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The Still Parents podcast will show MEN that it is ok to not be ok!
Still Parents will highlight that men can and will suffer following the loss of a baby to Stillbirth, Neonatal Death, Miscarriage or Medical Termination. It will highlight that it is ok to be open with their feelings and emotions.
We aim to show that it is ok to be afraid of grief and to be fearful of the unknown, but ultimately we aim to demonstrate that by uniting in our fear to support each other; that we are stronger together!
"Men Grieve Baby Loss differently but no less acutely than women. Society does not affirm the experience of men in loss and this ultimately has a profound impact on their ability to cope with the feelings they have leading many men to suffer with mental health illness."
Ryan Jackson: Founder and Managing Director of The Lily Mae Foundation
The devastating impact of baby loss and its effects on bereaved parents are still to this day a stigma amongst society. Research shows that men grieve loss as intensely as women yet the social stereotype that men should be strong and bottle up their grief is stopping bereaved men accessing and getting the support they need.
Men can be reluctant to seek support for their mental health or disclose mental health troubles to loved ones. While many of the same difficulties are experienced by both men and women, some difficulties and influences on mental health are especially relevant for men. The medias portrayal of the issue of loss tends to focus on the female experience, and whilst this is important, men are very often forgotten, leaving them feeling unsupported and vulnerable to mental health illness.
Societal Expectations, that is, the ways in which men and women have been traditionally expected to behave, has been shown to play a role in mental health conditions. Men are often seen to display what have traditionally been perceived as masculine traits like strength, stoicism, dominance, and control. Whilst wanting to feel strong and in control are not inherently negative things, reliance on these traditional values can and will negatively impact mens mental health. Research continues to suggest that men who feel as though they are unable speak openly about emotions may be less able to recognise symptoms of mental health problems in themselves, and less likely to reach out for support.
The Still Parents podcast will talk openly and honestly to men who have suffered the devastating loss of a baby to Stillbirth, Neonatal Death, Miscarriage or Medical Termination. The discussions will be honest, genuine and hard hitting with the aim of dispelling the societal expectations men are so often expected to show.
We will show MEN that it is ok to not be ok!
