How to Use the Miscarriage Care Kit During a Miscarriage

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Experiencing a miscarriage at home is deeply personal and can feel overwhelming. The Compassionate Clinical Care Kit is designed to support you through this experience with dignity and care, offering practical tools to help you manage the process as comfortably as possible. Here’s a step-by-step guide on using the kit and understanding its components.

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Understanding the Components of Your Kit

 

The Compassionate Clinical Care Kit includes several items, each intended to support you through various aspects of a miscarriage:

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• Collection Device (Patent Pending): Designed to sit securely within the toilet, this device gently collects pregnancy tissue. It is composed of two parts:​

  • Toilet Insert: Sits securely on top of the toilet bowl, beneath the toilet seat, providing a stable platform for collection.

  • Sieve Insert: A removable sieve that fits directly inside the Toilet Insert. This sieve gently collects and filters tissue, allowing fluids to pass through while retaining anything solid. The sieve features easy-grip handles, so you can lift it out smoothly and place it directly into the provided storage container if needed, without having to examine the contents.

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• Storage Container: An opaque, watertight container designed for secure storage. The sieve insert fits directly inside, allowing you to place everything into the container without needing to transfer contents separately if preferred. Alternatively, you can empty the contents into the container and continue using the sieve insert as needed.

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• Maternity Pads: Designed for heavier-than-period bleeding, these pads offer comfort and absorbency during this time.

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• Large Pads: These pads provide extra absorbency for heavier bleeding and are particularly useful for sleeping overnight or napping, helping to prevent leakage.

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• Extra-Large Pads: Offering maximum comfort and protection, these extra-large pads are intended to prevent leakage and can also help collect any tissue if the baby passes while you are wearing the pad. Remember to follow your healthcare provider’s guidance on when to seek help if bleeding becomes excessive.

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• Bed Protectors:  Disposable bed protectors provide an added layer of protection for your mattress and bedding. They allow you to rest comfortably without concern about leaks. You can also use them on the sofa.

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• Gloves (Medium and Large): These gloves come in two sizes to ensure a comfortable fit for you or your partner, who may want to assist. They provide a gentle, hygienic way to handle the baby if you wish, and are also helpful for any cleaning tasks.

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• Long Hot Water Bottle: This extended hot water bottle is designed to provide soothing relief from pain and cramping. Its long shape allows you to wrap it around your abdomen or back, offering comforting warmth exactly where you need it most. This gentle heat can help ease physical discomfort.

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• Two Teddy Bears: These small bears are included to offer comfort and a tangible way to honour your baby. Many find solace in keeping one bear while sending the other with the baby, whether for burial, cremation, or testing, as a symbol of connection. You might choose to hold and hug one when you’re thinking of them, place it on a shelf as a quiet part of your family, or share them between parents. These bears are here to treasure, offering a small but meaningful source of comfort during this difficult time.

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• Teddy Bear Candle: This sweet French vanilla-scented candle is here to provide comfort whenever you need it or to keep forever as a cherished memento. You may choose to light it at the time of passing, on an anniversary, or whenever you need a quiet moment of reflection. The bear shape offers a gentle reminder of your baby, bringing a sense of warmth and peace as you honour their memory.

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• Forget-Me-Not Flower Seeds: These tiny blue flowers are a lasting tribute to your baby, offering a gentle, living reminder that will bloom beautifully each year. You can plant them outdoors in May or June, or start them indoors in May, June, and September. As they blossom from April to May, their delicate blue petals serve as a quiet symbol of love and remembrance that returns year after year. Just as they naturally reseed, these flowers will keep growing, representing a connection that endures through time.

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• Memorial Box: This beautifully crafted memory box, adorned with an ivory ribbon tie, is here to hold whatever you choose. It’s often used to keep treasured items like scan pictures, hospital notes, letters of thoughts and feelings, and any other mementos that hold meaning. This box serves as a gentle space to preserve memories, allowing you to honour and remember in your own personal way.

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• Burial Box: This lovingly crafted box is designed to offer a gentle, dignified farewell for your baby. The box features an image of a teddy bear, symbolising the warmth and love you’ll always carry in your heart. Made from biodegradable materials that are safe for cremation, it can be used for a home burial, perhaps with a meaningful plant like a rose, or as part of an official ceremony. This box provides a peaceful way to honour and say goodbye, creating a lasting tribute filled with care and compassion.

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• Instructions: A guide on using the Compassionate Clinical Care kit.

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• Feedback Leaflet: The Compassionate Clinical Care Kit is designed to support you during miscarriage, and we believe it should be freely available through the NHS. We feel that every woman deserves access to the right tools and compassionate support during this experience. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us improve the kit and advocate for it to become a standard part of care for women who miscarry. By sharing your thoughts, you help us demonstrate the importance of this support, bringing us closer to making it accessible for all who need it.

