This page contains references to baby loss and other themes you may not be ready to read. If you’re aged 16-25, we can help you today.
Finding out you’re pregnant after losing a baby brings you a whirlwind of emotions you never expected to feel. You feel excited about getting pregnant again yet still carry the grief of the baby you lost. You feel hopeful and excited one minute, then completely terrified the next.
Every scan, every symptom and every milestone feels different this time around. The reassurance you once had may have been replaced by a constant awareness of what could go wrong, and the people around you may not always understand.
That’s why ‘Her Journey’ is here. We provide a safe space for young women aged 16–25 across the Tees Valley to talk openly about the fear, grief and hope that can come with pregnancy after loss, with people who understand why this pregnancy feels different.
Why additional support during a subsequent pregnancy matters.
1 in 4
Young women experience a common mental health problem
2x
More likely to experience a probable mental health disorder
3 in 4
Mental health problems begin by age 24
0.7%
Of mental health and wellbeing grant funding went specifically to young women
Is Her Journey for me?
Her Journey is here for young women aged 16–25 who have experienced pregnancy or baby loss within the last three years across the Teesside area.
You may be able to access Her Journey if you have experienced:
- Miscarriage or termination for medical reasons (TFMR)
- Stillbirth or the loss of a baby during neonatal care
- Termination of pregnancy
- A new high-risk pregnancy following a previous loss or NICU experience, where you are currently receiving care from fetal medicine
You don’t need to know what kind of support you need before getting in touch. We can work that out together.
Types of Support We Offer Across Teesside
Because we understand why this pregnancy is different and the type of support you will need.
Advocacy & Practical Support
Sometimes you need someone in your corner. We can advocate for you with employers, help with social housing issues such as requesting more suitable accommodation, and support you through practical challenges during your pregnancy.
Peer Support
Whether you need someone to talk to before a scan, company at an appointment or simply someone who understands why today feels particularly difficult, we’ll meet you where you are. Our support is informal, delivered by trained professionals and always at your pace.
Newborn Behavioural Observation
After baby loss, bringing your new baby home can bring a whole new set of worries. From birth to three months, we help you understand your baby’s unique cues and behaviours, building confidence in what they’re communicating and helping you feel more reassured as you get to know them.
Medical Advocacy
Going back into hospital after baby loss can be difficult. We can advocate for you, from requesting a different room to supporting you with hospital visits, birth plans, bed rest and communicating your needs to your care team.
Trauma-Informed Counselling
Pregnancy after loss can bring traumatic memories and feelings back to the surface. We offer Rewind Therapy to help lower arousal while you process difficult memories in a calm, relaxed state, alongside other therapies such as nervous system work to help you understand your responses, feel safer in your body and manage anxiety throughout your pregnancy.
This service is funded by the Pilgrim Trust through its Young Women in Mind programme, a national initiative responding to the mental health crisis facing girls and young women.
Our 'Her Journey' Team
Pregnancy After Loss Service Lead, Leanne
You’ll be supported by Leanne, our Her Journey Service Lead. She is a qualified Perinatal and Baby Loss Practitioner with specialist training in birth trauma and therapeutic support, so you’ll be in great hands with her.
Katie
Katie is part of our wider Her Journey team and is a qualified Specialist Peer Mentor and Child Development Practitioner. She brings lived experience of NICU alongside professional training in early years and developmental support.
Tammy
Tammy is part of our wider Her Journey team and is a Specialist Peer Mentor and Child Development Practitioner. She brings lived experience of NICU and SEND alongside specialist training in developmental play.
Lottie
Lottie is the CEO and Founder of Leo’s and works behind the scenes to help shape Her Journey. She brings lived experience of baby loss, NICU and pregnancy after loss alongside her work as a Nervous System Practitioner.
What Does Pregnancy After Loss Support Look Like?
If you’re a young woman aged 16-25 and live in Teesside including Redcar & Cleveland, Middlesbrough, Stockton, Hartlepool and Darlington, who are currently experiencing a pregnancy after a loss.
Our service is suited to women who:
- Feel able to engage in support
- Would benefit from relational peer support or therapeutic support
- Do not currently require crisis intervention
- Want specific support related to pregnancy loss, TFMR, baby loss, neonatal care, high risk pregnancy or termination of pregnancy.
*If a young woman requires more intensive or specialist support, alternative or additional services may be recommended.
Parents and young women between the ages of 16 and 25 can refer themselves for support using the parent referral form. GPs, healthcare professionals and other professionals can make a referral using this form where appropriate.
Until you feel your baby kick, we know how much anxiety each passing week brings. Finding that balance between being optimistic and trying to cope with your own overwhelming emotions is hard, but that doesn’t mean you have to go through this alone.
That’s why we offer peer support, different types of therapy and practical advocacy. You might need someone to talk to before a scan, or someone to call your maternity unit and request a different room so you don’t have to return to the place where you previously received bad news.
You may also need some practical support too. If you’re placed on bed rest, that could mean helping you advocate to your employer for adjustments or helping you speak to your housing provider if your current home is no longer suitable, like if you struggle getting to the top floor. Whatever you need along the way, we’ll advocate for you and work alongside your care team to help you feel heard, understood and supported.
The closer you get to meeting your baby, the more of a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions you may have. Your previous experience may influence what you need, and that is where we can help. We can create birth plans that suit you or make sure your environment is exactly what you need.
That may look like making sure your maternity team understands your previous loss, requesting a different room or simply making sure the people around you know what you may find difficult.
Finding the words to say what you need is difficult at the best of times. We will help you get what you need and make sure your voice is heard and part of every conversation about you and your baby’s care.
Every new mama is now physically wired with heightened attention to their baby thanks to hormonal changes involving oxytocin, prolactin and the stress system. But after a loss, this vigilance can feel a little more intense.
That is why we offer Newborn Behavioural Observation support to help you understand your baby’s own unique language. Now, this could be noticing something as small as your baby getting hiccups when the TV is too loud, helping you recognise that your baby may need a quieter environment.
The more you understand those little cues, the less you have to second-guess. We can help you ease that worry and give you the confidence you need to be the best mama you can be for your little one.
This Part of Your Story Matters Too
What came before will always be part of you, but you don’t have to navigate what comes next without support.
Memory Making Events for Families Across the Tees Valley
A new baby will never replace the one you lost. We know that, which is why we hold special memory-making events where you can create crafts in memory of your little one.
Welcoming another baby can bring so much happiness, but it doesn’t mean you stop being a parent to the baby who came before them. Finding ways to remember them can give their place in your family somewhere to exist alongside all the new memories you’re making.
At our memory-making events, you can expect a relaxed, welcoming space where you can spend time together as a family, meet others who understand and create something special in memory of your baby. There’s no pressure to talk or share your story. You can simply come along, join in with the crafts and activities, and remember your little one in whatever way feels right for you.
More Ways Her Journey Can Support You
Your experience might not fit neatly into one type of support. Her Journey offers other services that may be right for you, now or as your needs change.
Baby Loss Support
Compassionate support following the loss of your baby, giving you a safe place to talk, process what you’ve been through and be supported through grief at your own pace.
NICU Support
If you have a baby in the NICU, we can help with a variety of things such as peer support, group support or you could take advantage of our advocacy work.
Help Shape What Comes Next
We want Her Journey to grow alongside the women who use it. Your ideas, experiences and opinions can influence what we offer next. If something would make Her Journey better for you, your voice deserves to be part of that conversation.