Elizabeth Petrucelli

Author, Blogger, Educator

Category: bereavement doula (Page 1 of 3)

Maternal Mortality in the US

March 16, 2023 / / 0 Comments

USA Today published an article today entitled The Rate of Women Dying in Childbirth Surged by 40%. These Deaths are Preventable. Let’s talk about this because I was almost one of those statistics. But first things first. Ya’ll need to stop believing that the United States is immune to a high maternal mortality rate as if we are some kind of super power where doctors don’t make mistakes, have personal and loving relationships with their patients, and would never suffer in their own personal lives at your expense. It’s laughable just reading what I wrote.

Doctors are humans too and they have lives just like we do and respond just like we do when tired, hungry, under stress, etc. Short cuts are made. That’s us…human. Doctors aren’t the only reason for the increase in maternal mortality though. I suppose one could blame me for “getting pregnant” in my 40’s and that it’s my fault I almost died but let me share my story.

Here I am just moments after giving birth at age 42. My pregnancy was one of my more difficult pregnancies (the easiest was my pregnancy at age 38). I’m not sure why, I was relatively healthy at the time though I was overweight and considered morbidly obese by my health care provider. For reference, my picture below shows what my obstetrician considered morbidly obese. This is me about three weeks from my scheduled induction.

36 weeks pregnant

I do have a “fat apron” as people call it and the nurses had no qualms pointing it out and sharing with me that my life would be better without the fat. I know there was discrimination because of my size and if I was being shamed and rough housed by medical staff at this size, I cannot imagine what women endure who are larger.

So there, I had two factors that contributed to the fatal condition that God saved me from. I was fat and over 40!

After having my baby, I went home the next day. We get more sleep when we are out of the hospital so as soon as I was medically cleared to go home, I did. I should have recognized something wasn’t right but I ignored it. The ride home was nauseating. I couldn’t look out the window at all while the car was in motion. That had never happened before. I decided that it was my age and didn’t think any more about it when I got home.

As the day progressed, I began to have some stomach discomfort. This is two days after the birth. My stomach was really aching and I wasn’t very hungry because of it. I decided I would bind my belly as I had heard this can help the organs go back into place better.

This was the best we could do with this kind of binder because I was so uncomfortable. I couldn’t wear this binder though. As soon as my husband tied it off, I couldn’t get it off fast enough. My abdominal pain was too much to bear.

The nurse-midwife had been to our home earlier that day to check on me and the baby. I mentioned how much my abdomen was uncomfortable and it bothered her enough to say that she would visit me again the following day. She did come back and my pain was worse. It was a right sided pain and if you look at the “right” side in this picture (opposite), it’s poking out more. Something wasn’t right and she suggested to my husband to call for an appointment immediately.

This was our third child so I told my husband to stay home with the kids and I would drive myself in to be seen. After all, it was just abdominal pain and it was probably related to giving birth over 40. That’s what I kept telling myself anyway. Reading the notes today on those visits and apparently the pain was severe, I could not sleep, it radiated to my back, and I had shortness of breath.

I was seen by my obstetrician who palpated my belly and told me I had gall stones. She said I didn’t need OB so she referred me to the urgent care doctor. Urgent care was downstairs so all I did was walk downstairs to be seen. The doctor there sent me for an ultrasound of my gall bladder and ran some blood tests. I didn’t have gall stones and he said, “your labs are off but there is nothing out of the ordinary. We’re going to get you ready for discharge.”

I didn’t feel any better but something inside me remembered an article I had read a few months back. I’m certain it was my Guardian Angel with the Holy Spirit prompting me to ask the doctor the next question. “Will you please share the labs with my obstetrician? I read an article about postpartum preeclampsia.” I could see the disdain on their face. They just wanted me out of there. The doctor reluctantly agreed and the nurse came in to take my vitals for discharge.

Unfortunately for her and thank God for me, my blood pressure had risen significantly by that time. It went from 140/78 in the OB’s office to 171/93. Doctor noted that, “Patient states pain is constant, hurts in back when sitting” and their plan was to send me home until I asked for them to consult with OB. I was admitted back to labor and delivery and as soon as they IV went in, all I saw were stars and my blood pressure spiked again. It was higher and I was in danger.

