Supporting Families Across Rural Scotland: Taking Early Pregnancy Loss Support Further

For parents experiencing an early pregnancy loss, the need for compassionate, understanding and accessible support does not change depending on where they live. But in rural and remote communities, accessing that support can sometimes be more difficult.

Longer travel distances, fewer local services, limited public transport and the challenges of living in smaller communities can all add another layer to an already incredibly difficult experience.

That is why, at MISS, we believe where you live should never determine the support you receive after pregnancy loss.

Our CEO and Founder, Abi Clarke, recently spent time visiting services and communities across Moray, Inverness and Caithness, meeting healthcare professionals, community organisations and women who are working hard to ensure families don't have to face baby loss alone.

Supporting families in Moray

Our visit took us to Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin, where we have been working to provide meaningful resources for families affected by baby loss.

Ahead of Baby Loss Awareness Week in October, we have sourced and assembled Baby Loss Awareness Week packs which will be distributed through libraries across Moray. These packs will provide information and resources for families who may be looking for support but may not know where to find it.

We also provided Dr Gray's Hospital with a small number of Quenby cradles, which will be used as part of a trial. The hospital will gather feedback from patients to help understand how these cradles can support families experiencing pregnancy loss.

For us, this is about more than providing resources. It is about listening to parents, working alongside healthcare professionals and continually looking at ways we can improve the experience of care following pregnancy loss.

Visiting Raigmore Hospital

We also visited Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, where we met Senior Charge Nurse Louise Lockhart and were given a tour of the maternity area dedicated to early pregnancy loss.

We were pleased to provide memory boxes for midwives to offer to bereaved parents, alongside a small supply of Quenby cradles. These will also be used as part of a trial, with patient feedback gathered to help understand their impact.

It was incredibly valuable to see the dedicated area and to meet the team providing this specialist care.

Connecting with communities in Caithness

Our visit continued north to Thurso, where we were invited by Women's Health Advocate Kirsteen Campbell to attend the first Home-Start Caithness Mums Wellbeing Day.

Kirsteen said:

"I just wanted to thank you for coming North last week and having a stall.  It was so beneficial to have you there.  It was so good for our staff team to speak to you and see the amazing items you have to offer comfort to families after loss.  It was also beneficial to hear about the support available for pregnancy after loss. We hope to make this an annual event. I went to the North Highland women's wellbeing event on Sunday and was delighted to see NHS Highland display your items with pride too."

It was wonderful to see familiar faces from organisations including the Scottish Women's Convention, Caithness & Sutherland Women's Aid and Three Sisters Consulting, alongside local women and community organisations.

Events such as this demonstrate the importance of creating opportunities for women to connect, share experiences and access support within their own communities.

While in the area, we also provided Caithness General Hospital with overnight items, as well as Baby Loss Awareness Week and MISS support service flyers.

Our overnight items are designed to provide practical support to parents who experience an early pregnancy loss and may unexpectedly find themselves in hospital overnight.

Sometimes, it is the smallest practical gesture that can make an incredibly difficult experience feel just a little less overwhelming.

A place to remember

One of the most poignant parts of our visit was seeing the Tree of Tranquillity, a beautiful space created to remember babies no longer with us.

We were delighted to meet the founder of Vilomah, the baby loss charity for Caithness and North Sutherland, who now helps care for the space, its beautiful garden and the postbox.

Families can also add a personalised leaf to the Tree of Tranquillity, creating a lasting and personal way to remember their baby.

Spaces like this matter. For parents living in rural communities, local places of remembrance can provide somewhere to go, reflect and feel connected to others who understand.

Rural should never mean isolated

Our journey across Moray, Inverness and Caithness reinforced something we already know at MISS: early pregnancy loss can be an incredibly isolating experience, and living in a rural or remote area can make that isolation even harder.

A parent may live miles from specialist services. They may have limited transport. They may not know what support exists locally. They may feel that everyone knows everyone in a small community, making it difficult to talk openly about something so personal.

And after returning home from hospital, the support can feel like it has suddenly stopped.

This is where MISS can help.

Our support is available to families across Scotland, including those living in rural and remote communities. Through our one-to-one support, virtual support groups, telephone and email support, peer support and practical resources, parents can access help without necessarily needing to travel long distances.

Working together to reach every family

We also work closely with healthcare professionals and community organisations so that information about support reaches families where they already are; whether that is a hospital, library, community event or local support service.

Our visits across the north of Scotland aren't simply about delivering resources. They are about building relationships, listening to healthcare professionals, understanding the needs of rural communities and finding new ways to reach parents who may otherwise feel alone.

From Dr Gray's Hospital in Elgin to Raigmore Hospital, Caithness General Hospital and community spaces in Thurso, we are proud to work alongside people who share our commitment to ensuring families receive compassionate support after pregnancy loss.

There is still more to do. But every memory box provided, every support pack shared, every conversation started, and every connection made brings us one step closer to ensuring that no parent has to navigate early pregnancy loss alone – wherever they live in Scotland.

Because support should never be determined by your postcode.