⁣Where Healing Meets Hope after Baby Loss: Supporting Women in Business Through Baby Loss with a Rural Focus

Baby loss is a deeply personal journey that can leave women feeling isolated, overwhelmed, and unsure about how to navigate their grief, honour their baby and continue to pursue their careers. In rural, regional & remote areas the isolation of grief is compounded significantly by that of the women's geographical location. There are gaps in the provision of services to these women in almost every area of their life and baby loss is no exception. It is time to shed light on how education and mentorship can provide a safe and understanding space for healing and hope after baby loss.

The Impact of Baby Loss

Until we are blindsided by trauma, we often tend to view our professional lives as neatly separate from our personal ones, donning our work hats when we step into the office and leaving our emotions at the door. But life doesn't always follow such tidy divisions, and when it comes to baby loss, the lines blur dramatically.

Before my first miscarriage and the death of my first born son, Edward, I had been a Pharmacist for nearly 20 years. I also owned a small Pharmacy in a leafy part of Dubbo in Regional NSW. I was dedicated to my community and my clients were invested in me and my life journey. It is just the norm in a tight knit community, where everyone knows everyone else's business. The same hands that clap for your success also reach out with curiosity about your personal life. I soon found that the silent anguish of a pregnancy that didn't reach full term and the heartache of an infant taken too soon was too much. It's a storm that rocks even the sturdiest ships.

Juggling grief alongside meetings, maintaining a composed facade whilst your heart is in pieces, trying to care about work when nothing feels like it really matters anymore. Baby Loss Mums (I affectionately call Blossums) aren't just dealing with loss; they're navigating through a sea of emotions that impact not only their personal lives but also their work. They're not just mourning; they're juggling, balancing, and sometimes teetering on the edge of their own strength.

Blossums face the challenge of finding understanding within their work circles, in places where "How are you?" isn't just a question but a sentiment that matters. How do they re-integrate into society feeling safe, understood, heard and most importantly able to grieve in a way they need to?

Grief and Growth: A Partnership

There are many lessons you must unfortunately learn after loss, as if that wasn't enough on its own! People will cross the street in order to avoid you, or slip around a supermarket aisle quickly so they don't make eye contact and the importance of acknowledging grief and trauma to heal. When emotions are ignored, when grief is pushed aside for the sake of 'keeping it together,' (or ‘getting on with it’) it's not just the individual who suffers; it's their career too. This is the era of holistic well-being, of understanding that the personal and professional aren't parallel tracks but intertwined journeys.

As baby loss mums navigate the delicate balance between personal loss and professional responsibilities, one truth emerges - these women are warriors, fighting battles no one sees. Within this hidden fight lies an opportunity for us all - to listen, to understand, and to create a space where baby loss isn't a burden but a part of a larger picture that makes these women even more exceptional. It teaches us that acknowledging grief isn't a weakness; it's a sign of courage.

The Power of Mentorship in Healing

Imagine having a guide, a confidante who understands the language of your pain, who's walked the path you're now treading, and who gently holds a lamp for you as you navigate the storm. That's the essence of mentorship, a lifeline that professional women in business are increasingly discovering to help them traverse the uncharted waters of baby loss.It is what I desperately needed, but didn’t know I needed it a the time - to know I would survive the loss of a child and could in fact learn to live again

Mentorship, in the realm of baby loss, goes beyond traditional career guidance. It's a haven where grief meets understanding, where the professional meets the personal, and where women find solace. This is working with someone who doesn't just hear your words but truly listens to your heart. Someone who doesn't judge your tears but embraces them. That's the power of mentorship - a safe space where vulnerability is welcome and where healing begins. Through a loss practitioner's guidance, women not only found practical tools to manage her workload but also to navigate her grief journey in its entirety.

The beauty of mentorship lies in the bridge it builds between experience and understanding. When women who've walked the path of baby loss are your support, there's an unspoken connection that goes beyond words. It’s a community, your people. It's an acknowledgment that grief can shape us without breaking us, that it's possible to rebuild amidst the ruins. The shared stories, the empathetic nods, and the silent "I understand" become pillars of strength.

Tailored Support: A necessity for the rural woman.

What sets mentorship in the context of baby loss apart is its tailored support. A practitioner who's been there understands the intricacies of dealing with grief while managing the intricacies of work, business, family & commitments. We provide guidance that isn't just sympathetic but practical. We offer coping mechanisms that are rooted in experience. We ar a lighthouse in the storm, showing a way through the darkness.

Mentorship isn't about fixing grief; it's about acknowledging it, embracing it, and finding ways to weave it into the tapestry of life. It's about growth amidst pain, strength in vulnerability, and hope through a shared understanding. It's a reminder that in the vast world of professional achievements and deadlines, there's a softer, quieter space where women in business (owners, staff or clients) can lay down their burdens and heal.

