How to Support Bereaved Parents
A Guide for Friends, Family, and Colleagues
When someone you care about has experienced the loss of a baby or child, it can be difficult to know how to help. You may worry about saying the wrong thing or adding to their distress, and you may also be grieving yourself while trying to support others.
Grief is deeply personal. What is comforting for one family may be overwhelming for another. This guide offers insights from midwifery and bereavement support experience to help you provide meaningful support with care and sensitivity.
Acknowledging their loss
It is important to recognize the existence of the baby or child. Many forms of loss exist, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or death in infancy. Spending time with their baby can be a crucial part of the grieving process, allowing parents and families to create memories, say goodbye, and bond in instinctive ways like holding, bathing, and dressing their child.
Tools like the CuddleCot or CuddleBlanket provide the “Gift of Time,” letting parents and siblings spend meaningful moments with their baby or child. These memories can be a lasting source of comfort.
Using the baby’s or child’s name and sharing your own memories can also honor their life and help keep their memory alive. Though it may bring difficult emotions, bereaved parents often find this comforting and meaningful.
Grief is individual
Everyone experiences grief differently. Some families find it helpful to revisit the circumstances of the loss, while others may find this painful. Simply being present, listening, and offering a safe, non-judgmental space is often the most valuable support you can give.
Grief has no timeline. Support is often most needed after the initial weeks or funeral, when life seems to return to normal for those around the bereaved. Practical help, like shopping, cooking, or caring for other children, can ease their burden.
Long-Term Support
Bereavement continues long after the funeral. Checking in months or even years later can show ongoing care and acknowledgment of their grief. Recognizing anniversaries or special dates can provide comfort and remind parents that their baby or child is remembered.
Supporting Bereaved Colleagues
Workplace support is essential. Encourage a compassionate environment where colleagues can feel comfortable discussing grief. Respect their individual needs, some may wish to return to work quickly, while others need longer leave.
Offer practical adjustments, like flexible hours, remote work, or turning off video calls. Respect privacy and let them share information in their own time. Providing a trusted person for them to speak with at work can also be helpful.
Everyone experiences grief differently. While time may bring some healing, the weeks and months after loss can feel especially difficult. Talking to someone outside your immediate circle can make coping easier.
GriefChat is a free, anonymous online service for anyone navigating grief, regardless of when the loss occurred.
Created by bereavement experts, GriefChat allows you to connect directly with a specially trained counsellor.
Their counsellors provide a safe, compassionate space to share your story, explore how grief is affecting you, and guide you to additional support if needed.
GriefChat is free and available Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm GMT (excluding Bank Holidays).
Chat anonymously with a bereavement counsellor via the GriefChat button or this link
Email support at info@griefchat.co.uk
These services ensure that families receive the care, guidance, and understanding they need during their grief journey.
Chat now using the GriefChat chat link up or email info@griefchat.co.uk
Other Support available
If you need support to navigate your own grief or wish to be more aware of resources available to help support someone you love or care about, please find below some helpful online resources.
Child bereavement UK https://www.childbereavementuk.org
Compassionate friends https://www.tcf.org.uk
Cruse Bereavement Support https://www.cruse.org.uk
Sands https://www.sands.org.uk
SLOW - Surviving the loss of your world https://slowgroup.co.uk
The Good Grief Trust https://www.thegoodgrieftrust.org.uk
The Lullaby Trust https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk
The Mariposa Trust https://www.mariposatrust.org
Winstons Wish https://winstonswish.org
Do you need to speak to someone now?
24 HOUR SUPPORT LINES
| Samaritans | 116 123 (UK) | For anyone, at anytime, for any reason |
| Childline | 0800 1111 | Support for 18yrs & under and their relatives |
| Silverline | 0800 470 8090 | Support for the over 50's |
