Book review

Very little compares to the death of your baby. The Sands Bereavement Support Book is a single, comprehensive resource to guide parents through the arduous journey on which they are about to embark. This new resource replaces Sands' previous pack, which consisted of multiple booklets covering various issues. The number of booklets was often daunting for families and would be split up by staff, leaving the packs incomplete. The new book comprises individual sections that are colour coded. During such a difficult period, it can be overwhelming to attempt to take in all information provided at once; therefore, this feature allows the reader to choose which topic they would like to focus on. I particularly liked that the paragraphs were short and so did not feel intimidating, which makes the reader more likely to absorb the information.

The individual sections are easily accessible as PDFs on the Sands website, so that friends and family can be signposted to all resources. One of the biggest improvements noted in the new book is the conscious effort to make it fully inclusive of single parents, same-sex couples, adoptive and surrogate parents, with a noticeable change in the language and images used throughout. This is a significant leap from the old resource pack, which only had a section dedicated to fathers. This change to acknowledge the immense diversity of modern society is a tremendous step forward and one that will be greatly appreciated by staff and families alike.