On 4th October 2024, ARC held its face-to-face professional conference in London. Focusing on ‘Diagnosis and Decisions – optimal care through antenatal testing and its consequences’, we were delighted to welcome nearly 200 delegates.

To encourage those from further afield, we awarded 14 travel bursaries to professionals from Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Gillian received one of them and kindly shared her reflections on the day.

I was delighted to receive a bursary place to attend the ARC conference. The opportunity to travel to London with my fellow colleagues from Northern Ireland and to learn from health professionals across the UK was greatly appreciated. Travelling the day before the conference provided the opportunity to explore the surrounding area, whilst upon arrival at the conference, I felt warmly welcomed and enjoyed the breakfast pastries and coffee! 

The morning lectures improved my knowledge on NIPT and made me pause to consider the implications on the parents whilst awaiting results and the steps to be considered following a higher chance result.   

The lecture on fetal surgery by Dr Jan Deprest reinforced the message that this surgery is about improving outcomes for the baby, not curing disease. The need to consider a woman’s future reproductive history and the psychological impact of diagnosis and uncertainty was acknowledged. Furthermore, the importance of family centred emotional support, avoiding contradictory information and good continuity of care was supported.   

Dr Rebecca Spencer recognised the psychological impact during pregnancy when fetal growth restriction is identified. The need to balance information shared with the parent’s ability to retain this information was noted. Acknowledging uncertainty and the need to gradually build on information already shared was also reinforced.   

Dr Laura McLaughlin’s personal account of the challenges she encountered in the development of the Tulip Service was honest and impactful. Laura’s narrative of her personal journey reflected ongoing learning and highlighted the difficulties encountered. Laura stressed the importance of communicating to develop comprehension of the service and the need for staff engagement. Laura demonstrated the development of a committed and compassionate team. Coming from Northern Ireland I felt great respect and admiration for Laura’s resilience and the development of this service.   

As a Childbirth and Loss Midwife, I was most interested to learn about the psychological impact and challenge of managing uncertainty following unexpected news in the antenatal period. Jane shared a parent’s story to reflect this uncertainty and impact on parents, which facilitated learning and understanding of these complex emotions/feelings experienced by parents. Elena Greco’s study highlighted the importance of considering that parents may already have a mental health condition and the impact for these parents managing conversations around unexpected news. Elena noted the need to ensure understanding, allowing time for processing information and facilitating an individualised communication approach.  

 Mando Meleagrou echoed this importance by noting that the parent’s baby in their body, is the baby in their mind. I found this statement so thought provoking and acknowledged the importance of considering the parents relationship with their baby and their pre-existing beliefs. The need to remember that a parent comes with a story and that for parents their relationship with uncertainty is dependent upon their life experiences. The need to acknowledge that parents are grieving even prior to diagnosis, as the uncertainty results in the loss of the baby they thought and hoped for. Mando’s discussion will enhance the emotional support that I provide as I consider these reflections on meeting parents on their antenatal journey.   

Dr Rachael Wood shared the journey to NIPT in Scotland and the conference ended with Professor Kypros Nicolaides sharing his passion and commitment to improving outcomes and care for pregnant women.  

Sharing parent’s experiences and learning from other health professionals has provided rich learning at this conference. Coming from NI the conference felt inclusive and represented professionals across the UK. I felt warmly welcomed by Jane and the ARC team. I appreciated the ARC resources shared and the Tommy’s information on support after pregnancy loss, QR codes and information on the Miscarriage support tool. In addition, the information provided by the charity Tiny Tickers can be shared with our families who have received the news that their baby has a suspected heart condition.  

Gillian with colleagues from Belfast Health and Social Care Trust at our conference and (right) with ARC Director Jane Fisher 

Attending the conference has deepened my knowledge and understanding of the impact of uncertainty for families in our care. This learning can then be shared with my colleagues at training sessions. I really appreciated this opportunity and enjoyed a wonderful conference.