It’s infuriating reading these notes because it’s full of lies. It lists I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia during pregnancy yet, I never had a pre-eclampsia diagnosis and if I did, it would be malpractice for them not to check my BP at my appointments leading up to my induction (BP was not being checked at any of my visits prior to my induction).

Pre-eclampsia is treated with Magnesium Sulfate and then delivery of the baby if things get worse during treatment. Postpartum pre-eclampsia is treated with Magnesium Sulfate and prayers. The baby was already delivered. It’s up to the body to heal at this point and some never heal. Some women die. Some have issues for life.

So, are maternal deaths preventable? Yes, but I don’t think doctors are really trying to prevent them, especially when they send women away. If the OB had checked my labs instead of saying, “It’s your gallbladder” they would have seen something was amiss.

A friends sister was sent away one week postpartum after visiting her OB because she had a fever. Her milk supply was low as well but the doctor said she had a virus. Nevermind that she had a c-section and was at risk for a uterine infection. I’m so glad her sister reached out to me and was encouraged to seek a second opinion. If she had ignored this fever as her obstetrician did, she would likely be dead…from a uterine infection…BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT SHE HAD!

Countless women share their stories of how they went in with a concern and were sent away with nothing more than a physical exam. They either got worse and someone finally listened or they died at home or shortly after admission. Maternal deaths are getting worse. What’s it going to take for doctors to turn this around?

It’s not enough to go in to be seen. It’s not enough to list the warning signs. We had them! Right upper quadrant pain is a warning sign! Fever within two weeks of delivery is a warning sign! We trust our doctors and they are failing us. We MUST question our doctors now. It’s not enough to trust them.

The question isn’t are these deaths preventable? The question is, why aren’t doctors listening? Why aren’t they following their own protocols that they developed? Why are they sending us home? Why aren’t they concerned? Why are women having to push for better care? Again…why aren’t they listening? We’re dying!

The Death of Suffering

October 16, 2020 /

WARNING: This is deep and is about abortion. It is not a popular opinion.

“I chose to deliver Embree on April 25, 2016 via c-section. I chose late-term abortion. I did so because it was the only way I could hold my baby girl while she was still alive. It was the only way I could encounter her soul until we are together again in heaven. This is why I am PRO-CHOICE.” – Haylie Grammer

At face value, you might think that this woman had an abortion near-term but that’s not the case. She was 25 weeks. You also may have already seen this story as Haylie aborted her baby 4.5 years ago. Her situation is tragic, I don’t deny it. I do however, want to talk about it.

Her post is really about politics (which she admits) and it’s to garner your vote for the pro-choice legislators. Heck, it might even be about the Supreme Court Nominee, Amy Coney Barrett since the concern is she will help overturn Roe v. Wade but most likely this is about the presidential election. It’s quite suspect that this circulated during the last presidential election year.

Haylie tells her tragic story about how Texas forced her to have an abortion because the law would not allow an early induction. According to Texas law, there is no restriction on abortion if the baby has a severe fetal anomaly and/or the mother’s life is at risk. The ACLU for Texas confirms this. Nothing stated the need to wait until 27 week, although she could be referring to private insurance restrictions. This is most likely one of the determining factors for her choosing the abortion route.

Even in Catholic circles, there is disagreement on if what Haylie endured was abortion and those are the details I will focus on in this post because I am not so much interested in the terminology than what was on Haylie’s heart (in her own words).

The quote is above. She chose to have her baby early so that she could hold her baby while she was alive. She chose.

If you’re Christian, then you should understand that God has given you free will to “choose.” There are also laws or rather Commandments, that God has told us not to break. His command doesn’t say, “thou shalt not…unless you are suffering.” It certainly doesn’t say, “thou shalt not…unless the person will die anyway.” And most obvious, His command doesn’t say, “thou shalt not…unless the person isn’t perfect.”

All of us (whether you believe in God or not), were created by God in His image and likeness. Even the unborn were created in His image and likeness. We know that God knows the unborn because it was revealed in scripture. Psalm 139: 13-14 is one of the more popular verses in Sacred Scripture that shows us that God knows us before we are born.

I realize there is much debate on when “life begins.” Science says life begins at conception but medicine says otherwise, “at implantation.” I am not going to debate these statements. Here’s why, as Catholic Christians, we believe in science. Medicine can be manipulated, just as it was in this particular story.

