Held In Our Hearts: baby loss counselling and support

Angie chats today to Heather Taylor, our Principal Peer Supporter, who talks about her own journey as a bereaved parent to her precious daughter Eilidh, who died 26 years ago and to Mhairi Hayes, whose much loved daughter, Niamh died in early 2020. Together they reflect on the differences and similarities on the steps that they took on the road, when they reached out for support, how they found the support that was available and what they might have done differently if they knew what the...

In this episode, Nicola talks to Heather, Lindsay and Katy who are all peer supports at Held In Our Hearts. They discuss many aspects of peer support and answer questions from the public about their role and the support they offer bereaved parents. If you have ever wondered what peer support is or have wondered if it might help you , then listen in and learn a bit about their vital role within the charity.

Tracy talks to Michael McQuire from Fort William and his incredible journey as a bereaved dad and how he channeled his own grief after the death of his beautiful son Kyle to support others.From setting up the charity Aman Cara and working tirelessly to fund a place that parents can go after the death of their baby.He talks about his dream to see baby loss charities unite and climb his beloved Ben Nevis together and in setting up Big Steps for Small Feet that dream became a reality in 2021 and...

Angie talks to Nicola Welsh, CEO and our two new Hospital to Home Workers, Jenni Morris and Christy Mulvaney about our new pilot project, supporting families alongside NHS Lothian colleagues, as they transition from a hospital to community setting. We spoke about the fact that it is Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme is loneliness, so it felt apt to share more about this project, which will help to address the overwhelming loneliness that families face after their baby has died.Nicola...

Today Tracy Watt talks to Maureen Scott about her journey as a midwife.They talk about the challenges she faced as a new midwife and her journey with Held In Our HeartsShe talks about her own family and in growing up it was never a career that she had thought about. Maureen talks about events that nearly stopped her becoming a midwife after being brutally attacked on her way to work and how friends and family helped her to face the traumatic weeks and months ahead. She explains how that...

In this podcast we talk about grandparents and their own unique grief journey.Michelle and Ann discuss anniversaries and how as time moves on, their love for their grandchildren grows.We talk about different conversations with other family members and navigating others through a complex time.

This podcast's topic is about bereaved dads using sports as a way to cope with their grief.Tracy Watt chats to Richard Skipworth and Fraser Baxter, who share about their own journey of grief as bereaved dads and how their unwavering support for the charity, kept them going through the challenges they set themselves.Richard and Fraser also talk about their funny stories and how through their training for these incredibly tough challenges, they managed to keep going when at times, it simply did...

This episode features a discussion about sibling support and how children at different ages might grieve differently. Nicola speaks to Jamie Cameron about the work of Lyle's Light which was established after the loss of Jamie's precious twin daughter Lyle. Jamie's older daughter Cameron was 5 at the time and she was aware that she needed to support her daughter's grief as well as well as her own. Nicola and Jamie explore children's grief and discuss the sibling bo...

This podcast's topic is about helping friends, family and colleagues support bereaved parents. Angie Alexander chats to three of our befriending team Vikki Anderson, Katy Skipworth and Tracy Watt, who share their own insights about what they found comforting after the loss of their precious little ones and how sometimes it can just be the simplest thing that give so much comfort –a hug, a cup of tea, a text on an anniversary. The conversation is wide ranging covering issues like the taboo aro...

This podcast's topic is about subsequent pregnancy after loss, which we know can be one of the most conflicting times for bereaved families to face, filled with complex and often contradictory emotions. Angie Alexander chats to two of our befriending team Heather Taylor and Gemma Brady, who share their own personal reflections of pregnancy after the loss of their precious daughters Eilidh and Tilly. They also share practical advice and guidance that helped themselves and also through the supp...