Our new partnership to help Black women and birthing people affected by baby loss

We are delighted to announce a new Tommy’s partnership to improve access to counselling services for some of those most likely to be affected by baby loss.

Under the agreement, the midwifery team who run our Helpline for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people will be able to refer those who have had a pregnancy loss to Petals, the baby loss counselling charity, for free specialist help and support.

Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people are known to be at higher risk of baby loss than White women and birthing people.

Data from the Office for National Statistics and Tommy’s show they are 43% more likely to experience miscarriage and almost 50% more likely to experience stillbirth.

Our midwife-run helpline for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women provides 1:1 support and expert advice to those who have concerns or worries before or during pregnancy, and those who have experienced pregnancy loss.

Five X More, the charity that campaigns to reduce disparities in Black maternal outcomes, work with us to make sure the helpline reaches those most in need of the service.

From today (1 February), anyone who uses the helpline and who has experienced baby loss in the previous 12 months will be eligible for a referral to the Petals counselling service. They will be offered 5 sessions with an experienced bereavement counsellor.

Deirdre de Barra, Head of Pregnancy Information at Tommy’s, said: 

“We’re delighted to work with Petals to be able to get this extra support to Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women who have sadly lost a baby in pregnancy or after birth.

“Baby loss can have a big impact on mental health and counselling can help enormously.

“If you’re living with recent baby loss, it can be hard enough to cope with the day-to-day demands of work, family and relationships.  Finding the emotional energy to seek counselling can be a daunting task.

“Our midwives will now be able to take on that job, removing one of the barriers that may prevent Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women from getting specialist counselling services after baby loss.”

Karen Burgess, Founder and Chief Executive of Petals said: 

“A priority for us at Petals is to understand and overcome barriers to accessing our specialist counselling service.

“We are therefore delighted to partner with Tommy’s and Five X More to pioneer a new referral pathway for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people to smoothly transition into our counselling service.

“Through working together as organisations, we aim to foster trusting relationships with these women and birthing people that will facilitate their smooth transition into counselling, enabling them to benefit from processing their very personal experience of baby loss with a Petals specialist counsellor who will ‘get it’.”

Clotilde Rebecca Abe, Co-Founder of Five X More said:

“We are genuinely thrilled to partner with Tommy's and Petals on the counselling initiative.

“We wholeheartedly celebrate the arrival of this crucial service, ensuring that women in need receive the support they deserve. It's not just a service; it's a beacon of hope, and we're elated to see it come to life."

To access the midwife helpline and the counselling service, Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women and birthing people can book their call with a Tommy’s midwife here: Welcome to our Helpline for Black and Black Mixed-Heritage women | Tommy's (tommys.org).