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

Today is World Sleep Day and we want to continue spreading the word about #SleepOnSide. In 2017, researchers at our Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre confirmed sleeping on your side in the third trimester of pregnancy decreases the risk of stillbirth. The MiNESS study estimated a 3.7% decrease in stillbirth if all pregnant women and birthing people in the UK slept on their side in their third trimester. That's the equivalent of saving 130 babies’ lives a year. And nearly 8 years on from our #SleepOnSide campaign, we want to continue raising awareness so we can make pregnancy and birth safe - for everyone. Find out more about sleep position in pregnancy and how our researchers are working tirelessly to save more babies' lives: https://bit.ly/39O9Qz5 #WorldSleepDay

The best minds in preterm birth research are getting together for the UK's Preterm Birth Conference. They're meeting to discuss how research can help reduce the number of babies born too soon. The Director of our National Centre for Preterm Birth Research, Prof Cath Williamson, is providing an update on the groundbreaking research the centre has delivered over its first year. And many other researchers from the centre will be sharing their research breakthroughs with the scientific community. Stay tuned for our researchers' highlights on the centre's first birthday and for an update on the best bits of the conference. Find out more about our preterm birth research: https://bit.ly/3hfsSDz

Yesterday was No Smoking Day. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do to protect your baby’s health during pregnancy and after they are born. But we know this can be challenging, especially for people with less social support around them. That's why our researchers at Tommy's National Centre for Preterm Birth Research are finding out if peer support can help women and birthing people stop smoking during pregnancy. We hope this research will help reduce the risk of preterm birth to make pregnancy and birth safer - for everyone. To find out more about our preterm birth research visit tommys.org/research

"This will be my first Mother’s Day, yet Harvey isn’t here to celebrate it with." After a ‘picture-perfect’ pregnancy, Olivia and Jordan’s son Harvey was stillborn at 41+3 weeks. Olivia reflects on her experience and what motherhood means to her: https://lnkd.in/eEJyEWz9 #MothersDay can bring mixed emotions for so many reasons. People often feel like parents from the moment they see a positive pregnancy test – and heartbreakingly, not everyone gets to bring their baby home. We're working to change this through our groundbreaking research. At every moment. Of every journey. We See A Mum. #WeSeeAMum

Yesterday, the Government announced they're committed to extending the right to bereavement leave to include pre-24 week baby loss. Business Minister Justin Madders said the Government "has heard" the voices of campaigners and “fully accepts” the idea of bereavement leave for baby loss. Right now, parents are only eligible for parental bereavement leave if they or their partner have been through baby loss after 24 weeks of pregnancy. This means anyone who goes through baby loss before 24 weeks may be forced to use sick leave after their loss. We know the heartbreak and devastation miscarriage can cause, and that this sick leave isn't enough. That's why we've joined calls from our friends at Miscarriage Association to extend bereavement leave to include those who've lost a baby before 24 weeks. Our Chief Exec, Kath Abrahams said: “We warmly welcome the Government’s commitment to ensuring people have the right to time off work after experiencing a pregnancy loss before 24 weeks. This can be a heartbreaking time and we know it will mean so much to so many who have not had their grief properly acknowledged. “Women and birthing people and their partners will not ‘recover’ within days or even weeks of this type of loss, but bereavement leave will allow them some time to heal and grieve without fear of negative consequences at work. “As the details of this new policy come under scrutiny in Parliament over the coming weeks and months, we’ll continue to push for the most effective possible change for those who need it. “We’re proud to have worked alongside campaigners and organisations such as the Miscarriage Association, The Ectopic Pregnancy Trust and NHS England towards this significant moment.” Read more: https://bit.ly/420fAlm #BabyLoss #Miscarriage

Close the gender health gap 📢 The UK government was elected on a manifesto promise of prioritising women’s health. But, only 5% of women think the government is treating women’s health as a priority, with nearly half (46%) of women finding it difficult or very difficult to access the health services they need when they need them. For International Women’s Day, we joined the RCOG and 48 other organisations to call for concrete commitment to make sure women receive the quality healthcare they need throughout their lives, in an open letter to the UK government. Read and share the letter: https://brnw.ch/21wR8Ds #PrioritiseWomensHealth

“Even though I birthed them, I'll never celebrate a Mother's Day with them in my arms.” After 2 difficult pregnancies, Shakira found out she was pregnant with twins. But heartbreakingly, she lost her boys, Micaiah and Isaiah, at 19 weeks. Since the loss of her twins, Shakira has been supported by Tommy's midwives over the phone. She says where she'd felt like just a number in other situations, this wasn't the case with Tommy's. Shakira shares her story and what Mother's Day means to her this year: https://bit.ly/4kt2dkP If you need our support as we approach Mother's Day, you can contact our midwife helpline for free by calling 0800 014 7800, emailing midwife@tommys.org or visiting our website (tommys.org). #WeSeeAMum

"We so appreciate the expertise Tommy’s has offered us. We know there’s still a way to go, but we are committed to supporting parents at each and every stage” Heather Blundell, CEO at Grayling. We know the impact a supportive workplace can have on families going through all kinds of pregnancy journeys. That's why, through our Pregnancy and Parenting at Work programme, we’re working with businesses like Grayling UK, to take action and bring their policies to life through year-round holistic support. We’re here to help you #AccelerateAction by making your policies inclusive for all journeys to parenthood. Will you join us this International Women’s Day to improve support for employees in your workplace? If you sign up before 31st March 2025, we offer free access to Pregnancy & Parenting at Work training for businesses with less than 250 employees thanks to the VCSE Health and Wellbeing Fund, part of a partnership programme between Department of Health & Social Care, NHS England and UK Health Security Agency. To learn more, head to our website: https://bit.ly/3g7CnqB

“The joy, the grief, the triumphant belief.” In 2022, with the help of our community, we launched our #WeSeeAMum campaign, which aims to recognise all mums, no matter where they are on their pregnancy journey. Since 2022, the campaign has grown and we're proud to be supported in this campaign by our partners like Mamas & Papas, Poundland & Dealz and Bloom & Wild. We know this month can be difficult one for many people, including those who've been through loss, premature birth or are struggling to conceive. We also understand every experience of motherhood is unique, and what it means to be a mum is completely different for everybody. People often feel like parents from the moment they see a positive pregnancy test – and heartbreakingly, not everyone gets to bring their baby home. Through translating our groundbreaking research into expert information and improved care, we can give hope, support and comfort to all mums, wherever you are on your pregnancy journey. At every moment. Of every journey. We see a mum. #WeSeeAMum