Solidaris and HeadOffice want more recognition for pregnancy loss
Wednesday, July 5, 2023 — Almost 1 in 4 pregnancies ends in tragedy. That is an extraordinarily high amount. Many vilomahs (t/n: a Sanskrit word meaning ‘empty’ that has been adopted for referring to parents who have lost a child) must deal with an unimaginable loss in a world where life still goes on.
On top of this, talking about pregnancy loss is often still taboo. Solidaris, the socialist health insurance fund, realised this too. They therefore launched a project to train their pregnancy counsellors. Those staff received additional training to support women or couples facing pregnancy loss.
To further break the taboo, Solidaris wanted to launch a larger campaign and felt that HeadOffice would be the appropriate partner.
Preliminary discussions with fellow sufferers, midwives, psychologists, and other experts revealed that in addition to the taboo, there is also a great lack of recognition from the world around the parents.
In response, HeadOffice and Solidaris launched the ‘Acknowledge Me’ campaign. Through its own and targeted online channels, it calls for greater recognition of pregnancy loss. People who wanted more information and help were directed to the platform www.erkenmij.be. It is all about the recognition that vilomahs and those around them so desperately need.
The platform offers tips from experts, ways to preserve memories, help for the tricky administrative side, and relatable testimonials. Members of the health insurance fund who experience a pregnancy loss also receive an ‘acknowledge me’ booklet to make precious memories tangible, write down their feelings, and process grief. HeadOffice also pointed parents in need towards Solidaris’ trained pregnancy counsellors.
“The more we talk about it, the faster the taboo around pregnancy loss will disappear,” says Paul Callewaert, General Secretary at Solidaris. “That way, more attention can be given to grief counselling.”
Did you or someone close to you experience a pregnancy loss? You can always visit Solidaris and www.erkenmij.be.