Demand better aftercare for Scottish families experiencing baby loss
The Issue
Petition: Better Aftercare and Support for Families Experiencing Baby Loss
We are calling on the Scottish Government to recognise the urgent need for better aftercare and emotional support for families who leave hospital without their baby.
For a family experiencing baby loss, leaving hospital can be one of the hardest moments they will ever face. They may walk through the hospital doors carrying their belongings, but they leave with empty arms and a lifetime of grief. Not every family can simply go home. Home may be filled with a nursery that will never be used, baby clothes that will never be worn, or memories of the future they had imagined.
Too often, families can feel that once they leave the hospital, the support stops. They are expected to return to everyday life while trying to cope with an unimaginable loss.
Baby Loss Retreat is working to change this.
Baby Loss Retreat has already provided counselling support and retreats to 2,000 families, giving bereaved parents and families a safe space to talk, grieve, connect and begin to navigate life after baby loss.
We are now in the process of building a dedicated Baby Loss Retreat, a place where families can come together as soon as they leave hospital without their baby. A place where they do not have to pretend to be okay. A place where they can be surrounded by people who understand, receive professional and emotional support, and simply have time to breathe.
The retreat will give families the opportunity to attend together as a family or on their own, depending on what they need. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Some parents may need quiet time alone, while others may need the comfort of being with their partner, children or wider family.
Attending Baby Loss Retreat can provide:
A safe and understanding environment away from the hospital.
Access to counselling and emotional support.
Time and space to grieve without judgement.
The opportunity to meet other families who understand baby loss.
Support for parents, partners, siblings and wider family members.
A chance to feel less alone during the darkest days of grief.
A place where families can talk openly about their baby and keep their memory alive.
Support to help families begin taking their next steps when they feel ready.
Baby Loss Retreat is not about telling families how to grieve. It is about making sure they do not have to grieve without support.
We believe no family should leave hospital after losing their baby and feel that they have been left to cope alone.
We are calling on the Scottish Government to look urgently at the aftercare provided to families following baby loss and to recognise the value of specialist organisations such as Baby Loss Retreat.
Every baby matters.
Every family matters.
Every loss matters.
Families should not be sent home with empty arms and no support. They deserve somewhere to turn, someone to listen and a safe place to begin their journey through grief.
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The Issue
Petition: Better Aftercare and Support for Families Experiencing Baby Loss
We are calling on the Scottish Government to recognise the urgent need for better aftercare and emotional support for families who leave hospital without their baby.
For a family experiencing baby loss, leaving hospital can be one of the hardest moments they will ever face. They may walk through the hospital doors carrying their belongings, but they leave with empty arms and a lifetime of grief. Not every family can simply go home. Home may be filled with a nursery that will never be used, baby clothes that will never be worn, or memories of the future they had imagined.
Too often, families can feel that once they leave the hospital, the support stops. They are expected to return to everyday life while trying to cope with an unimaginable loss.
Baby Loss Retreat is working to change this.
Baby Loss Retreat has already provided counselling support and retreats to 2,000 families, giving bereaved parents and families a safe space to talk, grieve, connect and begin to navigate life after baby loss.
We are now in the process of building a dedicated Baby Loss Retreat, a place where families can come together as soon as they leave hospital without their baby. A place where they do not have to pretend to be okay. A place where they can be surrounded by people who understand, receive professional and emotional support, and simply have time to breathe.
The retreat will give families the opportunity to attend together as a family or on their own, depending on what they need. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. Some parents may need quiet time alone, while others may need the comfort of being with their partner, children or wider family.
Attending Baby Loss Retreat can provide:
A safe and understanding environment away from the hospital.
Access to counselling and emotional support.
Time and space to grieve without judgement.
The opportunity to meet other families who understand baby loss.
Support for parents, partners, siblings and wider family members.
A chance to feel less alone during the darkest days of grief.
A place where families can talk openly about their baby and keep their memory alive.
Support to help families begin taking their next steps when they feel ready.
Baby Loss Retreat is not about telling families how to grieve. It is about making sure they do not have to grieve without support.
We believe no family should leave hospital after losing their baby and feel that they have been left to cope alone.
We are calling on the Scottish Government to look urgently at the aftercare provided to families following baby loss and to recognise the value of specialist organisations such as Baby Loss Retreat.
Every baby matters.
Every family matters.
Every loss matters.
Families should not be sent home with empty arms and no support. They deserve somewhere to turn, someone to listen and a safe place to begin their journey through grief.
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Petition created on 12 August 2026