Finding Support After Miscarriage or Pregnancy Loss: Where to Turn in the UK

You don't have to work this out alone

If you've experienced a miscarriage or pregnancy loss, the days and weeks afterwards can feel disorienting. Alongside the physical recovery, there's often a tangle of grief, confusion about what to do next, and uncertainty about who you're even allowed to ask for help. There's no single right way to feel, and there's no timetable you're supposed to follow.

This article won't try to resolve your grief or tell you how to feel. Instead, it's a map of the general kinds of support that exist in the UK, so you have a starting point when you're ready to reach out. For more general reading on wellbeing during and after pregnancy, you can browse further guides on the Bump Circle journal at /blog.

Starting the conversation with your GP or midwife

For many people, the first point of contact is whoever cared for them during the pregnancy, whether that's a midwife, an early pregnancy unit, or a GP. You don't need to have the right words ready. Simply saying that you're finding things hard since the loss is enough to begin a conversation.

Being open about how you're really feeling, rather than how you think you should feel, helps your GP or midwife understand what kind of support might suit you. They may talk through options together with you, which could include a listening ear, a referral to a specific service, or simply checking in again soon. If talking face to face feels difficult at first, many practices allow you to request a call back or write down what you want to say beforehand.

Perinatal mental health services and what they offer

In the UK, there are specialist perinatal mental health pathways designed for people experiencing difficulties during pregnancy or in the period afterwards, including after a loss. These services exist precisely because pregnancy-related grief and distress are recognised as needing dedicated, specialist attention rather than being left to resolve on their own.

If you already live with a longer-term mental health condition, your GP or midwife may refer you to your local perinatal mental health team, who can offer more tailored, ongoing support. You don't need to meet any particular threshold of distress to ask whether this kind of referral might be right for you. Raising it is simply the first step, and your GP or midwife is the right person to talk it through with.

Health visitors, family hubs and wider local support

Health visitors aren't only involved once a baby has arrived. They can be a source of support earlier too, and are often well placed to know what's available locally, including bereavement-aware groups or services for people who've experienced loss.

Many areas now also have Best Start Family Hubs, which bring several forms of support together in one place, including emotional and mental health support, so you don't have to work out which door to knock on first. If you're not sure whether there's one near you, your local council website is a good place to check.

• Ask your GP surgery if they have a care pathway for after pregnancy loss, even an informal one
• Request to speak with the same midwife or team if that continuity would help you
• Check your local council website for a family hub or children's centre near you
• Ask your health visitor about any local groups for people who've experienced loss
• Write down a few words beforehand if you find it hard to start the conversation in person

Preparing for an appointment when words feel hard to find

It's common to feel like you don't know how to explain what you're going through, especially in the early weeks. You're allowed to keep it simple. You might say that you've had a loss and you're not coping as well as you'd hoped, or that you want to know what support exists before deciding whether you need it.

If it helps, bring a partner, friend or family member with you, or ask whether a phone or video appointment might feel more manageable than going in person. There's no wrong format for reaching out, and healthcare professionals are used to supporting people at very different stages of processing a loss.

When to seek more immediate support

If your distress feels overwhelming, or you're finding it hard to function day to day, it's important to let your GP, midwife or maternity triage know as soon as you can rather than waiting. This isn't about ticking a box, it's about making sure you get the right level of support at the right time.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, there is urgent mental health support available at any time, and your GP surgery or local NHS services can direct you to it immediately. You don't need to manage this alone, and reaching out is never an overreaction.