The Other Mothers

In this special episode, we reflect on Baby Loss Awareness Week – what it means to us as bereaved mothers, how our relationship with the week has changed over time, and the emotions that can come with a period of such heightened awareness. We also wanted to hear from the wider baby loss community so we asked bereaved parents to share their thoughts and experiences of the week – what they find helpful, what they find difficult, and what they wish others understood. Using their responses to guide our conversation, we explore the importance of raising awareness and remembering our babies, whilst also acknowledging that Baby Loss Awareness Week can feel very different for every bereaved parent.

In the final episode of Series 6, the three of us explore how grief evolves over time and how we evolve alongside it. We reflect on how our lives have changed since losing our baby boys, Freddie, Eddie and Teddy and we talk about what it means to move forward, find joy again, whilst carrying our babies with us as we embrace life once more.

In this episode, the three of us explore the question: what kind of parents would we have been if our baby had lived?

We reflect on the imagined future that was lost alongside our baby and the version of ourselves that never got to unfold. Alongside this, we consider how loss has shaped the parents we have become, and how both realities can exist side by side.

In this powerful episode, we're joined by Alicia Burnett, founder of Black Baby Loss Awareness Week, who shares why this important campaign was created and the work she is doing to help make meaningful change. Alicia opens up about the devastating loss of her baby boy, Micaiah, who passed away at just six months old, and speaks candidly about grief, motherhood, inequality and the importance of support and awareness within Black communities.

In today's episode, we're joined by Marina Fogle, journalist, podcaster and co-founder of The Bump Class, to discuss the loss of her baby boy Willem in 2014. She speaks openly about grief, motherhood and remembering Willem in a conversation that is both moving and quietly hopeful.

In this episode, we speak to award-winning journalist, editor and author Amit Katwala who shares his personal story of loss following the stillbirth of his son Rayan. Amit has also shared his deeply moving story for The Guardian, offering a powerful reflection of grief from a father's perspective. It can be read here:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/oct/21/how-i-survived-the-stillbirth-of-my-son

In this episode, we are joined by Lucy Livesey, founder of Ellie's Gift. Lucy shares her story of losing her baby girl Ellie to TFMR (termination for medical reasons) and how she set up Ellie's Gift in her memory to support the baby loss community.

The Ellie's Gift App is a free resource to support individuals through baby loss by offering practical assistance, mental health support, and educational resources. More information can be read here: https://www.ellies.gift/

To launch Series 6 of The Other Mothers Podcast, we were honoured to speak to journalist and author Ali Harris about her new novel "This Wasn't Meant To Happen" – a love story about a couple, Sofie and Rory, whose world imploded after the stillbirth of their baby boy at 39 weeks.

Ali also opens up about the devasting loss of her daughter Poppy and explains how this experience became the inspiration behind her latest novel.

This wasn't meant to happen. But it did.

"Sofie Jensen knows the safest way to live is by staying in control. And she knows that love can come with a cost.

But what she doesn't know is that one unexpected moment will change everything. Because meeting Rory and falling in love wasn't part of the plan. Neither was becoming pregnant or losing her baby.

Sofie doesn't know how she'll survive this kind of grief – but she knows life will never be the same again…

Told with quiet strength and breathtaking honesty, This Wasn't Meant to Happen is a powerful portrait of love, grief and the tender, complicated path back to hope"

Ali's book can be purchased on Amazon here

In our final episode of Series 5, the three of us speak about inherited grief and the impact this has on our subsequent children. We talk about how we raise our loving children in the shadow of grief, and the conversations that come up in daily life.

We are joined by author Ellie Harley-Jones who speaks to us about her baby boy Theo, who she lost to stillbirth in March 2021. Ellie has channelled her grief for Theo by writing and illustrating 'Theo Bear - A Midnight Wish', a beautiful and heartfelt story which is lovely to read to children, and is also a comfort for bereaved parents. We also speak about how healing and cathartic it has been for Ellie to write in Theo's name.

For Black Baby Loss Awarness Week, we are joined by Rachel Burrell and Gina Reeves, founders of the charity Ebony Bonds, a bereavement charity dedicated to providing support for black bereaved families . We speak about Rachel and Gina's personal experiences of baby loss - Rachel tragically lost her baby Rhema to stillbirth and Gina tragically lost her baby boy Dante to stillbirth. We also speak about the disparities and systemic inequalities of maternity care for black and mixed heritage families, and what is needed to make meaningful change.

For more information on Ebony Bonds please visit: https://www.ebonybonds.org.uk/

You can follow them on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/ebonybondsupport

In this episode we talk to Professor Alex Heazell, consultant obstetrician and Clinical Director of The Tommy's Maternal and Fetal Health Research Centre in Manchester. We speak about Professor Heazell's pioneering research projects which focusses on the causes and prevention of stillbirth, and his visions for the future.

