Mother’s Teddy Bear Initiative Supports Hospital’s Baby Loss Team

A specialized midwifery team at Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford assists parents coping with the profound grief of baby loss. The Blossom Suite provides this crucial care, inspiring one mother to launch a fundraising effort by gathering teddy bears, symbols of childhood comfort. Hollie Edridge was anticipating the birth of her third child, a son named Alfie, after a nine-month pregnancy. However, during labor, she received the devastating news that no heartbeat could be detected. “They decided when I was in hospital that I would give birth naturally because it was the safest way, and I was terrified,” she says. “The minute he came out I cuddled him, and realisation hit. “I just broke down at that point. To know that he wasn’t alive when I was giving birth to him was hard.” Ms. Edridge, 28, from Epping, experienced “placental abruption,” a condition where the placenta detaches partially or entirely from the uterine wall prior to delivery. This can reduce or obstruct the baby’s oxygen and nutrient supply and lead to significant bleeding. “Once we knew that I was going to be safe I just now had this time to spend making as many memories as I could, that’s where the Blossom team came in,” she says. “They have a room in there and it is filled with hundreds of donations – and you can choose anything you like. They gave me loads of things I could do with him, wash him, clothe him, it was just about creating memories at that point.”I don’t know if I could’ve gone through it without them, they were unbelievable.” Following an online appeal for pre-owned teddy bears, Ms. Edridge collected over 200, which she personally washes and repairs. “So many bears hold so many memories, and it would be such a nice thing if we could use much-loved bears instead of new bears,” she adds. “We gift them to other families who need them, with some going to the Blossom Suite and others being sold to raise money.” Rebecca Pursey, 34, a midwife at Broomfield for six years, has personal experience with baby loss, having utilized the Blossom Suite herself. Her daughter, Pepper, passed away at 30 weeks’ gestation due to a heart condition. “The lead up to it was hard as I was still working on the labour ward, so delivering other people’s babies whilst pregnant with Pepper – knowing that things weren’t that good,” she says. Ms. Pursey’s labor lasted a couple of days before she delivered Pepper in the Blossom Suite on 28 November 2019. “This room holds so many important emotions and memories,” she says. “That first cuddle and those photos I have, those first moments are the most important to me.” Student midwife Nicola Dolden similarly recalls her experiences in the Blossom Suite and the impactful support provided by its staff. She utilized the suite on two occasions, following the loss of her daughter Rudy at 18 weeks’ in 2020 and Aurora at 28 weeks’ in 2021. “With Rudy I had a 12-week scan and a gender scan and everything was fine but they didn’t really give me any information about what happens next. “I ended up clawing my way through the internet trying to find out what would happen to her.” Ms. Dolden stated that the nurses supported her during her most difficult times, capturing memories through photos and castings of her daughters’ hands and feet. “I can’t even thank them enough for the memories that they gave me,” she says. “It lets me know that they were real and that they were here and that they meant something.” Nicola is currently in her second year of midwifery training, aspiring to become a bereavement midwife. “I knew what I wanted to achieve,” she adds. “I had a vision of what I wanted our families to have and what care I thought they needed.” Tabitha Stuthridge has served as a bereavement midwife at Broomfield Hospital for seven years. Upon her arrival, this specific role was non-existent, and she was assigned the task of establishing the Blossom Suite. The space, previously an old store cupboard filled with refuse bags and equipment, was transformed with the aim of providing a comforting, home-like environment for families, equipped with all necessary provisions. “Bereavement care is improving and there’s been a big drive to improve the facilities that hospitals have to support families,” she says. “When a baby dies you feel like you can’t do enough, no matter what you do you can’t fix the situation. “So if we can offer families support in the way of memory making, then it means the world and it gives us purpose, so it helps everyone.” “Part of our job is to try and reassure families, to gain that trust and to tell them that they’re not on their own and we’re here to help them. “We are led by you, and we’re going to do everything we can to make this process as gentle as it can be.” Individuals impacted by this narrative or seeking assistance can locate organizations providing support and information via the BBC Action Line. 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