Bereavement Support

Including Pastoral Care

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About Our Service

Experiencing early pregnancy loss and/or the death of a baby at any gestational age is a devastating and difficult time for parents and their families. Here at The Coombe, in line with the National Bereavement Standards for Ireland’s Maternity Units we have developed a Bereavement specialist team who work alongside the larger team within the hospital to support parents.

There are key areas within the hospital that are most impacted by loss and we have developed these areas to ensure dignity privacy and space in end of life care. At present there is infrastructural work in progress to develop Bereavement suites within the hospital.

As a Maternity Hospital in 2011 we endorsed the Hospice Friendly Hospitals program and we us the National Bereavement Celtic end of life symbol on door signs, medical files and direct admission cards when indicated.

The End of Life Symbol

The End of Life symbol is inspired by ancient Irish history and is not associated with any one religion or denomination. The 3 stranded white spiral represents the interconnected cycle of life - birth, life and death. The white outer circle represents continuity, infinity and completion. Purple was chosen as the background colour as it is associated with nobility, solemnity and spirituality.

The symbol is to alert staff when an end-of-life situation is anticipated or has been experienced by a family. It is used to ensure increased privacy and dignity for those facing difficult outcomes.

If you have experienced the loss of your baby we, the entire hospital staff wish to offer you and your family our deepest condolences.

Policies and bereavement care procedures are in place to support you and your family at this time. Contact details of our team and external support services are in our resources section below.

Clinical Midwife Specialist in Bereavement and Loss:

The Bereavement Midwife provides bereavement support when anticipating, or following, the death of your baby or loved one. The Bereavement Midwife is available to you for support in the weeks, months and years following your loss. They are available to offer you age appropriate advice relaying the loss to siblings and will guide you in accessing different levels of bereavement support both in the hospital as well as in the community and voluntary services. They are also trained to assess and support your needs in terms of accessing additional counselling when indicated. They work collaboratively with the Medical Consultants and will liaise with you in relation to your follow up care, medical results and response to loss. A Bereavement Midwife is also in attendance for your support at the LEAF Clinic. (Miscarriage Clinic).

Support Organisations*:

A Little Lifetime Foundation

A Little Lifetime Foundation ( formerly Isands - Irish Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society) was founded in 1983 by a group of bereaved parents who searched for support after their baby died.  At A Little Lifetime Foundation, we understand the profound impact of such loss and are dedicated to providing compassionate assistance to those who need us. 

Our mission is to empower families to navigate the grieving process with dignity and resilience. Through our programs, support groups, and online resources, we strive to create a safe and nurturing environment where individuals can find solace and connection.

Anam Cara

Anam Cara provides monthly online and face-to-face group meetings throughout the island of Ireland. These are open to all bereaved parents with an emphasis on peer support. We also facilitate additional online bereavement support evenings with featured guests speakers who give an insightful talk about parental grief.

Children’s Palliative Hub

This portal, dedicated to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, offers invaluable resources, information, personal stories, and a directory of services available for parents, families and carers of children and young people with palliative care needs.

Every Life Counts

This online outreach is a place where parents of children who were diagnosed with a terminal condition can share their memories, their joy, their pain, and their love. It's a place where the lives of our much-loved children are celebrated, and where we can reach out to parents in similar situations.

Feileacain

Féileacáin is dedicated to supporting those affected by the loss of a baby. We provide personal, emotional and practical support to bereaved parents and their families, whenever they need it. This includes Memory Making, counselling, social work advice, befriending services, play therapy, support meetings and Services of Remembrance.

First Light

FirstLight offers free professional support and provides information to families in Ireland that have experienced the death of their child if aged from 0 to 18 years.

FirstLight is a trauma-informed organisation, offering Crisis Intervention and a Psychotherapy service. Our services are provided nationwide by our team of professionally accredited, fully insured and Garda-vetted psychotherapists and counsellors.


International Trisomy Alliance

We are a volunteer, not-for-profit organization focusing on trisomy 13 and trisomy 18, (also known as Patau and Edwards syndromes respectively). Our mission is to offer trisomy 13 and trisomy 18 support groups, physicians and other professionals, accurate information and resources, and to be a mechanism for sharing between groups.

