly/44ExR9v #GoodMaternityCareForAll #BTAW2025

We’re award-nominated! 📢 We’re excited to share we’ve been shortlisted for not 1, but 2 prestigious awards at the Third Sector Awards. They are: Charity Partnership of the Year ⭐ Our helpline with Five X More provides dedicated 1:1 support and advice to Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people before, during and after any pregnancy journey. The partnership combines our helpline and midwifery team with Five X More's reach and expertise, to make sure we’re there for everyone who needs us. It’s such an important part of our work to reduce inequities and make pregnancy safe for everyone. Thank you to the Poundland Foundation for supporting us with funding towards this service. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3iyh96j Digital Innovation of the Year 📱 Our innovative Support after Every Miscarriage project, which combines the Wellbeing after Miscarriage Programme and the Miscarriage Support Tool, is now complete. And, thanks to generous funding from the Poundland Foundation, it’s freely available for anyone who needs it. Together, these 2 services provide support, information and advice to anyone who has had 1 or more miscarriages. They were developed in close collaboration with Siobhan Quenby MBE at our National Centre for Miscarriage Research. Read more: https://bit.ly/43YksXW We’re honoured to have been nominated and look forward to the event. Keep your fingers crossed for us! None of these achievements would have been possible without a huge amount of collaboration, help and support. A big thanks to imec Shakira Akabusi Denise C. Nicky Bamgbade Judith Rankin Susan Ibuanokpe The Motherhood Group Our Parks Miscarriage Association Zoocha Black Baby Loss Awareness Rebecca Sweetman Clare Foster Amina Hatia Kate Marsh Rochelle Love (MBA, BSc) Tom Broder Duncan Philip Harriet Maxwell Sarah House Lizzie D'Angelo Kate Davies Jyotsna Vohra and others.

"These challenges will fund new projects that could save lives." - Prof Alex Heazell. Since the heartbreaking loss of his daughter Kallipateira, Ben has taken on numerous challenges to raise money for our Rainbow Clinic and Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester. He's raised thousands of pounds to help fund vital research into stillbirth. This weekend, Ben is taking on his latest challenge: walking 120 miles from Gateshead to Manchester with no sleep. He then plans to make 50 ascents of a Greek mountain on 20 July. It's thanks to incredible fundraisers like Ben that we're able to fund groundbreaking research to save babies' lives. Thank you and good luck, Ben! https://bbc.in/44BRA8c

"It felt like I had lost a future, and I didn’t know where to put that grief, especially as the focus rightly turned to supporting my partner." Conor shares his experience of miscarriage as a dad, and what he wished someone had said to him when he and his wife went through baby loss: https://bit.ly/44Eo02b At Tommy's, we know the loss of a baby in pregnancy, or during or after birth can leave a lifelong impact. Too many of us miss out on making memories and moments with the babies that didn’t make it.  But, with your support, we’re working to change that through our groundbreaking research and specialist care. We won't stop until pregnancy and birth is safe - for everyone. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3YTVxDP

Feedback wanted 📣 Our friends at Mothers for Mothers want to understand how mental health care around the time of birth can be improved. They want to understand what could be done to improve access to services, improve training, and lobby decision makers and funders to make perinatal mental health care better. They want to hear from: Women and birthing people: https://bit.ly/46502PP Organisations offering perinatal mental health and emotional wellbeing support to women and families: https://bit.ly/4nG2CC6 They'd be grateful for women and birthing people and organisations to fill out the surveys above, so they can make sure women and birthing people's mental health is prioritised.

Yesterday, Daria Bukhman from Bukhman Philanthropies visited our National Centre for Preterm Birth Research at Imperial College London. She heard about our researchers' groundbreaking work to understand why premature birth happens and how it can be prevented. Bukhman Philanthropies recently awarded us a generous grant of £100,000 towards funding the centre. They're committed to creating meaningful change through their 3 focus areas: neonatal and maternal health, mental health and wellbeing, and literature. This grant, awarded as part of their commitment to funding cutting-edge research, will help give parents and their babies the best possible start in life and make pregnancy and birth safe for everyone. Find out more: https://bit.ly/44zcchu

Who you are shouldn't impact the care you receive. Yet, women and birthing people living in the most deprived areas in the UK - often from minoritised ethnic backgrounds - continue to experience the worst maternity outcomes. We're happy to see movement from Department of Health and Social Care on this commitment from the 10 Year Health Plan, with a focus on improving health outcomes in the most deprived areas. It's imperative maternity care and patient voice is at the heart of this plan, and healthcare professionals are also engaged in designing and delivering plans to make pregnancy and birth safe - for everyone. Read more: https://bit.ly/44ATVQT

Policy update 📢   Yesterday, the Government confirmed families who go through baby loss before 24 weeks will be entitled to protected bereavement leave.   We know the heartbreak and devastation baby loss can cause, no matter when it happens. And up until now, families who've experienced baby loss before 24 weeks have not been entitled to parental bereavement leave. This means many have had to use annual or sick leave, or return to work before they're ready. So, we're pleased the amendments to the Employment Right's Bill announced yesterday will mean anyone experiencing pregnancy loss at any stage will have the legal right to take time off work to grieve. This is a positive step forward to acknowledging baby loss as bereavement, and giving families the time and space they need to deal with their loss. But, it’s not yet known whether anyone taking the leave will be entitled to pay during their absence from work. Kath Abrahams, Tommy's Chief Executive says: "We welcome this confirmation that the Government will introduce a legal right to miscarriage bereavement leave. Anyone who experiences the trauma of a pregnancy loss at any stage should have the right to grieve without facing immediate pressure to return to work. No-one should be expected to take sick leave or days from their holiday allowance to find the time and space they need. As the consultation progresses, we’ll continue to push for the best possible change for all those who experience pregnancy loss.” Read more: https://bit.ly/44PRMSF For employers looking to support employees with all aspects of pregnancy, including loss and bereavement, we offer a Pregnancy and Parenting at Work programme for companies of all sizes. Find out more: https://bit.ly/3g7CnqB

"I don’t know I'll be pregnant again, but I know I’ll need Tommy’s community when that time comes." Yasmin and her husband found out they were pregnant in 2024. But, after noticing bleeding and multiple hospital appointments, doctors confirmed she'd had a miscarriage. After their loss, Yasmin was diagnosed with Graves’ disease and hyperthyroidism. The medication she's on means she's not able to get pregnant right now, but she hopes to in future. "We’ve come to terms with the fact it’s not the right time for us just now but are hopeful that, when the time is right, we will have our bundle of joy." To help improve her health after miscarriage, Yasmin started running. She fell in love with the sport and decided to join #TeamTommys at this year's Hackney Half Marathon. "Reading about the amazing work Tommy’s does made me want to raise money for them and, on May 18th, I finished the Hackney Half Marathon in 2 hours and 23 minutes, raising over £900." Read more: https://bit.ly/44f2SQX #BabyLoss #Miscarriage #RainbowBaby