Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 15 October is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day;

(b) on this day, parents, families, friends and healthcare workers will memorialise babies they have lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death; and

(c)infant loss is a tragic and terrible event to go through for families, healthcare workers and friends and International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day provides an opportunity to mark their shared loss;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) each year around 150,000 women in Australia experience some form of pregnancy or infant loss;

(b) further issues are commonly faced by those close to these tragic events such as depression, anxiety, changes in relationships, development of unhealthy coping mechanisms and post-traumatic stress disorder;

(c) these effects, amongst others, are often underestimated and overlooked by healthcare professionals, friends, and even family members, especially concerning pregnancy loss related bereavement and subsequent grief; and

(d) greater research and understanding is required to aide in the creation and establishment of programs, resources and services that support and provide assistance to survivors of baby loss and their families, and enable them to overcome their trauma and integrate their bereavement into their life in a healthy, helpful, healing manner;

(3) expresses sympathy to all families who have suffered a miscarriage, a stillbirth or infant death; and

(4) commends each and every person who has supported parents and families through their journey from the loss of a baby.

Tomorrow, 15 October, will be International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Every year around 150,000 women in this country experience some form of pregnancy, miscarriage, stillbirth, infant or neonatal loss. Each one of those 150,000 losses represents to families what might have been. The number of little lives lost each year tells the stories of families affected. It is estimated that one in four pregnancies result in miscarriage. In 2016, 2,849 lives were lost to stillbirth or within the first four weeks of life.

The issue is even more prolific amongst First Australians. They're almost twice as likely to experience the loss of a baby due to stillbirth or neonatal death than the Australian population at large, and that rate has not moved in the last two decades. Furthermore, culturally and linguistically diverse Australians also experience stillbirth and neonatal loss at a higher rate than the general population. In 2013-14 nearly 35 per cent of stillbirths that occurred in Australia were to women who were born in countries other than Australia.

While the loss of someone creates the same intense grief, the loss of a baby does not leave the shared memories that are often found when someone older dies. Every single day after the loss of a baby, families, mums, dads, grandparents, siblings and friends grieve for the loss of what could have been—the memories that were so eagerly and excitedly anticipated—their first words, their first steps, their first day at school, hugs for birthdays and holidays, their first jobs, graduations and their promising futures.

Every single day for the rest of a parent's life they are aware of the promise of what could have been. That's why groups such as Red Nose, Sands, and Miracle Babies, which was founded in 2005 by Melinda Cruz at Liverpool Hospital's Newborn Intensive Care Unit, are so crucially important to support families grieving the loss of their babies. These groups help and support mothers and fathers negotiate not just the first few weeks and months after the loss but through subsequent pregnancies, which are difficult and bring back so many negative memories. Those memories can vastly affect what should have been the most exciting time in a parent's life. Stress, anxiety and constant worry never leave a family that has experienced the loss of a pregnancy.

We know that having a conversation around regular infant movement dramatically reduces the risk of stillbirth. We know that taking women's anxieties during pregnancy seriously has a positive effect on live births. We know that naming stillbirths as a risk to women between 18 and 24 weeks dramatically increases awareness, vigilance and ultimately prevention.

Tomorrow many families will remember, celebrate and grieve together in their own way what could have been. Many of those lost babies have names that, apart from the pregnancy, are the only memories these families have.

I recognise the workers of the amazing organisations who help families through the different emotional responses and the doctors, nurses and social workers at hospitals who also assist. Your dedication and the stability and comfort that you provide to families are indeed nothing short of a miracle. You provide the critical support that families need at the most trying times of their life. Your work spans not just pregnancy loss but the extremely difficult times when families find themselves in foreign environments such as neonatal intensive care units. All of these situations are overwhelming for families, and you are there to provide the comfort, support and information to help them get through. Thank you for your work and dedication.

To the mothers, fathers and families who grieve every day: tomorrow on this very special day I grieve with you. Tomorrow is a day shared to remember in your own way what could have been. Your pain, your grief and your loss is known, and you are not alone. My family will also remember Michael and Meaghan.

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