Irish Childhood Bereavement Network

Members share a vision that all children and young people, together with the adults in their lives, can easily access a choice of high quality local and national information, guidance and support to enable them to manage the impact of death on their lives.

Irish Hospice Foundation

There will come a time in our life when we will need care through illness, at the end of life and in bereavement. There is a real appetite to embrace conversations and equip the Irish people with the language, tools and opportunities to open up and feel safe to share their thoughts and concerns about dying, death and bereavement. The Irish Hospice Foundation support all elements of dying and grieving, providing support for everyone involved.

Irish Neonatal Health Alliance

The INHA is Ireland’s first collaborative platform and network to represent the interests of preterm infants, ill infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and their families. It comprises of families affected by a preterm birth, multi-disciplinary healthcare experts, educators, researchers, political decision makers and industry partners who share the common goal of reducing the incidence of preterm birth in Ireland, supporting families with infants in the NICU and improving the long-term health of preterm infants by ensuring the optimum prevention, treatment, care and support.

Jacinta's Smile

Our mission is to ensure that all children and young people in Ireland that have lost a sibling can access support regardless of location or personal circumstances. We are trying to solve the hurtful experiences of Sibling Bereavement and the adverse affects on children and young adults following the death of a sibling

Website: www.jacintassmile.ie

Email: info@jacintassmile.ie

Telephone: 090 6625898 | Mobile: 087 4220000

Jack and Jill

Jack & Jill is a nationwide charity providing in-home nursing care and respite support for children up to the age of 6 with severe to profound cognitive delay.

This may include children with brain injury, genetic diagnosis, cerebral palsy, and undiagnosed conditions. Another key part of our service is end-of-life care for all children up to the age of 6, irrespective of diagnosis.

Laura Lynn

LauraLynn's mission is to provide a Community of Care that delivers evidence-based, personalised services to children with palliative care needs, complex care needs and complex disabilities, while also providing family support services and a home to our residents where quality-of-life is paramount.

Leanbh Mo Chroi

Leanbh Mo Chroi wishes to end the stigma around TFMR and encourage healing by offering support and ending the silence that has existed, where cases like ours are seldom talked about or acknowledged.

Miscarriage Association of Ireland

The Association is a registered charity set up by and run with the support of women and men who themselves have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage. We offer telephone and email support to bereaved parents. In addition, we hold monthly peer to peer support group meetings, organise an annual service of remembrance, keep books of remembrance, and place memorial stones throughout the country.

Rosabels Rooms

Rosabel’s Rooms is a Galway-born child loss project, now a national initiative, in partnership the Irish Hospice Foundation, that is reaching out to bereaved parents and families all over Ireland. They advocate for more appropriate hospital settings for families experiencing loss, support with loss of earnings and funeral costs and offer support services after child loss.

Nurture Health

Nurture Health provides professional counselling support services to women & partners, navigating all aspects of pregnancy, fertility, childbirth, loss, perimenopause and menopause.

SOFT Ireland

Set up by parents for parents of Trisomy children, SOFT, the Support Organisation for Trisomy, in Ireland, is a voluntary group dedicated to providing support for families of children born with Patau's Syndrome (Trisomy 13), Edwards' Syndrome (Trisomy 18) and related chromosomal disorders. Support is provided during prenatal diagnosis, during the child's life, and after the child's passing

Teach Ruadh Foundation

The Teach Ruadh Foundation is an initiative set up by Sinead and her partner Keith, following the tragic passing of their baby boy Ruadhán late in 2022 . Named in memory of baby Ruadhán, Urban Brand Creative pledges to annually donate €30,000 worth of free services to worthwhile registered charities, community organisations or Not for Profits. Teach Ruadh Foundation also sponsors CPR training. There is also a respite home for grieving families launching in 2026.

Website: www.teachruadhfoundation.ie

*Disclaimer:
This directory has been compiled as a helpful reference for families and individuals seeking additional support during bereavement. The groups listed here are independent, not-for-profit organisations offering a variety of services and resources.

While The Coombe Hospital does not operate or formally endorse these organisations, we acknowledge the important role they may play in supporting people through grief and loss. Inclusion in this list does not imply affiliation, recommendation, or responsibility on the part of The Coombe. We encourage families to explore these resources and find what best suits their individual needs.

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