There is also no question if Embree were a living person because her mother believed her to be and wanted to meet her soul on this earth. So the argument then turns to the fatal condition and mirror syndrome. She was told Embree was going to die. Embree would likely die in the womb. Haylie did NOT choose to end Embree’s life in the typical abortion fashion where the baby’s heart is injected with digoxin and then a dead baby is delivered, she chose early induction or rather, early c-section.

This is extremely tragic. As someone who has experienced the death of a baby in the womb and someone who assists families through such deaths as well as fatal diagnoses, I have a perspective many do not have. Not many people choose to get this close to families enduring such suffering.

The death of a baby in the womb is life-changing. Honestly, it doesn’t matter how early or late this occurs. Women have experienced extreme suffering whether the baby dies at an early gestation or full-term. We humans though, believe that the farther along in pregnancy a woman is, means the more love she has to lose and therefore, she will endure more suffering than someone who is in an early gestation (less time to love) but this is not the case at all.

Unfortunately, this is quite damaging to the families who lose children to miscarriage and stillbirth. With this logic, a young woman who loses her fiancé should grieve less than a woman who loses her husband after 40 years of marriage. It is nonsensical and would be damaging to the young woman.

I can tell you that ending the pregnancy early, will not lower the amount of suffering someone will have. They love the child already. We don’t love our children more and more each day they are with us, we just love them and it would break our hearts to lose them no matter what age they are. So instead of bringing in this human logic and trying to reduce a perceived amount of suffering, why aren’t we offering support to women and families enduring such a diagnosis?

I mentioned this to some friends recently and their response to this situation was “let the decision be made between the person, their doctors, without fear of persecution or stigma.” Well, that sounds good on paper but unfortunately, doctors don’t give all the options. Doctors are human too. Doctors have their own biases and opinions too. Doctors can also manipulate things without much repercussion.

Even though my maternal fetal medicine specialist knew I was pro-life, I was still encouraged to abort my 20+ week baby girl because there was a 2% chance the test I had was wrong and my daughter could have Down Syndrome. The whole reason I had the test was so I could advocate for my daughter, who could potentially have Down Syndrome or some other trisomy (even Triploidy since I already had a child with Triploidy). I wanted the specialists necessary for my child, not a judge who believed my baby should die because they weren’t perfect.

I know a family who suffered the loss of their son because a doctor purposefully allowed him to bleed to death following a routine surgery because the child “wasn’t perfect.” He was 8! It was a “medical error,” but believe me, this family knew the judgment against them for bringing forth an “imperfect” child who consumed medical services and did not live in the “normal” way nor would be a “productive member of society.” This is a horrible culture our society has created and supports.

But suffering is the big concern on everyone’s mind. Suffering MUST BE reduced or eliminated at all costs. Why have we become a society that doesn’t accept suffering? As Christians, it seems we have no understanding of the purpose of suffering and somehow believe that God should not allow us to suffer regardless of what we are doing here on earth. There is no suffering in Heaven. Are we living in Heaven?

Through suffering comes grace. We all must suffer and we all WILL suffer through the sins of our brothers and sisters (as well as our own). So I always giggle when I hear someone say, “their life and choices has no effect on mine.” On the contrary, the sins of this world affect us all. This is pretty deep and theological and most people will not take the time to learn anything about this.

So, would prayers have worked to save Baby Embree? Unfortunately, no one will know because the choice was taken away. God’s ability to provide grace on this mother and child, His ability to perform a miracle, the community’s ability to intercede in deep prayer for this child, was taken away.

Haylie used her God-given free will and took this matter to human hands. Of course, she says her in her own words that she hoped modern medicine and prayers would heal her daughter. As an outsider looking in, it would seem she carries a religious belief.

Embree could have received a miracle or should would have died. Death, as much as it hurts for those who love, isn’t the worse thing that could actually happen to us. That’s a physical death. The worst thing that could happen would be spiritual death (eternal separation from God). How does one experience spiritual death?

Rejection of God, aka breaking the Commandments.

Thou shalt not kill.

“But Embree was going to die anyway,” they say. Maybe, we’ll never know.

“But Embree wasn’t killed through abortion,” they say. Well, how do we know that her early delivery wasn’t responsible for her death? She was only 25 weeks. Many 25 week babies do not survive. Some doctors even refuse to provide any life saving care at this gestational age. The error isn’t that life saving care needed to be provided. It didn’t, but a delivery this early could have been responsible for her early death and of course removed any chance that further prayer would have resulted in a miracle.

