Bethany Hulme-Teague, a mother from Bath, is championing the cause for enhanced miscarriage care after feeling let down by the support she received following her second pregnancy loss. She champions Tommy’s charity’s Graded Model of Miscarriage Care, a proposed system aiming to provide compassionate and timely care from the very first miscarriage, rather than after multiple losses.
According to Tommy’s researchers, adopting this new care model could help prevent over 10,000 pregnancy losses annually. Bethany, 30, shares her deeply personal journey, emphasizing how the hope of motherhood was realized after 18 months of trying—only to be shattered first by an early miscarriage, and then later by a second devastating loss.
During her second miscarriage, Bethany sought help at A&E due to bleeding concerns but found the environment ill-suited for women undergoing pregnancy loss. She endured long waits for test results in busy waiting rooms, experiencing immense isolation despite being surrounded by people. When finally seen at the Early Pregnancy Unit, she recounts feeling like just another case rather than a grieving mother, especially when told that additional support would only be considered after three miscarriages.
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Bethany stresses the immense mental toll miscarriage care—or the lack thereof—can have on women and underscores the benefits of earlier intervention. “Greater support during miscarriage improves mental health and creates healthier outcomes not only for mothers but also for their children,” she explains.
Currently, NHS protocols typically only provide comprehensive tests and follow-up care after a third miscarriage, leaving many women without necessary support during earlier losses. Tommy’s Graded Model seeks to change that by identifying risk factors sooner and offering stepped care tailored to each woman’s experience.
The pilot study conducted by Tommy’s National Centre for Miscarriage Research and Birmingham Women’s Hospital found that women receiving care under this model were more likely to have underlying issues identified and exhibited lower rates of subsequent miscarriage compared to those receiving standard NHS care.
Kath Abrahams, Chief Executive of Tommy’s, highlights the urgency of adopting this approach: “Waiting for three miscarriages before offering support leaves many women isolated and without the help they need early on. Our study shows that escalating care after the first miscarriage is both effective and feasible for NHS staff.”
Scotland has already incorporated the Graded Model into its miscarriage care pathway, and Tommy’s is calling on other UK governments to follow suit. With the UK Government recently committing to reviewing the pilot’s findings, there is hope for widespread implementation that ensures women receive respectful, timely, and compassionate care after every miscarriage.