Monthly Newsletter {January 2012 Edition}

A Quick Hello:
Welcome to our first ever Newsletter. We hope the following pages will be informative and of some use to you. As this is our first ever Newsletter, should you find that as you go along, it would be helpful if we were to include any additional items of interest to you, please do let us know. It’s amazing to think that we are already in February. It didn’t seem that long ago that everyone was busy organising their Christmas and New Year. We hope the festive period was good to you and that you have done better than I have at keeping your New Years Resolutions.

Included in this month’s addition is:
 Meet the Team ~ For those who often ask themselves; just who are those strange people behind UBW
 Donations Received In ~ A count up of what has been kindly donated to UBW HQ
 Deliveries Made ~ Where your donations go once they are received
 This Months Most Needed ~ The hospitals most requested items
 Special Requests ~ For when the hospital asks for something outside of the box
 Most Asked Question of the Month ~ What you have been asking us this month
 Featured ~ its all about you. We want to know who you are, so email us a picture and tell us something about you and why you became involved with UBW. This month we feature: Gemma Staples, Knitter and owner of Miss Lizzy’s Knits
 Interview ~ Each month we hope to interview a professional or angel parent in the hope to give an insight into the other side of UBW
This month we interview: Barbara Peters, Senior Mortuary Technician, from St Georges Hospital, SW London

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Meet the Team:
I asked the lovely ladies of the UBW Team to write a couple of lines about themselves to share with you and after a few moments of panic over what to write, this is the end result :)

 Hi I’m Lizz Reeves 31; married to my lovely hubby Nick who somehow puts up with the fact my wool stash is slowly taking over the living room. We live in Erskine, Scotland with our three wonderful highly spirited children Daisy, Ewan and Hayley.

 Hi I’m Natalie Andrews 28; I am in a relationship with Graham and have a child called Charlotte. I live in Hampshire and I hope to build up the network of knitters.

 Hi I'm Belinda Proctor 48; Lucy’s mum and Nan to Angel Bobby. I also have a son called Martin. I live in Eastbourne with my husband Ken. I have been knitting for many years and since UBW it’s become a bit of an obsession.

 Hi I’m Lisa Holder 43 *gulp* Also known to many as ‘Pickle’. I have been friends with Lucy for a long time and I just want to help this lovely organisation. I’m married to Mark and I am very lucky to have two lovely little girls Lily-Rose and Poppy. We live in Coventry.

 Hi I’m Lucy 30; Founder of UBW, partner to Steve and Angel Mum to Bobby who was born sleeping at 22 weeks in July 2009. The two of us live in South East London. Our most important aim is to make sure UBW help make the worst possible experience any person can ever go through that little bit easier. Anything else which happens along the way is a bonus.

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Donations Received In:
 January we received in a very respectable and much appreciated total of 544 items.
 The most common donated ‘Knitted Wings Project’ item received were hats/bonnets at an amazing 201!
 32 of the 544 items were donated to our ‘Butterfly Memory Box Project’

I know this has been said many times before but it is genuinely meant; a huge thank you to everyone who donated this month.

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Deliveries Made:
Each of our hospital deliveries are packaged in a cardboard box, approx the same size as what the supermarkets receive their crisps in and when you fill that box with tiny wraps, booties, hats and all manor of gorgeousness, that does equate to a lot of items being delivered to each hospital which is fantastic.

In January, because of you, we were able to help:
St Georges Hospital, South West London ~ Twice!
Musgrove Park Hospital, Taunton, Somerset
The Funeral Centre, London
Angel Package for Baby Benjamin
Butterfly Memory Box for Baby Caden

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This Month Most Needed:
Last month we asked for your help in providing us with full term clothing and boy did you provide the goods. Thank you. Again.

February’s most needed items are:
 Boy Clothing and Blue Blankets ~ we understand that there is a lack of boy clothing patterns out there and we are trying out best to find some for you should you need a pattern to work from. An alternative to searching high and low for a new pattern is to think about using natural colours on your favourite patterns including purples and greens.
 Angel Pockets and Wraps ~ the wraps are so easy to make, even I can manage it (trust me that says a lot). A lot of the babies we clothe may not be large enough or they may be too delicate to dress ‘properly’ and so the pockets and wraps are perfect as the baby is simply wrapped or placed into the pocket. Both are needed in a variety of sizes and colours, from the very small to the late term. Patterns for both the wraps and the pockets can be downloaded from our website.

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Special Requests:
Every so often we can be surprised by a special request.
 This week we were asked if we were able to provide covers for the standard size and premature sized Moses baskets. If you know of anyone or you are able to make these material covers or you happen to know where to buy them, please get in contact with us.