Finding & Engaging in Business Support Programs

Are you a Business Owner, community organisation or Industry leader?⁣ Do you have female staff or see clients? With the rates of pregnancy and infant loss being reported as at least 1 in 4 women (& more in rural areas), it’s likely that you have encountered a baby loss mum or you are one yourself. ⁣

Within the NSW Womens Strategy 2023-2026 - Women reported

• Difficulties in accessing services, particularly in regional areas.

• Feeling unsupported.

• Like there are barriers to participating in all other areas of their lives’

• The need for access to appropriate, affordable health services.

A great way to impact these statewide target areas and improve rural baby loss mums health outcomes is by ensuring that business owners & local rural industries are helping to refer and support their staff, patients or clients who have experienced pregnancy or infant loss to a baby loss practitioner (mentor)

Consider your role in their care and the ability you have to refer them to an accessible and dedicated pregnancy and infant loss practitioner. Look for practitioners who deliver high quality, focused services as a support to baby loss mums wherever they are on their grief journey. They will be able to direct your colleague or client to professionals and services/resources available to them, guide them to reduce the overwhelm and identify the steps they need to take to Navigate living with the loss of their much loved baby. ⁣

I truly believe that the health of Regional, Rural & Remote communities & their industries rests - sometimes heavily - on the shoulders of its women. These communities thrive when their women thrive and are healthy & coping. To be able to do this they need to have the tools to cope and the communities and workplaces need to be educated on how to create a safe space for her to return to.

Improved access to support and resources in a timely manner will improve their quality of life after loss. Reduced absenteeism and maybe even more importantly when clouded by grief - presenteeism. Reducing the isolation that is associated with baby loss and is compounded by living rurally is paramount. Creating emotional and psychological security with awareness and education so that she can become a part of her community again by feeling safe, understood, seen, heard and included Creating Awareness = Creating Safety for Baby Loss Mums (I affectionately call Bush Blossums) to feel able to express emotions and honour their grief.

Find a support program that works for you & your business and who you would be supporting after baby loss. This could be anything from a simple referral system for clients, to tailored education right through to HR specialist policy & procedure implementation - it's all out there and available to you.

The Virtual Connection

In the digital age support isn't confined by geographical boundaries anymore. Thank goodness!! Face to face is so important for this kind of work so having a hybrid model of work was a no-brainer for my business - both to provide mentorship and education for awareness. In person is of course ideal, but as education and awareness improves so will that safety bubble for the baby loss mum. Being able to connect online for rural baby loss mums is a lifeline, being able to see the grief and emotion of the loss mum and for her to see your compassion and empathy is so important for tailored support.

Balancing Grief and Career

Balancing the weight of loss with the demands of professional growth is a journey laden with challenges and triumphs. Here are a few tips to moving back into the workspace gently whilst continuing to nurture your healing.

Honouring Your Grief

Your grief is valid, and it deserves to be acknowledged. Embrace the moments when grief swells within you. When you honour your emotions, you cultivate a space for authentic healing. Allow yourself to grieve, even during the busiest workdays. By giving yourself permission to feel, you make room to heal.

Carving Out Time for Self-Care

Self-care isn't a luxury; it's an essential (insert eye-roll I know, but its actually true). In the midst of meetings and emails, allocate moments for self-nurturing. Whether it's a quiet cup of tea, a walk amidst nature, or a 5 minute yoga nidra, these pockets of grief relief become little beacons of self-love.

Seeking Flexible Rhythms

In the collaboration between career and grief, remember that flexibility is your greatest ally. Some days, you'll be in sync with work, while on others, grief will take centre stage. Embrace these shifts, knowing that your resilience lies in your ability to adapt. Clear communication with employers or clients will help give you the space you need.

Authentic Communication

Embrace open conversations with colleagues, mentors, and clients about your baby loss journey. This authenticity fosters understanding and creates an atmosphere where both your personal healing and professional growth can flourish.

Your Inner Anthem

The women who navigate both the complexities of grief and the pressure of career are living testaments to the power of the human spirit. Let others triumphs inspire you. The strength you cultivate in healing becomes the same strength that propels you forward at work and in life.

Cultivating a Supportive Network

Surround yourself with a network that understands the nuances of your journey. Seek mentors who've navigated similar paths, women who've merged their grief journey with their professional pursuits. In their wisdom, you'll find solace and strategies. Their stories become guiding stars, lighting your path to a harmonious blend of career and healing.

Progress, Not Perfection

This one can be a bitter pill to swallow but in the realm of balancing grief and career, perfection isn't the goal; progress is. Celebrate each step forward, whether it's a successful work project or a day where grief feels a little lighter. Acknowledge that you're a work in progress, and your journey is as unique as your fingerprints.

Baby loss is a devastating experience, but with the power of mentorship and support programs at work and within your community, it becomes possible to find healing and hope. There is support available to rural women who have experienced baby loss, there is a community for them and they are not alone. Businesses, community organisations and industry need to get onboard and educate themselves around Pregnancy and Infant Loss. It is so important to ensure that women can return to work feeling comfortable that they are understood. Let us all come together to create a community that nurtures healing and empowers women to flourish after baby loss.