More than 70 people pay tribute to the 'little footprints' on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day

This morning, Hospital SJD Sant Boi has hosted a remembrance ceremony for the 'little footprints' and families who have experienced the loss of a baby during pregnancy, at the time of birth or shortly afterwards. These losses, which are often silenced, and the grief that goes with them are called perinatal bereavement and are commemorated every 15 October.

The ceremony, which took place in front of the Tree of Remembrance, was attended by around seventy people who were moved by the first-hand account of a mother and the experiences of the maternity team professionals who support families through this process.

Merche Moreno, mother of Aritz, an angel baby, and Unax, born at Hospital SJD Sant Boi, spoke about the importance of raising awareness of invisible motherhood, of naming the pain which comes with it and showing society that these losses are irreplaceable. "It's very difficult to come face to face with death when you're hoping for life," she said. "You have to make lots of decisions when you're told there's no heartbeat, but none of them are wrong. We'll always be the mum and dad of this baby, and we need to make society realise that you can miss someone without having any living memories of them."

Merche Moreno also publicly thanked the maternity and paediatric team for their support from the outset. “This hospital has a highly trained team which is there for you in every way, whatever decision you make. Without them and their help, we would never have been able to begin such a healthy grieving process."

Helping in death when you hope for life

The death of a baby also leaves its mark on the staff who attend them, even though they have trained for years to provide their support with the finest human and professional care. "Today we remember the babies we had to say goodbye to with anger, sadness and pain, and who have come into our lives leaving their footprint, because as nurses their death also leaves a mark on us," commented Rebeca Heras, a maternity nurse at Hospital SJD Sant Boi.

"Stories like Merche’s inspire us to keep on training and working along the same lines of respectful support for families coping with the death of their baby," added Clara Garcia, coordinator of the maternal and child process and head of Nursing Management, who in her talk shared the standpoint of the professionals who are with these families on a daily basis. “We need to be there for them without thinking we can fix anything and learn to live with the professional frustration that, right now, the best thing we can give them is our support."

The event concluded with the offer to pick up a wild pansy with a wool or crochet butterfly created by staff at the Residència Santa Anna. These butterflies are part of a project designed to help with the grieving process, and at Santa Ana they will be used to work with people who are experiencing death and bereavement.

Eight years prioritising support for perinatal bereavement

Parc Sanitari SJD has been working since 2016 to improve care for perinatal bereavement. Over recent years, it has undertaken a number of initiatives to support families during these difficult times, including setting up a Tree of Remembrance where families can leave a memento in the shape of a butterfly and the Mother Moon Garden in the cemetery.