A BABY loss charity organisation plans to hand out self-care packages for bereaved parents in Oxfordshire.

Cradle supports parents following early pregnancy loss and one of its projects provides comfort bags to women who are recovering in hospital following pregnancy loss.

The self-care packages contain everyday essentials that usually are not provided in hospitals or the patient would not usually have with them.

Cradle is now launching the project in Oxfordshire and will be giving the packages to the John Radcliffe Hospital to give out in the maternity unit.

Emma Orpwood is an ambassador for Cradle and she is launching the project in Oxfordshire.

She said: “I came across it because I had a miscarriage in 2018.

Read also: Man accused of causing deaths of elderly couple in crash appears at court

"I started volunteering with another baby loss charity and later I came across Cradle and it was something I really wanted to get involved with.”

As a woman who has had a miscarriage, Ms Orpwood said the self-care packages are useful for those who have gone into hospital unexpectedly.

She said: “I think it would have been something I would have liked to receive, and the John Radcliffe didn’t and still don’t have anything like this.”

She added: “It’s for women who suddenly get admitted to hospital so it’s the things they may not have on them like a toothbrush and toothpaste, shower gel, hand cream, just things to make themselves feel a bit better when they are in hospital.”

The charity organisation relies on donations from the public of products such as soap, face wipes and hand cream.

Oxford Mail:

Ms Orpwood is setting up a donation drop-off point in the medical centre at RAF Brize Norton and plans to set up more in and around Witney.

She said she also plans to accept donations at home and will share more information about donation on the new Cradle Oxfordshire Facebook page.

Cradle provides more than just a self-care package for women, though: it also aims to offer support for those going through pregnancy loss.

Read also: Hospital trust to pay out £2.5m to girl, 9, in negligence case

The Cradle peer support Facebook page is there for women to talk with others who have also gone through pregnancy complications and early pregnancy loss.

Ms Orpwood said: “Baby loss and pregnancy complications can be an extremely scary and devastating time and we feel the comfort bags can make such a difference.”

She added: “Baby loss can be quite lonely despite people going though it each day, so it can be nice to reach out to others that have been through it as well.”

Cradle has been welcomed by hospitals in other parts of the country and pleased to be able to give out something extra to their patients in the maternity unit.

Ms Orpwood said: “Other women I have spoken to have said they wish this was around when they were going through a miscarriage.”

Cradle relies on donations and it is always in need of items such as toiletries for the pregnancy loss comfort bags.

The charity organisation asks for the public to collect from hotels and to save unwanted Christmas presents.

Cradle also asks people to set up donation baskets in staff rooms.

Find out more and make a financial donation at gofundme.com/Cradle