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Thinking Outside of the Box:
Sometimes, we receive little surprises here at UBW HQ. Last month was no exception.
 Sock Hats ~ Sammi Latimer sent us a bundle of little hats made from baby socks. These hats are so so easy to make and they take no sewing, crocheting or knitting. Sammi is currently putting together a step by step guide on how to make these hats, which we will share once she has finished putting it together.
 Baby Girl Head Bands ~ A brilliant alternative to the hat or bonnet, again from Sammi Latimer. As you can see these are so so simple to make and yet so pretty at the same time. Please note these will only be suitable for the third trimester and full term babies.

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Most Asked Question of the Month:
 Can I use my own pattern, or do I have to use the patterns on your website?
The patterns on our website are purely there to give you an idea of what is needed or for you to use should you not have your own patterns to work from. We are more than happy for you to use your own patterns, as long as they are baby or dolly related.

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Featured:
Meet Gemma from Miss Lizzy’s Knits, which is a wonderful group who can be found on Facebook.
Gemma has supported UBW since the very beginning and through MLK she and her ladies knit for many not for profit organisations.

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Interview:
January’s Interview is with Barbara Peters, Senior Mortuary/Lead Perinatal Technician at St Georges, SW London

Q: What does your day to day role entail and how long have you been doing it?
A: I have been in the NHS for nearly twenty years but I have been in this role for nearly ten. I have worked for North Bristol Health Trust, Arran and Ayrshire NHS Trust and now St Georges Health Trust. My main role is doing post mortems on adults and the main day to day running of the mortuary. I am also responsible for the complete running of the perinatal/paediatric section of the mortuary. I also have a lot of interaction with bereaved relatives and also give presentations to nursing staff and health care workers with the NHS.

Q: What was it about this role that made you apply?
A: I was initially a laboratory technician but one day I spent the day at the mortuary when I was working in Bristol. From this, I was interested in the role as not only it was a scientific role, but I wanted to provide a good aftercare for adults, children and babies that have passed and also offer my support to the families. I also wanted to raise the standards, awareness and training in these areas, as being at the end of the care plan, not enough was being done by the health professionals.

Q: What age range of babies/children do you care for within your role?
A: I care for babies from the gestation of 11 weeks to 41 weeks gestation. Also I look after infants that have died unexpectedly (SIDS)

Q: How much contact within your role do you have with parents and families of those who have lost a child?
A: Not as much as I want, especially with parents who have suffered an early pregnancy loss but I do see more parents and grandparents with a term loss. I do see most parents of neonates, infants and children that have died in the hospital.

Q: Have you ever witnessed the difference that having their baby clothed or wrapped makes to a family's grief?
A: No not really, especially with mid trimester loss. One time though, I did tell a Mum who had a loss at 22 weeks that I had dressed her baby and she was so overjoyed it did help with her grieving as she was very fragile, but that was only time. I had no feedback at all about this until I started seeing the posts from your UBW Facebook page from Mums saying how much this helps.

Q: How much input would you say a family has to how their baby is cared for once they have left their baby with the hospital?
A: I’m not sure about this as I don’t get to see many parents as much I want to, to reassure them and to see who is looking after their baby. One thing I am trying to do with midwives and neonatal/children’s nurses is to inform them about the role of the mortuary and also to let staff know who I am and what I do, then they can relay this to parents and reassure them that their baby will be looked after and taken care of whether the baby is having a post mortem or not.

Q: Would you say you have witnessed a difference in attitude in regards to the care these babies receive, since you began your role and if so, why do you think that is?
A: Yes a small bit. I organised a Perinatal seminar afternoon last year for the first time, for midwives and bereavement officers to make aware how we care for babies once they come to the mortuary, the facilities for viewing and holding the baby, and to inform what happens in a post mortem examination to reassure parents that they can view and hold their baby after the examination and also letting midwives know they can tell parents what choices they have. Over the past year, there has been an improvement. I am holding another seminar afternoon again next month and there has been a lot of interest which is promising

Q: What is the most asked question you are asked by a family?
A: Is my baby on their own? The answer I give is no, they have their own little compartment next to other babies. Babies are never piled up – however busy it is. The next most asked question I get is; can I see my baby more times than once and if they can bring momentous and toys to stay with the baby - This is no problem whatsoever.

Q: How are you able to separate your home life from your professional life?
A: Absolutely, however I use some of my time to prepare presentation of health care staff, pick up donations from yourselves but importantly if someone needs to talk to me about their loss whether it’s an adult or a child outside of work, I’ve always got the time for this. Apart from that, I still have a teenage daughter that keeps me on my toes!!

Q: If you were Prime Minister for the day, what one thing would you change in regards to the subject of Pregnancy and Infant Loss?
A: To make sure there is more money for more in-depth training and awareness for Pregnancy and Infant Loss and also bereavement centre’s in hospitals and for the community. (I’m not very good when it comes to politics!! Lol

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Thank You:
Well here ends the first edition of the UBW Newsletter. We hope you have enjoyed reading it and that you look forward to next months addition. Thank you so much again for helping us achieve our aims. January has been an amazing month meaning it can only get better.

Lucy and the UBW Team xox