The focus for this year’s Baby Loss Awareness Week is staff training.
Sarah Smith and Beth Watson are Trainee Clinical Nurse Specialists in Early Pregnancy Care at NCIC.
Sarah explained what they hope to get out of the week: “We are in the process of planning drop-in teaching sessions, in a workshop format, for NCIC staff whom may come in to contact with women experiencing pregnancy loss. We will be focusing on communication and education, raising awareness and understanding, with the aim to improve the care of women in hospital.”
The pair described what a typical day involves in the role:
“A typical day involves providing care and support to women experiencing early pregnancy complications up to 16 weeks of pregnancy. We do this by co-ordinating assessment, ultrasound, diagnosis and, if required, various treatment options.
“The majority of the work is undertaken in our early pregnancy clinics, which operate daily at both the Cumberland Infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital. Following the clinic, our time is spent triaging referrals and reviewing previously seen patients.
“We are also available to provide advice and support to other healthcare professionals caring for women in early pregnancy, such as GPs, midwives or practice nurses.”
Sarah said: “There is no definitive answer as to why women miscarry but it is thought that one in four to five pregnancies end in miscarriage. Research is continuous, but it is believed the majority of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities. It is very difficult for women not to look for blame when experiencing miscarriage, especially when we can’t give the answers as to why it has happened. We try to ensure women are aware of the above and do not blame themselves.”
The team also support women who experience an ectopic pregnancy, an ectopic pregnancy is when a fertilised egg implants itself outside of the womb, usually in one of the fallopian tubes.
Beth added: “We try our very best to support the women and families we see, through what can be the worst time of their lives. To do this job in early pregnancy you must be empathetic, compassionate, dedicated, understanding and approachable. To support these families, a compassionate and empathetic approach is required. It is important for us to understand that each person we see requires individualised care and support.
She added: “You need to be knowledgeable and able to provide evidence based care along with enhanced emotional support.”
Sarah and Beth and the team offer support and advice throughout the assessment and diagnosis process and counselling through various treatment options and follow up.
Sarah explains: “We can signpost patients to the appropriate support networks, and make referrals to the required services. We treat our women individually and holistically whilst striving to provide the best possible care we can.”
If you would like further support please visit https://www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk/ or https://ectopic.org.uk/