Hospital Care
When you are going through the loss of a baby, it may be necessary to receive care from your local hospital.
The majority of baby loss takes place at home. People may become aware that things are not right, possibly due to suffering moderate to severe stomach cramps, bleeding, passing of a small fetal sac, or passing clots. This may sadly mean that they are encountering a baby loss, but these symptoms can also be unrelated to loss, which is why medical treatment should be sought.
If you visit your local hospital A&E, you may be referred to the EAPU who will usually offer you a scan to see if a loss has taken place, or you may be booked to come in for a scan within 7-days. If a complete miscarriage has taken place, no further treatment/action would be offered, however, if you have not fully miscarried, you may be given medication and sent home, to allow for the final part of the loss to be naturally passed. You may prefer to undergo what is commonly called a Dilation and Curretage (D&C), which is an operation to clear the uterus. This is often performed as a day case operation, although at times an overnight stay may be needed.
If you have sadly suffered a missed miscarriage, you may only become aware of this when you go for a routine scan, or if you have felt a change in your baby’s movement/routine and you request a scan. In this situation, you will normally be offered the same treatment as above, with either medication to bring on a natural delivery or an operation.
For Ectopic pregnancies please see the Ectopic Pregnancy section.
Sadly the majority of NHS hospitals do not have separate facilities to treat women who are encountering a loss (or a suspected loss) and so all obstetric and gynaecological cases are treated on the same ward, which can be very distressing for all parties.
Tragically, baby loss is heartbreakingly common with 1-in-4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage. Hospitals see loss on a daily basis, and people can experience both exemplary care, and poor care, depending on the hospital and the staff that treat them. At all times, you should be treated with respect and care, and there is always a Head of Midwifery who can be spoken to if you feel your care has not been correct. In addition, many hospitals have ‘Specialist Bereavement Midwives’ who are trained to support people through loss and there is also a Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) in all hospitals, who can advise if treatment and care have been substandard.
Some NHS Trusts follow a bereavement care pathway, which instructs medical staff to follow specific care and treatment plans. This is not mandatory, and the current ‘National Pregnancy Loss Review’ is looking at this and many other aspects of bereavement care, to ensure excellent service is offered by all hospitals, and GP’s across the country.