Service to be held for bereaved parents

BEREAVED parents are being invited to a special service early next month to remember babies born in stillbirth or after birth.

The annual remembrance, organised by the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street will take place in St Andrew’s Church on Westland Row on Sunday, October 6 at 3pm.

Last year, in Holles Street alone, there were 60 stillbirths and neonatal deaths.

The service, which is in its 19th year, will be multi-denominational and is attended by many people each year.

According to Ann Calnan, clinical midwife manager with the antenatal ward in Holles Street Hospital, all are welcome to attend the service.

“It’s a time for parents who lost babies over the year and in previous years to take a little time out to remember and acknowledge their loss,

? she told Northside People.

“There are some parents who come year in and year out because it allows them to remember.

“For a lot of parents their lives have moved on and some will come to the service with children they’ve had since or they’ll be pregnant.

“We don’t need to know anyone’s story but we often find that parents get a lot out of the service and they’ll come up to us for a chat afterwards or speak to other parents.

?