"As awareness of pregnancy loss continues to grow, it's vital that people can access meaningful support at home, at work and through their communities."
- Louise Colley - Zurich
To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, which will take place from 9th to 15th October 2026, Zurich has announced the launch of a specialised pregnancy and baby loss support service for customers.
Empathy's Pregnancy Loss Support programme is available at no extra cost for Zurich's life protection customers and is designed to help families access guidance and support following miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss.
Around 250,000 pregnancies end in miscarriage every year, making pregnancy loss one of the most common but often least talked about life events. For many parents, the impact affects mental wellbeing, relationships, family life and return to work.
Research shows 29% of women meet the criteria for PTSD one month after miscarriage, while six in ten bereaved parents say they were unable to access the psychological support they needed through the NHS.
Pregnancy Loss Support is available to both birthing and non-birthing parents for up to two years after a loss. Key features include a personalised care plan tailored to an individual's circumstances and type of loss, as well as articles, guides and resources covering both emotional and practical challenges.
Grief and wellbeing tools such as guided meditations and audio content, as well as a private journalling space, are also included. In addition, the family hub is designed to enable up to five loved ones to coordinate support and stay connected. Users can also access UK-based care managers via scheduled calls and in-app messaging.
The programme also supports families facing anticipated pregnancy loss, recognising that every experience is different and that support is needed at every stage of the journey. Zurich says the new service builds on its wider support for families affected by pregnancy and baby loss, complementing its pregnancy and early childhood cover launched in 2024.
Last month, the UK government announced plans to introduce a right to two weeks’ unpaid leave following any pregnancy loss before 24 weeks from April 2027. In 2024, NHS England cited a CIPD survey that found 24% of employees have left an organisation following a poor experience of workplace support after a loss.
In 2019, Zurich introduced workplace support for colleagues experiencing miscarriage and pregnancy loss. It reports that since then, 57 employees have accessed this support, taking an average of 7.4 days’ leave, while 16% of users were fathers.
Sharing real-life stories of love, loss and remembrance
To mark Baby Loss Awareness Week, Zurich is also sharing the experiences of people affected by pregnancy and baby loss, highlighting both the lasting impact of loss and the importance of support.
This includes Donna Wayman, who lost her daughter, Violet, during pregnancy while working at Zurich. She says the understanding shown by her manager, alongside a phased return to work, allowed her to process her grief in her own time.
Her experience later inspired her work with the charity Aching Arms and helped inform the development of Zurich's miscarriage policy for employees: "The care and time my manager gave me was so important. Policies matter, but what made the difference was having empathetic and understanding people around me when I needed them most."
Leanne Turner, CEO and founder of Aching Arms, said: "Zurich has supported Aching Arms for over ten years, and their partnership has been instrumental in our growth and impact. From early grants funding comfort bears and midwife training, through to staff volunteering and fundraising, our collaboration has continually strengthened the support available to bereaved families.
"Working with Zurich on training to support rollout of miscarriage and baby loss HR policies, along with their backing of our national helpline, reflects a shared commitment to improving care both within their organisation and across the wider community. We are really proud of what we have achieved together.
"Pregnancy and baby loss can leave parents navigating grief long after the immediate loss itself. Access to trusted information, practical guidance and compassionate support can help families feel less isolated and better equipped to find the support that is right for them, when they need it most."
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Eve Lewis, Empathy’s mindfulness expert and mental health coach, added that her own lived experiences and her work with those affected by pregnancy loss have shown her "how isolating it can be, particularly when the world around you seems to carry on as normal, and it feels difficult to talk about how you're feeling."
"Grief after pregnancy loss is often unseen or minimised, and many people feel they don't have permission to mourn," she added, noting that "support that helps people navigate both the emotional and practical realities of loss can make a meaningful difference, while recognising that everyone's experience is deeply personal.
"It’s also important that the people around them feel equipped to offer support. Sometimes, the most helpful thing is not trying to 'fix' what someone is going through, but giving them the space, understanding and support they need to navigate it in their own way."
Louise Colley, director of retail protection at Zurich, added: "Losing a pregnancy or a baby is something no parent expects to face, yet it affects thousands of families every year. As awareness of pregnancy loss continues to grow, it's vital that people can access meaningful support at home, at work and through their communities.
"Through our pregnancy and early childhood cover, support for colleagues experiencing loss and our partnership with Empathy, we're helping ensure families can access practical, emotional and financial support when they need it most. Most importantly, we want people to know they do not have to navigate this journey alone."
James Tait, director of corporate risk at Zurich, called the government’s recent announcement about introducing bereavement leave "an important step in recognising the lasting impact of loss," but added that "while time away from work matters, support is just as important when people are ready to return."
"Through Pregnancy Loss Support, we're helping employers provide access to specialist emotional and practical support. By helping employees and their families navigate grief and protect their mental wellbeing, we hope to make the journey back to work feel less overwhelming," he said.
