Service : Forget-Me-Not Service (East Berkshire)

We can help if you’re struggling with your mental health because of early baby loss or fertility difficulties in the last 2 years, including:

• a miscarriage or a loss of a baby, before 24 weeks gestation
• termination for medical reasons
• are pregnant following a loss
• fertility difficulties

We know that grief can be a complex and personal experience.

You might feel isolated and even misunderstood as you come to terms with what has happened, and that difficulties like depression and anxiety can affect your day-to-day life.

We’re a Frimley Maternal Mental Health Service, and work directly with Berkshire Healthcare.

Referral criteria

You must be registered with a GP in the Frimley Integrated Care Board (ICB) area, which includes:

• East Berkshire
• Surrey Heath
• North East Hampshire
• Farnham

You must also be experiencing mental health difficulties following your loss or losses, or fertility difficulties.

Speak to your GP, midwife, Health Visitor or other healthcare professional if you’re having difficulties with your mental health.

They will talk to you about available support, and may refer you to us.

Unfortunately, we do not currently accept self-referrals.

Your referral

We’ll review your referral and may contact you for more information.

If we feel our service is right for you, we’ll arrange an online assessment to talk with you about your situation.

We’ll discuss different treatment options with you.

If we’re unable to accept your referral, we’ll contact your referrer and suggest other services that may be able to help.

Depending on your needs, we’ll offer you either individual or a group therapy.

We provide safe and respectful spaces for you and your loved ones to open up about your situation.

With our care, you can:

• learn how the brain and body responds to trauma, loss, and grief
• use coping strategies for overwhelming emotions
• create helpful ways of supporting your partner

We can also guide you to other agencies and services including talking therapies.

Individual therapy

We'll talk with you about how many sessions we feel might help, but you will be offered a minimum of six.

You can choose whether you prefer appointments face-to-face, or online.

We have three face-to-face clinics you can travel to:

• Camberley
• Farnham
• Slough

We've chosen clinics which are away from hospital environments, schools, and children centres.

Appointments typically take place 9am to 5pm, Monday to Wednesday.

Group therapy

Our group therapy sessions are provided online, and are held throughout the year.

Group environments can allow you to share your thoughts and experiences in a safe space, with others who may have gone through similar situations.

They can help you build greater connection with others, so you feel less alone.

We're currently offering a Pregnancy After Loss group intervention, which runs twice yearly. We do this together with  the Birth in Mind service, and Berkshire Perinatal Mental Health Team.

Your appointment

We’ll send a confirmation email about your appointment, with links to the online video platform. Please complete the online questionnaires before your appointment, so that we can adjust our therapy to support you. 

Make sure you’re in a quiet, confidential space during your appointment so that you can talk freely and without interruption. 

We’ll talk with you about your story of loss, and the lasting impact it may be having, as well as any past mental health difficulties or life events that may be relevant. We’ll also ask about your support network, and possible stresses and strains that comes from it.

Based on what you tell us, we’ll talk about your goals and hopes for therapy, and offer the right support to suit you.

Take some time to think about the kind of ongoing support you may need to help you or what you might hope to get out of therapy. 

As some of the discussions may be upsetting, it can be a good idea to plan in time after the appointment for yourself before going back to your daily life. 

There are many different charities and communities available if you need to talk to others about pregnancy or child loss. 

The Miscarriage Association

A community of care professionals and families that offer support if you’ve been affected by miscarriage, molar pregnancy, or ectopic pregnancy.

• Visit the Miscarriage Association website

Sands

Sands offers a range of activities to help those affected by baby loss and bereavement. This includes support groups run by trained volunteers, coffee mornings, training for health professionals, newsletters, precious memory items, and organising memorial events.

• Visit the Sands website

Saying Goodbye 

Saying Goodbye is the primary division of the Mariposa Trust. They are a UK based charity providing support to anyone who has suffered the loss of a baby at any stage of pregnancy, at birth, or in infancy.

• Visit the Saying Goodbye website

Tommy's

Support for loss of a baby during pregnancy or after birth.

• Visit the Tommy's website