“But the mother’s life was at risk,” they say. This is debatable. Swelling in the feet is hardly life-threatening. She says she was the size of someone who was 36 weeks pregnant so swelling in the feet at 36 weeks is normal. Haylie doesn’t disclose any other life-threatening issues except the statement about mirror syndrome. An extremely rare condition and while she fits the gestational age in pregnancy for this to occur, it’s unlikely she was experiencing mirror syndrome based on what she revealed. It seems the doctor was finding an excuse to allow this woman a c-section due to some law.

I was unable to find that information in the law. I don’t see anything about 27 weeks in the law at all. In fact, Texas law grants abortion for fatal conditions in the baby and/or threat to the life of the mother after 20 weeks. As stated at the beginning, it seems it might be a private insurance reason over Texas law. It was obvious a c-section was needed due to the tumor the baby had. A vaginal delivery would not be an option.

Someone failed this family.

Now for my Catholics who have argued that this was not abortion because the mother’s life was at risk and a procedure to save the mother is permissible during pregnancy even if the result is the death of the baby. You are correct. Fetal anomalies are not reasons for early induction though and I would argue again that this mother’s life was hardly at risk (based on the information given). It’s likely the doctor manipulated the swelling to justify an indication for such delivery. But, we must look to this mother’s heart.

“I did so because it was the only way I could hold my baby girl while she was still alive.”

This mother did not want to deliver a dead baby. The only way to deliver her alive was to have an early c-section while she was still alive. Believe me, no one wants to deliver a dead baby. No one wants to carry a dead baby in their womb. It might be the journey God has asked of you.

I know this is heart-wrenching. I know that deep down many people know that this was wrong. I also know that many people believe this was an act of mercy. There is no such thing as “mercy killing” for humans though. We must always allow for God’s grace even in the toughest situations. God forbid someone end my life early because I have dementia and they believe it’s merciful to kill me (by refusing food, water, or worse, providing euthanasia).

Redemptive Suffering. Look it up. Someone doing this might have removed not only my redemptive suffering but their own! Suffering sucks. I’ve been there! I don’t want to suffer any more than you do. I’ve lost two children to miscarriage. I have experienced mental illness. I nearly died twice in 2017 and one occurrence came with a month of in-patient care for nearly complete organ failure. We’ve all endured suffering in some way or another.

That’s not what this is about though. We are in this world, but not of it. There is more to us than this little blip of time on earth. Life on this earth includes suffering. We cannot get rid of it and the more we try through these false acts of “mercy,” the more we will suffer…until the end. Only God can provide the mercy you are looking for.

We must offer up these sufferings to God. We must allow others to help us through that suffering. By allowing others to help us, we are allowing God’s grace into their lives and are allowing God’s grace to flow in ours. We are all connected.

“To suffer means to become particularly susceptible, particularly open to the working of the salvific powers of God, offered to humanity in Christ. In him God has confirmed his desire to act especially through suffering, which is man’s weakness and emptying of self, and he wishes to make his power known precisely in this weakness and emptying of self. (SD 23)” – Pope Saint John Paul II (Salvifici Doloris)

How to Support Miscarriage or Stillbirth – A Doula’s Guide

December 6, 2019 / / 0 Comments

Were you just told your client’s baby has died?

I get calls from doulas often telling me they just learned their clients baby died and they are heading in to support them. This makes me so happy because in the past, doulas have abandoned these clients for many reasons. Here is a quick guide on how to support your client.

The good thing is, supporting a family through the labor of miscarriage or stillbirth is not that different then supporting them through a live birth. The physical process is relatively the same so many of the skills you have will cross over. Use that knowledge. Below are some key points to focus on when supporting pregnancy loss.

