The Lotus Service - Maternal Mental Health - North Staffordshire

13/05/2026

This week is Black Baby Loss Awareness Week

Black Baby Loss Awareness Week (BBLAW) was set up by Alicia Burnett. As well as being the founder of BBLAW, Alicia is a Tommy's Midwife and mum with her own lived experience of loss.

I started Black Baby Loss Awareness Week in 2023 as a space to centre Black and Black mixed-heritage families – who are among the most disproportionately impacted by perinatal loss, yet often overlooked – in the fight to prevent baby loss and improve care for bereaved families. What began as a grassroots campaign shaped by my own experience as a bereaved Black mother has grown into a nationwide movement co-ordinated by Black Baby Loss Awareness C.I.C.

Our focus remains clear: to amplify the voices of bereaved Black families, highlight examples of care and support that saves babies’ lives, and improve Black communities’ awareness of baby loss support services.

Why is Black Baby Loss Awareness Week so important?

We know Black families are unfortunately more likely to experience pregnancy and baby loss than White families, and some aren't aware of the support that’s available. Alicia hopes to bring awareness of the services and organisations available to support families in Black communities.

What's happening during Black Baby Loss Awareness Week 2026?

Throughout the week, Alicia and the team will be discussing various aspects of pregnancy and baby loss in Black communities which you can follow on Instagram . Each day will be dedicated to a theme which are attached below.

Sands - baby loss charity

13/05/2026

An area that we here at The Lotus Service is supportive of gaining more research to help birthing partners too.
If you know of anyone that has experienced trauma after watching their partner give birth please see the link below.

An academic researcher is looking to speak to dads who have experienced distress as a result of witnessing their partner's birth. The idea is to help other dads in a similar situation to get the support they need.

If you're interested in taking part, please contact Nick at [email protected]. Do feel free to pass on to any dads you know who might want to take part.

12/05/2026

Today is International Nurses' Day

11/05/2026

11/05/2026

This week is Mental Health Awareness Week
"Take Action."
(11th - 17th May)

This Mental Health Awareness Week we’re asking people to join us in taking action to support good mental health. Even small actions can help us feel hopeful and less powerless. And while our individual actions matter, when we come together we are even more powerful.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

11/05/2026

What a week we had last week here at The Lotus Team North Staffordshire.

Here are some of the events we attended and participated in providing training for midwives at Royal Stoke, Staffordshire University and out and about in the community.

North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

07/05/2026

What is Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week?
Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.

The week is all about:

raising public and professional awareness of maternal mental health problems
advocating for women and families impacted
changing attitudes
helping people access the information, care and support they need to recover.

05/05/2026

💛 This week is maternal mental health week (4th May - 10th May 2026) 💛

Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week is a week-long campaign dedicated to talking about mental health problems before, during and after pregnancy.
The week is all about:
raising public and professional awareness of maternal mental health problems
advocating for women and families impacted
changing attitudes
helping people access the information, care and support they need to recover.

PMHP UK's daily themes for this year (2026) are as follows:

Monday - A Decade of Voices: Celebrating 10 years of progress

Tuesday - Voices of Experience: Spotlighting parents’ lived experiences across the decade

Wednesday - World Maternal Mental Health Day: Joining the global community to raise awareness and break the stigma

Thursday - Voices of Care: Highlighting the vital collaboration between families and professionals

Friday - Voices of Change: Focusing on advocacy, policy shifts, and Lived Experience changemakers

Saturday - Voices of Loss and Healing: Providing sensitive, supportive messaging for those navigating perinatal trauma, miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss

Sunday - Voices of the Future: Looking ahead to the next generation of support, innovation and progress

05/05/2026

💛Today is International Day of the Midwife💛

The theme for International Day of the Midwife 2026 is One Million More Midwives, in line with the ICM’s campaign.

‘Why One Million More Midwives?

Midwives provide essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health services worldwide. They support women and gender diverse people before, during and after birth. Yet globally, there are not enough midwives, and many of the ones we do have are not enabled to work to their full scope of practice.’

We here at The Lotus Service would like to thank all the midwives we work closely with at Royal Stoke & beyond. Without you we wouldn’t run as efficiently and have so many useful links. We appreciate you 💛

20/04/2026

7 Years of Advocacy. 7 Years of Demanding Change. 📢

Today marks the start of Five X More CIC’s 7th Black Maternal Health Awareness Week UK! 🇬🇧🖤 (20th – 26th April 2026)

While we celebrate the strength of our community, we cannot ignore the facts. According to the MBRRACE 2025 report, Black women in the UK are still 2.3 times more likely to die during pregnancy, childbirth, and the six weeks postpartum compared to white women.

This year’s theme is "Leading with Solutions, Not Trauma."

We know the statistics, but we are more than just numbers. This week is about centering the solutions—better training, cultural safety, and ensuring every Black mother is heard, respected, and kept safe.

How you can get involved today:

👉 Educate: Visit fivexmore.org to learn the 5 steps for a safer birth.
👉 Share: Post this to your feed to ensure this disparity remains a national priority.
👉 Action: Use the hashtag to join the conversation
and demand equitable care.

It’s time to move the needle. Let’s lead with solutions. ✊🏾✨