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Each item is carefully chosen to help you feel supported and provide peace of mind, knowing you have everything needed at your fingertips.

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The Collection Device

 

The Collection Device (Patent Pending): This specially designed, patent-pending Collection Device provides a respectful and dignified way to collect pregnancy tissue during a miscarriage. Created with sensitive details in mind, the device allows you to manage this experience at home with care and ease.

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The Collection Device includes two main components:

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• Toilet Insert: This insert fits securely on the toilet bowl, just beneath the seat, ensuring stable collection. The insert is designed with a gap at the back to prevent contamination from faecal matter, making it safe and hygienic for use. 

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• Sieve Insert: The sieve insert fits neatly into the toilet insert and features elongated holes, specifically designed to filter viscous liquids while gently retaining any solid tissue. You can choose to either empty the sieve's contents into the watertight storage container or place the entire Sieve Insert directly into the container for secure storage, without the need to handle the tissue if you're not ready.

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This patent-pending Collection Device empowers you to manage your experience with flexibility, dignity, and control. Whether you wish to handle the tissue directly, bring it to a healthcare provider, or keep it temporarily, this device supports your needs, making a difficult process as respectful and manageable as possible.

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Using the Storage Container

 

If you wish to collect any tissue passed, the opaque, watertight storage container and sieve insert are designed to make this process easier and less distressing. Here’s how to use it:

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• There are Two Options for Collection:

  • Option 1 - Collecting Tissue Directly: Gently place any tissue directly into the container without using the sieve insert. 

  • Option 2 - Using the Sieve Insert: Place the sieve insert directly within the storage container. This option lets you avoid examining the tissue if you’re not ready.

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• Sealing the Container: Once collected, you can securely seal the container to bring to a healthcare professional if desired. Alternatively, you may choose to keep the remains temporarily as you decide on the next steps.

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• Storing the Container: For preservation, anything you place in the storage container should be kept in a cool environment, such as a refrigerator, until you are able to take it where it needs to go. The opaque design conceals the contents

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Using the Kit for Cytogenetic Testing

 

Some may want to understand more about why the pregnancy was not viable. Cytogenetic testing, often offered by healthcare providers, can examine the tissue for genetic information that may provide insight into potential causes.

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• Preparing for Testing: After using the sieve and storage container, simply bring the sealed container to your healthcare provider if you’re interested in testing. They can guide you through the process and explain any potential findings.

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• Discussing Your Options: Cytogenetic testing can offer peace of mind for some, providing information on whether chromosomal issues or other factors may have played a role. This can be helpful for future family planning or simply to bring understanding to the situation.

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Choosing Memorial Options

 

Deciding what to do with the remains after a miscarriage is a deeply personal choice, and the Compassionate Clinical Care Kit offers you the flexibility to decide in your own time. If you would like to create a memorial, the kit’s storage container can hold the remains until you are ready for a more permanent choice, such as burial or cremation.

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• Personal Memorial Options: Some people find comfort in using the burial box provided in the kit for an at-home service. You might consider a burial in the garden or even in a plant pot, marking the spot with a beautiful flower as a lasting tribute. This can be a meaningful way to honour your experience and keep a connection close to home.

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• Professional Services: If you prefer an official burial or cremation, many services can assist with these arrangements. The burial box included in your kit is cremation-safe and biodegradable, allowing for a respectful farewell in a professional setting.

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• Healthcare-Managed Option:  If you prefer to have the remains handled by healthcare professionals, your provider can assist with respectful and compassionate care. Many hospitals also offer services and pathways for memorial ceremonies, so you may choose to have a small service within the hospital setting. The kit’s container provides a discreet way to bring everything to your appointment, allowing you to entrust the process to experienced hands.

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This choice is yours to make in your own time, allowing for a memorial that aligns with your feelings and needs.

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Additional Resources

 

For more guidance and support, be sure to check out our other blog posts, including “My Story” where I share my personal journey through miscarriage, and “How to Recognise Your Baby During a Miscarriage: A Guide to Identifying Pregnancy Tissue” which provides information on identifying tissue during a miscarriage. These posts are written to offer insight, compassion, and practical advice for navigating this challenging experience. We hope they bring comfort and help you feel a little more supported during this time.

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Final Thoughts

 

The Compassionate Clinical Care Kit was created to provide dignity, respect, and ease during a difficult time. Whether you’re using it to manage the physical process, prepare for cytogenetic testing, or create a memorial, this kit is here to support you. Remember, there is no right or wrong way to navigate miscarriage—only what feels right for you. Reach out if you need support, and know that you’re not alone in this journey.