  • Be compassionate
    • Do not bring your bias into this space. What is hard for you to see or hear does not mean the family doesn’t want to see or hold their baby.
  • Refer if you can’t do this
  • Create a sacred space
    • Bring out the mama bear in you. Protect them from hurt (having a separate room so they don’t hear the heartrate monitor in the next room or babies crying).
  • Separate the act of saying goodbye from saying hello
    • Many times staff are focused on the sadness of saying goodbye but there is also a hello. They are about to see the baby they have been longing for. Help them say hello. Focus on fingers or toes if other parts are hard to view.
  • Encourage
    • Skin to skin
    • Holding and photographs
    • Footprints and hand moulds
    • Bathing, diapering, and dressing
    • Reading a book to baby or dancing with baby (daddy/daughter dance)
  • It’s okay to cry
    • Crying is fine but do not cry hard. The family will stop grieving to support you. Do not take away from their grief.
  • Be there at discharge
    • Bring a teddy bear for them to hold. Empty arms hurt. Sometimes taking them a back way is more helpful. Check the hall for cheerful families and new babies. Try not to go by the nursery.
  • Help them say goodbye
    • Encourage a memorial service or funeral. A water ceremony might also be an option for them. Know their religious preferences and be knowledgeable about burial rites.
  • Follow-up
    • A postpartum visit is important. Bring food when you visit. They are going through the postpartum period (even if this was a miscarriage). Check on their physical changes as well as mental changes. Do not confuse grief with postpartum depression. Review their support system and encourage meals to be brought and tasks to be completed by others.
  • Remember their baby
    • Mark your calendar for one year from the date of loss with the baby’s name (if they had one) and send them a card. We are sometimes scared to make them think about their deceased child but they are already thinking about them. The first anniversary is very important. You are not hurting them by remembering.
  • Don’t forget self-care
    • Many doulas leave on a high, even though you are supporting a pregnancy loss. You will likely crash. The next 3 days tend to be the most difficult. Rest and lost of self-care during this time to renew yourself and be the best person you can be for your family. Let them know you will be going through some tough moments.

This isn’t an all encompassing list. It’s a start. You can do this. I know you are questioning yourself but you have so much in you that you can bring to this space. You know how to do this even though you don’t think you are the right person. This family needs you. Go…be there for them. You got this!

Don’t Talk About the Baby – Review

October 16, 2018 /

It’s a crowdfunded movie that I financially supported. I anxiously awaited the release of the movie after several years of spreading the word about this much needed movie. My hope was that it would break the stigma and silence on pregnancy loss. I was thoroughly disappointed and completed shocked with what I saw in this movie.

It started out well (for the most part). The woman who shares about her daughter was moving. She brought me to tears with her story and I could relate on many levels with her and I was in awe over her mothers intuition. She opens the movie but her full story begins mid-way.  You will see her throughout the movie. I seriously just wanted to hug her.

The first portion of the movie addresses miscarriage. Families share stories of miscarriage and I was so glad they shared about blighted ovum and chemical pregnancy, two forms of loss so often overlooked. The female doctor who speaks is very well versed and I felt she was an excellent resource and empathetic as well as compassionate to her patients.

But that beginning portion began to become concerning for me. They discuss IVF; which to the secular world is fine but as a Catholic, this really bothered me. At no time was faith brought into this and while that wasn’t the point of the movie, religion was not a topic discussed yet is a primary force in the majority of families. In fact, MANY of them wore crucifixes or crosses. These were obviously chosen individually for the interviews.

While IVF was discussed as an option, the way it was presented was almost like an advertisement. The IVF message: The best way to achieve a genetically perfect child, especially for older couples is to utilize IVF. This is my paraphrasing, not the movie but what they didn’t talk about were the losses in each of those IVF trials. The babies who are genetically imperfect that are killed (discarded) in the process. I felt the male doctor really pushed for IVF and gave very little information about the real statistics on IVF.

It lines his pocket financially but the parents lose financially, emotionally, and physically and can leave them in utter despair if they aren’t lucky enough to conceive and carry to full term. The movie did nothing to touch on the fact that IVF increases the risk of stillbirth. This movie is about stillbirth so shouldn’t that have been addressed if you are putting this out there? I suppose IVF can help with creating a genetically perfect child to reduce the risk of miscarriage due to chromosomal abnormalities but then the family is left with a higher risk of stillbirth. I felt like this part of the movie could have been left out. Why discuss IVF at all unless we are talking stillbirth??

IVF is not the only option for older couples or couples struggling with infertility. And before anyone begins to crucify me as ‘not understanding infertility,’ I implore you to read my blogs. I suffered with infertility for over 20 years. It took 3.5 years to conceive my son and 10 years to conceive another living child (Ruby came after 6 years of infertility treatments). I could completely relate to those who had experienced pregnancy loss and those struggling with infertility although I have living children so not all aspects were the same.

