Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) 15 October 2020 is International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day;

(b) on this day, parents, families, friends and healthcare workers will memorialise babies they have lost through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death;

(c) infant loss is a tragic and terrible event to go through for families, healthcare workers and friends, and International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day provides an opportunity to mark their shared loss; and

(d) direct support for persons affected by pregnancy and infant loss is difficult at the current time considering the local health environment;

(2) acknowledges that:

(a) each year around 150,000 women in Australia experience some form of pregnancy or infant loss;

(b) further issues are commonly faced by those close to these tragic events such as depression, anxiety, changes in relationships, development of unhealthy coping mechanisms and post-traumatic stress disorder;

(c) these effects, amongst others, are often underestimated and overlooked by healthcare professionals, friends, and even family members, especially concerning pregnancy loss related bereavement and subsequent grief;

(d) greater research and understanding is required to aide in the creation and establishment of programs, resources and services that support and provide assistance to survivors of baby loss and their families, and enable them to overcome their trauma and integrate their bereavement into their life in a healthy, helpful, healing manner; and

(e) services for people affected by pregnancy or infant loss have been continuing, as best as possible, their necessary and significant work during this recent and difficult period;

(3) expresses sympathy to all families who have suffered a miscarriage, a stillbirth or infant death; and

(4) commends every person who has supported parents and families through their journey from the loss of a baby.

When a family loses a baby by miscarriage, stillbirth or in the first month of life, they lose what should have been. Every couple waiting for a child dreams of what their family will look like, what personality traits the baby will have—will they be sporting or academic; will they have brown hair or red?—the list goes on. But a baby's deaths puts a quick stop to those plans and leaves a void and destroys hope.

It was International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day on 15 October 2020. It was a day for bereaved parents and families to remember the lives lost each year to miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. It's also a day to remember those healthcare professionals whose words and touch make so many positive memories for families. I remember one particular midwife, so many years later, who, when she met our family, treated our baby not as a statistic but as a person. I didn't get to tell her then, because of everything else that followed, just how much of a difference she made to me and my husband. I can only imagine how difficult it's been for families and healthcare professionals, with the restrictions of COVID and the isolation, which would not have allowed families to make all of the memories which, in other circumstances, would be possible.

I want to acknowledge all the healthcare professionals, doctors and nurses and other ancillary staff who've provided that support to families this year. Approximately 106,000 Australians will be touched by the loss of a baby. That is six babies yesterday, today and tomorrow who will not reach their full potential and who leave a missing piece in the families they leave behind.

Recently, there's been much coverage about the tragic circumstances of the US singer John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen and the heart-wrenching images they shared after their loss of a third baby, a son, Jack. I acknowledge their heartbreak and sorrow. Their loss reminds us all that pregnancy, stillbirth or neonatal loss can happen to anyone, whatever their access to medical care.

Overall, Australia is one of the safest places in the world to have a baby, but, even here, over 100,000 pregnancies a year will end without a healthy baby to take home. That's why groups such as Red Nose, Sands, Miracle Babies, the Stillbirth Foundation, Bears of Hope and Pink Elephants are so crucially important to support families grieving the loss of their babies. These groups support and help mothers, fathers, grandparents and siblings negotiate not just the first few weeks and months after the loss of a baby but subsequent pregnancies, which are often difficult as they bring back so many negative memories. Unfortunately, having a good record can also cause isolation and stigma when a baby doesn't come home. Stress, anxiety and constant worry never leave a family that has experienced the loss of a baby.

The statistics tell us that six babies will die each day in Australia. That figure has not really changed since 1998. More research needs to continue to address these stubborn statistics. In 2017, 2,924 babies died in Australia in the perinatal period. Three-quarters were stillborn and the remaining 751 were neonatal deaths for many and varying reasons, such as prematurity, infection or abnormalities. For Indigenous Australian families, these statistics are much worse. They are almost twice as likely to experience the loss of a baby to stillbirth or neonatal death than the Australian population at large. Mothers who are considered economically disadvantaged are also more likely to have complications in their pregnancies that mean their babies will not survive. This rate also has not changed in the past two decades.

More work needs to be done to improve the health outcomes for all mothers and to improve the outcomes for all families into the future. October and, specifically, 15 October recognises those families for whom someone is always missing to celebrate birthdays, Christmas, graduation and all the family memories. It is about supporting parents and grandparents, mums and dads, and recognising the loss that is rarely spoken about. Talking about their feelings and concerns will help families better cope with the future that lies ahead. I offer my condolences to all families that are touched by the commemorations this month.

David Gillespie (Lyne, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is the motion seconded?

Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Financial Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Julian Simmonds (Ryan, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I really appreciate the motion from the member for Werriwa as an opportunity to acknowledge that 15 October marked the International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. I extend my support and comfort to every couple and family in the Ryan electorate that has gone through the tragedy of stillbirth or early pregnancy loss. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this year difficult enough but, as we mark the day, we acknowledge that, on top of the pandemic, too many of our families and our couples are dealing with the additional tragedy this kind of loss brings. I'm a passionate supporter of local families, and I want those who are struggling with this issue to know that I understand their grief and I am here speaking on your behalf to secure more support.

There are six stillbirths each day, affecting over 2,000 families each year. I can't even begin to imagine their immense pain. To support parents who have lost a child to stillbirth, with the personal, social and financial impacts, the Morrison government's 2020 budget committed $7.6 million to address inconsistencies in payments for families impacted by this devastating event, irrespective of whether the child is stillborn or passes away within its first year and irrespective of whether it is the family's first or subsequent claim. I would like to thank Minister Ruston for her efforts on this issue. These changes will complement the improvements to unpaid leave entitlements through the fair work amendment bill which the Attorney-General has introduced to parliament. The changes will guarantee 12 months of unpaid leave for all eligible new parents, including those who have experienced stillbirth and infant death. I know the A-G is personally dedicated to these efforts, and I thank him on behalf of local families for that work.

In addition to experiencing the horror of stillbirth, up to one in five women who know they are pregnant will experience a miscarriage. This is a significant number of women and couples every year who will struggle with this grief. It is an epidemic within our community that remains unacknowledged. In my maiden speech I spoke about the fertility journey that my wife and I have endured. It included early pregnancy loss, and, as a result, like so many others, I know firsthand the emotional effects it has on couples. Like so many women, my wife just powered through the shock of early pregnancy loss because we felt it was best simply to move on and distract ourselves. In retrospect, I wish we had taken more time to process our grief properly and as a family. This would be my advice to other couples going through the same circumstances.

Recent research has found that 74 per cent of women who've suffer a miscarriage report feeling unsupported, and there is evidence that a shocking one in six women who experience miscarriage will go on to experience long-term post-traumatic stress as a result, yet the emotional impact of early pregnancy loss is little understood and not well enough supported. We need to do better, and we can do better. To that end, I would like to draw the attention of the House, as the member for Werriwa so eloquently did, to the efforts of the Pink Elephants Support Network, who I'm working with, and commend their efforts to those in the chamber for the support they are providing to local families. Pink Elephants was established in 2016 to address this gap and provide the latest resources, information and peer support for anyone impacted by early pregnancy loss. To address feelings of isolation and the temptation not to take the time to process grief, Pink Elephants has established the Leave for Loss campaign. The campaign seeks to ensure that Fair Work Australia makes available to women who suffer miscarriage and early pregnancy loss the two days of bereavement leave currently available for those who experience other forms of loss. In the case of early pregnancy loss, I can attest personally to people indeed grieving that loss. Having that grief recognised, as post-12-week stillbirth is and as other grief from loss is, would legitimise the pain that many of these couples are feeling. Thank you to Sarah-Jane, the COO of Pink Elephants, and board member Katrina for their engagement in and effort so far on the Leave for Loss campaign.

As well as the good work of Pink Elephants, there are other programs that the Morrison government is supporting. There is Red Nose, for example, who provide online and telephone bereavement support for people who've experienced miscarriage, stillbirth and newborn death. There is a $43.9 million investment in mental health, $3 million for the Safer Baby Bundle program and $1.2 million for research.

To all those women and couples struggling with pregnancy and infant loss: I can assure you that there are many voices in this House who understand, respect and share your grief, and we'll strive to provide more support wherever we can.

Patrick Gorman (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is a difficult motion to speak to, but, among the many things we do in this place, the difficult things we do are the important things. I want to thank the member for Werriwa for moving this motion and for her speech. I'm sure it was very difficult for her, but I was so pleased to be here for it. Similarly, I thank the member for Ryan for his speech and for outlining the number of support services that are available to people who might be listening to this debate and feeling either that it has triggered something or that at some point in the future they may need assistance.

In moving this motion, the member for Werriwa has extended the hand of understanding and friendship to thousands of Australians, showing that there are people in this place who care about what they are going through. It's a time when even your best friends struggle to find the right words to say—they speak slowly, carefully; there are a lot of silences—but people do want to help one another. If you think about 2020, this is yet one more thing which the coronavirus has made more challenging for many thousands of families. For families separated by hard borders, international borders, virus suppression efforts have made it all the more challenging. I want to note again my thanks to health professionals. The member for Werriwa just outlined how important they are. Often—it's just one of those things—you don't get the chance to say thank you at the time they are assisting you or a loved one, but they do an amazing job and can provide a very good friend to your family instantly when they are helping you with something this difficult.

