Dan Aldridge on the government's new bereavement leave law

Beginning to imagine a different world, one filled with tiny socks, baby grows, and dreams for the future.

When those two lines lead to a baby, you are surrounded by support, but when a pregnancy doesn’t go full term, that support is needed just as much.

This week is Baby Loss Awareness Week.

In the UK, one in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage; you probably know a woman who has had a miscarriage and don't realise.

Behind these statistics are real women, real families and deeply personal experiences that often stay with people for the rest of their lives.

Pregnancy loss is still something many people feel unable to talk about openly.

Women can find themselves dealing with physical pain, heartbreak and uncertainty while trying to carry on with everyday life.

I know some women who only told a few close family members, but I also know some women who didn't tell anyone, not even their partner or closest friends, until much later, suffering that loss in silence.

Part of my job is to support residents when they are struggling; it's a huge privilege to be there for people when they are in need.

Because of this, many people across Weston, Worle and the villages have raised the challenges they’ve faced when getting support following a miscarriage.

Many have said what they need is time and understanding, and that it’s not a smooth road.

No miscarriage is a single moment or day.

I know from the women in my life that it is often something you carry with you for years after.

It’s the loss of a future you’d already started to imagine and plan for.

These plans in your mind don’t start at 24 weeks; they start at the first pregnancy test, which is why the law needed to change.

Because our sisters, mothers and daughters deserve compassion and kindness.

Until now, employees experiencing pregnancy loss before 24 weeks had no statutory right to bereavement leave.

This can leave people trying to manage their grief alongside the practical pressures of work, financial responsibilities and medical appointments.

The government's announcement of a new statutory right to up to two weeks of unpaid bereavement leave for employees experiencing pregnancy loss before 24 weeks is an important step forward.

Due to come into effect in April 2027, the right will also recognise the grief experienced by partners and other intended parents.

This will not take away the pain of pregnancy loss, but it sends an important message: we as a society care about you, that this loss matters, and people should have the time to grieve without feeling they must immediately return to normal.

Legislation alone is not enough; it's just a tool.

There needs to be a cultural shift.

I know so many great employers who already create compassionate workplaces where women feel safe asking for support, but this is a measure designed to catch those who haven’t yet shifted into that space.

There is no perfect thing to say to someone who has experienced miscarriage.

We will not always know exactly what they are feeling, and we should never presume to understand the full extent of their grief.

But we can listen.

We can acknowledge their loss.

We can make sure they know they do not have to face it alone.

Kindness and compassion are what make us human, and this is one of those changes that should make the world seem less daunting at some of the most difficult times.

Baby Loss Awareness Week is different for everyone who's lost a baby, but for all of us, it's a time to reflect on how we can be kinder and more compassionate to those around us, recognise the grief carried by women and families, and think about how each of us can support them as a community.