I know a movie can’t possibly cover all the pieces of loss, types of loss, and be completely inclusive especially when we bring religion into it but the inclusivity this movie attempted to achieve, deviated onto a path I cannot support. It feels sinful and had I known where this movie was about to go, I would have never supported it.

Abortion. The movie segue’s into abortion. First and foremost, abortion IS a loss. While there are women who utilize abortion as birth control and have no problem with this nor feel any loss from it, there are many women who choose abortion because they believe it’s their best option to reduce either the suffering of their child, their own suffering, or to save their own life.

The woman in the movie described her abortion as medically necessary. The doctors presented her with “your child is suffering inside of you” and your child will gasp for breath, be in pain, and suffer if he is born alive. This mother, like any mother, would never want suffering for her child. Not once though, did the doctors explain the suffering her son would experience from the medication they injected into his heart to stop it.

If this child was born alive, the doctors could have reduced his suffering by giving him medication. But honestly, gasping for air doesn’t always necessitate suffering. I watched my grandfather-in-law die and I have watched multiple babies die. While gasping is uncomfortable for us to watch, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is suffering. But I digress.

I felt this mother was presented with little choice but to follow the doctors recommendation to abort. No where did they offer her comfort care for her very loved child. No where did they offer her support to carry him to term. No where did they offer her any choice but to end her son’s life because he “had no brain function outside her body.” THIS, is where the movie could have helped the medical community and parents enduring fatal diagnosis. Instead of helping a family through that fatal diagnosis, they want to end the life early. Why did they have to normalize abortion instead of carrying to term? Maybe the movie addressed it? I stopped the movie at this point (I did watch the rest the next day).

I feel sick that I supported this movie financially and I was blindsided by it. Had I known they would include such a story, I wouldn’t have opened my check book.

Here are my thoughts after finishing the movie.

I realized this morning that by writing what I have, I am alienating the grief of those who chose to abort their baby. I needed to sit with that statement for a while because alienation is not ever something I would want for those families. I think they feel it enough from the community despite the acceptance of abortion. I am upset that the woman in the video was manipulated by medical staff into thinking that her only option was abortion. I listed other options above. Difficult options. It’s not easy to carry a baby inside you that you know will die inside or at birth but I believe that’s what we should promote. Why?

Because I have had so many mothers who chose abortion for their terminally ill babies who carry immense guilt that they chose the date of death instead of allowing the inevitable process. Many regret the time they lost by choosing abortion. They struggled on choosing the date of the abortion because they didn’t want to become more attached but they didn’t realize how attached they already were. Does every woman or family fall into this? No, but hearing the stories of those who do is gut-wrenching.

I did not want to support a film that would normalize abortion. I am ashamed and this is my public confession. I didn’t know that Ann Zamudio would bring the normalization of abortion into the film “Don’t Talk About the Baby,” and I can tell you that there are more people upset by this than are coming out to say so. But as a Catholic, I can’t keep quiet about it because I don’t want to bring scandal. I didn’t know and I wouldn’t have supported it if I did.

I know many will not agree with me and that’s okay. You are also entitled to your opinion. I won’t berate you, don’t berate me. This is not my judgment against you. I have not stated anything about judgment. This is my opinion. If you are struggling with the words I wrote here, I ask you to explore why. I won’t open comments on this post either because this is very controversial but if you want to engage in open, non-hateful dialogue, you can contact me through the page.

I finished the movie this morning hoping that it would get better, but it didn’t. One of the professionals, kept saying “fetus.” STOP it already. The movie wasn’t called “Don’t Talk About the Fetus.” It made me sick every time she tried to dehumanize the baby by calling it a fetus. I lost all respect for her.

I think the movie is important. It helps shed the light on the stigma of pregnancy loss. It shares the shame associated with it and the silence as well as why there is silence. There are some good resources shared as well and the bereavement doula featured has excellent ideas. Boy, do I wish those ideas would come to fruition all over! She was spot on but I am sure I felt that way because those are the same things I have been screaming for the past 8 years.

Boy, 8 years. That hit me writing that. Ruby would be 8 next month. I can’t believe it.