For more information on his work at Tommy's, please visit: https://www.tommys.org/

To launch our new series, it is a privelege for us to speak to Jenni Thomas OBE, who is widely recognised as a leading figure and pioneer in bereavement support for families grieving the death of a child and for educating health professionals on how best to support families. We speak to Jenni about her experience in supporting bereaved families over the last 60 years, and her newly published book 'After a Child Dies, Parent's Grief'.

This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week and we had the privilege of interviewing author, mother and motivational speaker, Malin Andersson. Malin speaks about the loss of her baby girl Consy and how she navigated her grief journey alongside the loss of her mother, whilst also in the midst of a domestically abusive relationship. We speak about what Malin found helpful in her grief, the arrival of Consy's younger sister Xaya, and parenting again after loss. We were all inspired by Malin's bravery, and know that you will be too. Trigger Warning: we speak about domestic abuse in this episode.

In this special epsiode we talk about Back to School Week and other triggers. We discuss the doorstep pictures on social media and how they make us feel, aswell as how we manage other things that trigger us most in our grief.

In this episode we are joined by Buffy Hinson, who shares her story of losing her baby Zara to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in 2018 and how she navigated her grief alongside parenting Zara's two elder sisters. Buffy openly shares her parenthood story before and after loss, as well as all of the things she used to help her during the most heartbreaking time. Trigger Warning: we do talk about sleep safety and for more information please visit The Lullaby Trust: www.thelullabytrust.org.uk

In this episode, we speak to Ex-England Rugby legend and World Cup winner, Will Greenwood. Will speaks for the first time on a podcast about the loss of his first baby boy, Freddie, in 2002. We hear about how he navigated his grief and the incredible things he has achieved in memory of Freddie; including trekking to the South Pole and becoming a patron of Borne charity . A first for us on the pod, as we get to hear what the loss of a child feels like from a dad's perspective.

In part 2 of this episode, we continue our conversation with midwife and author, Sophie Martin who is best known for her blog, and most recently her brilliant book "The Infertile Midwife: In Search of Motherhood. A memoir". We chat to Sophie about her journey through infertility whilst working to deliver other peoples babies, and the challenges that raised for her along the way. Sophie candidly shares with us her journey into motherhood, losing her twins Cecil and Wilfred to stillbirth and welcoming her son, Percy, in 2021.

To launch our new series, we are joined by midwife and author, Sophie Martin who is best known for her blog, and most recently her brilliant book "The Infertile Midwife: In Search of Motherhood. A memoir". In this episode we chat to Sophie about her journey through infertility whilst working to deliver other peoples babies, and the challenges that raised for her along the way. Sophie candidly shares with us her journey into motherhood, losing her twins Cecil and Wilfred to stillbirth and welcoming her son, Percy, in 2021. We loved chatting to Sophie, and we know how much her book is set to help those who need it, so we hope you'll enjoy this conversation as much as we did.

In this episode, ahead of Mother's Day, we discuss how we all navigated our first one without our boys, and what we do now as each year passes. We also chat about messages of support from friends on Mother's Day or what we would have loved to have heard from those supporting us. It's challenging explaining what it feels like to be a mother without a baby here for the world to see, but we do our best at giving an insight into how that can feel. We know how difficult this day can be for so many, so we are sending everyone who needs it, all our love and strength this weekend.

In this episode, we speak with Professor Mark Johnson, leading Consultant Obstetrician and Head of Research & Development at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London. Mark is also the founder of Borne, a medical research charity which aims to prevent premature birth. This episode is particularly pertinent as Mark supported Caro in her subsequent pregnancies after losing her first son, Freddie.

In this episode we chat about supporting someone close to you who has lost their baby. We speak honestly about our personal "do's and don'ts" in supporting: what worked for us (and what didn't!) We also talk about how other peoples reactions to our losses affected us in the early weeks of grief.

Parenting another child after loss can be an extremely frightening time for anyone. In this episode we discuss our experiences of some of those anxieties, and what parenting after loss can feel like. We also chat about things that each of us have found most helpful, and what we think we've done differently, as a bereaved parent.

In this episode we are joined by Teddy's Wish Bereavement Counsellor, Paula Abramson. Paula gave her time and expertise to explain what bereavement counselling is, and how it can help bereaved parents in the immediate aftermath of loss, or further down the line. We also chatted about the importance of bereavement support training for healthcare professionals who are looking after families, and how those early experiences, conversations and language used can have a lasting affect on parents.