Understanding Stillbirths and Infant Deaths

Nothing can prepare a person for the tragedy of losing a baby, along with the hopes and dreams of being a parent to that child. How to cope? What to expect? How to get helpful support? Amy Wright Glenn helps us to compassionately navigate this difficult reality.

What we talked about:

• Why we should be talking about this more.
• When birth and death collide.
• How to best help moms: the presence of listening
• The importance of a “teach me” perspective instead of a “fix it” perspective
• Ways to honor the baby and acknowledge the loss.
• The importance of mementos, photos and rituals
• Integrating the mindbody pieces for subsequent pregnancies
• Finding purpose amidst the grief: the story of a mom who donates 92 gallons of breast milk following pregnancy loss

More on stillbirth, infant loss, and links Amy mentioned:

• On gratitude and grief: Mother donates 92 gallons of breast milk following pregnancy loss, article in the Philly Voice by Amy Wright Glenn
• Stillbirth, Miscarriage, and Infant Death, from The Compassionate Friends
• Stillbirth: Trying to Understand, from the American Pregnancy Association
• Stillbirth, from the March of Dimes
• Infant death: Grief and the path to remembrance, from the Mayo Clinic
• 5 Ways to Support a Family Expecting a Rainbow Baby, by Jennifer Canvasser (NEC Society)
• Companioning at a Time of Perinatal Loss: A Guide for Nurses, Physicians, Social Workers, Chaplains and Other Bedside Caregivers, by Jane Heustis, RN and Marcia Meyer Jenkins, RN
• Companioning Philosophy, from Alan Wolfelt from the Center for Loss

Related resources*:

• CJ Foundation for SIDS
• Compassionate Friends
• First Candle
• M.I.S.S Foundation
• Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc.

Courtesy of Amy Wright Glenn

About Amy Wright Glenn

Amy Wright Glenn earned her MA in Religion and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She taught for eleven years in the Religion and Philosophy Department at The Lawrenceville School in New Jersey earning the Dunbar Abston Jr. Chair for Teaching Excellence.  She is a Kripalu Yoga teacher, Birthing Mama® Prenatal Yoga and Wellness Teacher Trainer, (CD)DONA birth doula, hospital chaplain, and founder of the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death. Amy is a regular contributor to PhillyVoice and recently published her first book: Birth, Breath, and Death: Meditations on Motherhood, Chaplaincy, and Life as a Doula.

To learn more, visit: BirthBreathAndDeath.com or follow the conversation on Facebook.