TWO mothers who lost their first babies during pregnancy are helping to highlight the impact of their bereavement on themselves and their families as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.

Annika Dowson, who lives in Helmsley, has campaigned to raise awareness of the death of a baby after her daughter, Gypsy, was stillborn in 2008, while Laura Moisey-Smith, from Pickering, has recently completed 10 challenges to mark the 10th anniversary of her son Finlay’s death 22 weeks into her pregnancy.

Baby Loss Awareness Week takes place each year from October 9 to 15 and throughout the week bereaved parents, their families and friends, unite with each other and others across the world to commemorate their babies’ lives.

The event also provides a chance to raise awareness about the issues surrounding pregnancy and baby loss in the UK and this year is calling for improved bereavement support for families affected by baby and pregnancy loss.

York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will be showing its support by turning the lights of York Hospital blue and pink, to help raise awareness and highlight the emotional impact of pregnancy and baby loss.

The request to light up the hospital came from Annika who contacted the trust’s chief executive, Patrick Crowley.

Annika and her husband James were also the inspiration behind the Snowdrop Appeal to provide a bereavement suite for parents at Scarborough Hospital. More than £130,000 was raised through the appeal. The maternity bereavement suite offers facilities for families who suffer a loss before or shortly after birth.

Annika said: “I am passionate about breaking the silence on stillbirth and baby loss. My aim this year is get buildings lit up to raise awareness of baby loss and in turn increase awareness of this taboo subject. My hope is that while raising awareness, it also lets those who have been affected by child loss know that they are thought of and their children are not forgotten.

“I am delighted the trust has been able to show its support for this campaign.”

There are more than 3,600 stillbirths every year in the UK and one in every 200 births ends in a stillbirth. Eleven babies are stillborn every day in the UK, making it 15 times more common than cot death.

Laura, who is a sports coach at Pickering Junior School, has also been raising awareness by completing 10 sporting challenges to raise funds for SANDS, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity and Queen’s Medical Centre, (QMC) Nottingham, where her son was born.

Her challenges included a 10k race, the Castle Howard triathlon and a full marathon, which she completed in Nottingham last week.

"It has been hard work, but it has also been a good thing for me to do and quite cathartic," Laura said.

“Baby loss is a taboo subject that should not be kept a secret and with more widespread knowledge and funding hopefully life will be better for all parents and babies in the future.”

To support Laura, visit justgiving.com/10forfinlay or justgiving.com/fundraising/Laura-Moisey-Smith1