Bereavement Doula Training

It’s almost time for my first step of my bereavement doula training journey. On October 1st, I will be participating in the bereavement training offered by The Wishbone Foundation. I am very excited to be attending this training. It has become more and more apparent that I need it and I would like to use it.

I went into my new job today to set up the 2014 education schedule. My colleagues and I were going to meet at a restaurant but we ended up meeting at the hospital cafeteria instead. Why? 2 families had lost their babies. Ugh! Seriously? I really wanted to help but I didn’t make the offer. I was still not sure if I was considered “qualified” to help. I hope after this training, I will be qualified to help and I hope I feel more comfortable filling the role when needed.

I know that this will help me when I meet families who have lost their babies so it’s going to be beneficial regardless. I still fear actually walking into that room with newly grieving parents. This training will really help me understand what they need and how to help them. There will be a parent panel consisting of parents who have been through losses. I am actually going to participate as a parent who lost a baby in the first trimester. All the trimesters will be represented.

I am so excited that a foundation has come out to provide this sort of education to nurses and other hospital professionals. It is desperately needed. Families need and deserve empathy and love. I can only hope that after this training, the hospital professionals in attendance will feel comfortable enough to step out of the box and “be present” for these families.