Every family's loss is different and every family's loss is real. 'Welcome to the world's worst club' was the message my wife and best friend, Jess, received—a club that some 150,000 Australian women join every year, a club you never leave, a club we joined in November last year when we were still unpacking boxes in our new house—the big new house, as my son Leo called it, necessary for our growing family.

When I found myself on the other side of the country in Townsville, on my way to Papua New Guinea, I got a phone call that no parent wants to get: that Jess was in hospital and things had not gone well. After the immediate grief, Jess and I believed it was important to share, especially as you discover that so many of your friends then share with you something that you'd never known had happened in their lives. I'll use some of Jess's words. She said:

It's an incredibly normal, almost boring thing for a family to go through. But it happens to one in four women — so it's really unpleasant and had some really challenging moments to it but…we felt as supported and loved and cared for as was humanely possible.

This is an ongoing grief that affects people in different ways. I took time off (in May) on what would have been the expected due date because I just decided that I didn't want to have to soldier on that day.

It is important that you share and talk about these things. One of the things that 15 October reminds us of is that we do need to share and be open about all parts of people's health and families, not just those that are easier to talk about.

We now have another bub due in December. We thought we would go and do the story—Polly has a baby, a very exciting time, talk to a journalist. We came to the conclusion that that would have been false. That would not have been telling the full story. I want to thank Lanai Scarr from TheWest Australian for enabling us to tell some of our story with our community in Western Australia. I also want to note that this place is sometimes more supportive than people recognise. On that, I want note the kindness of many of my colleagues, including the Leader of the Opposition, and on the other side the kindness of the member for Fisher.

That brings us all to the question: what can we do in this place? We can invest more in mental health support, knowing that depression, anxiety and other health issues can often follow. We can do more to expand telehealth, protect Medicare, invest more in remote and regional health services and more in Indigenous health services, invest in research—how we actually help people, what actually works in the space, because, again, as others have noted, sometimes people just soldier on.

In my home town of Perth, we need a new women's and babies' hospital. It's an urgent health priority for my electorate and for Western Australians. It's a project that should be bipartisan, should be being built and is well and truly overdue. We should also ensure that women's health services are available at all hours for all communities and for people of all backgrounds. We need to do more on parental leave and compassionate leave. I want to commend the leadership of Senator Keneally on this matter. We need to speak, share, understand and offer that hand of support when people need it.

Fiona Martin (Reid, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Sadly, every day there are six stillbirths, affecting over 2,000 Australian families each year, and up to one in five women who know they are pregnant will experience a miscarriage. Last week, on October 15 many Australians observed pregnancy and infant loss remembrance day. Parents, families, friends and healthcare workers paused to remember the babies that've been lost through stillbirth and infant death. Infant loss is both more common and more complex than many people realise.

This year has been especially challenging for those grieving parents because of COVID-19, which has prevented many from accessing support at a crucial time. While all grief leaves an irreversible mark, infant loss is particularly difficult to cope with or to overcome. The Morrison government is committed to providing support for parents living with this terrible loss. As a government we have supported all recommendations of the Senate inquiry into stillbirth research and education in Australia.

In many years practicing as a psychologist, I worked with parents who had experienced the trauma and grief of pregnancy and infant loss. It's not just the loss of the baby but often the loss of hopes and dreams that inevitably come when parents first discover they are expecting. For these parents, it's understandably difficult to let go of their loss. While a parent may never let go of the loss of their child, they can move through their grief.

The Morrison government has made a $43.9 million investment in perinatal mental health, and there are many outstanding organisations that provide psychological support for parents experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. I recently met with Arabella Gibson, CEO of the Gidget Foundation, which provides support and counselling to parents who are dealing with perinatal depression and anxiety, especially when it relates to grief and loss. Other trusted organisations like Sands and Red Nose receive federal funding for online and telephone bereavement support for miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn death. It is important that we acknowledge these important services and resources that are instrumental in helping families cope with their loss.

The Morrison government has also committed $7.6 million to ensure that all eligible families who experience stillbirth or the death of a child under 12 months of age will receive financial support through the stillborn baby payment and bereavement payment. No amount of money could ever erase the grief that parents feel after the loss of their baby. However, this payment offers practical support to bereaved families and validates the experiences of bereaved parents. While it is important to support families through their grief, it is also important that we invest in ways to prevent pregnancy and infant loss. Increased funding for research and prevention programs allows us to look to the future with great hope.

As a government, we are committed to reducing the risk factors for stillbirth. We have delivered $3 million for the Safer Baby Bundle program, which aims to improve the management of pregnant women who may be at increased risk of stillbirth. In addition to this, $1.2 million has been dedicated for a research project to reduce preventable stillbirth using biomarkers and ultrasound in late pregnancy. The Morrison government continues to work on the National Stillbirth Action and Implementation Plan to reduce stillbirth in Australia and ensure that families affected by stillbirth receive high-quality bereavement care.

Debate adjourned.