Welcome to the course

Thank you for joining us on this course!

Over the next two weeks, we will explore the impacts of language on experiences of pregnancy loss in healthcare contexts, as well as some of the linguistic choices and wider communicative strategies that can help to provide effective support.

Before we get started, we thought we’d begin by introducing ourselves as educators on this course, and our background in research into Healthcare Communication at University College London.

Dr Beth Malory

Hello – I’m Dr Beth Malory and I’m the Lead Educator on the course. I’m a Lecturer in English Linguistics and a health communication specialist at University College London. My research focuses on the effects of linguistic choices around pregnancy loss in particular. I have worked with clinicians, academics from other disciplines, and third-sector organisations to better understand the roles language plays in experiences of pregnancy endings and public understanding of such experiences.

You can find out more about my research here.

Dr Louise Nuttall

Hello – I’m Dr Louise Nuttall and I’m also an Educator on this course. I have been a Research Assistant on the ‘Supporting Policymakers to Negotiate Communicative Challenges Around Pregnancy Loss’ Project at University College London since 2024. In my research, I specialise in the analysis of discourse in light of current best understandings of language and cognition.

You can find out more about my research here.

Other contributors to the course

Many other people have contributed to the development of this course and the research which informs it. We would first and foremost like to recognise the contributions of the lived experience participants who have provided the brave, insightful and articulate testimonies that you will hear and see during the course, as well as the hundreds who gave up their time to take part in online surveys about their experiences of pregnancy loss communication.

In addition, members of the EstELC Expert Advisory Group, with members from healthcare, academia, policy and the charity sector have guided the projects which led to this course and have contributed in many important ways. Among these members, the four charities below have provided invaluable support:

The Miscarriage Association is the charity which offers support and information to anyone affected by the loss of a baby in pregnancy, raises awareness and promotes good practice in medical care.

Petals is the charity which aims to provide and promote specialist counselling for parents across the UK following baby loss.

Sands is the charity speaking up about pregnancy and baby loss, saving babies’ lives and supporting bereaved families.

Tommy’s is the leading charity funding pregnancy research in the UK. They also campaign for changes to national maternity care and provide expert information and support.

Introduce yourself

What are you hoping to achieve by the end of this course? Say hello and share your goals in the comments. You can reply directly to other learners too.