While I disagree with some of what was presented in this movie, it’s not enough for me to say I wouldn’t recommend it. What I DO want people to know is that the directors placed abortion in here and not all loss mothers can or will relate to that specific topic. In addition, I know many have and will find it offensive. Proceed with caution when watching “Don’t Talk About the Baby.”

As a side note, I thought “Return to Zero” was much better.

On Birth and Death – A Doula’s Journey

September 27, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I enter the small hospital room, adorned with white walls and white boards where his name is scribbled in black writing. Beneath his name is his care plan, followed by contact information for his family. Above the board is an old box TV, hanging from the wall. Fox News is on TV, one of the only shows I remember him watching. He is laying in a hospital bed with his upper body partially raised. He is still, but breathing. I exchange pleasantries with his son-in-law who offered to sit with him until I returned.

I was so glad he was able to stay and provide company to him. It was important to me that he not be alone right now. We hug and tell each other we love each other. Then he departs for the night. His shift has ended and we will see each other tomorrow morning when we will make the decision to move grandpa to home hospice. As much as I wanted to get him transferred earlier, it wasn’t possible to get hospice to the hospital any quicker.

I tell grandpa that I am moving the chairs around and setting things up. He doesn’t respond, he just continues to breath. His mouth is partially open. As he breathes, only his lower jaw moves as he takes in more air. It seems forced in that it doesn’t seem like he is purposely breathing.

The lights in the room are bright. Earlier that day, I made a comment about how bright the hospital lights are and that this place should consider soft lighting. To help fix this issue, I brought an orange lamp from home. I set it up on the stool across the room, plugged it in and turned it on. Then I turned off the brightest light in the room.

I find the larger, more comfortable chair and settle it near his bedside as close as I can. I take a seat on his left side. The side I was given at the dinner table when I became a member of this family. Grandpa is laying on his back and his eyes are partially open as if he was watching TV and dozing off. I don’t think he was really watching. He is partially covered in a soft, blue blanket.

As I sit, I hear alarms sounding in the hallway. They are not his alarms. Just a buzz of activity on the unit. In the hallway, nurses and doctors are going back and forth between the rooms, an employee is buffing the floor, and carts are being pushed back and forth. It’s noisy and I don’t like it. I imagined Grandpa wouldn’t either.

I get up and shut the door. As I do this, I explain to grandpa what I am doing. I return and sit by his side again. We watch TV together. I laugh at the news talking about Hilary Clinton and Obamacare imagining he would have alot to say about these two.

I hold his hand.

A nurse knocks on the door and opens it. As she enters, she asks, “Do you prefer to keep the door shut?” I explained that I did. It was too noisy. She smiles and explains she needs to turn Grandpa. I asked if everything was okay and she explained to me that they turn Grandpa often to help him be more comfortable. Another nurse came in to help and also changed his linens. Once the task was complete, they departed, closing the door quietly behind them.

I was given the Wi-Fi code while the nurses were there so I began to check emails while I sat next to Grandpa. I was also checking in with some friends who have done this before and was asking for their advice but soon, I didn’t feel comfortable checking emails. It felt wrong. I wasn’t present to him and I needed to be.

I decided to turn on some music and sit with him, in quiet. I turned off the TV and turned on Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra. I used Pandora and had set up a bluetooth speaker in the room. It took some time to work it out but after a while, the music was softly playing in the background. I had the thought to turn it up a bit louder than I felt necessary. After all, Grandpa has hearing aids. I wanted to be sure he could hear the music. I imagined he would get up and dance if he could. That’s what he did when the music of his time would come one.

I sat in the chair and rubbed his arms softly as I talked about the music selection. I told him that if he didn’t like the music, he would have to let me know. I felt his arm move as if in agreement of the music. Every once-in-a-while, the music would stop playing and I would share my frustration with Grandpa. I looked at him and noticed his breathing seemed different since the nurses turned him on his side. I smiled, thinking they must have made it easier for him to breathe.

I put my feet up on the end of his bed and closed my eyes. I took in a deep breath and smelled the hospital. It’s not what I want him to remember and I didn’t either so I got up and took out my essential oils. I diffused peppermint with a hint of lavender. I chose peppermint specifically because Grandpa turned to peppermint mints to replace his cigarettes when he stopped smoking many years before. I thought it might be comforting.

I then turned out the other light by the door. It was getting late, after 9pm and I wanted him to settle into a sleep. As we listened to the music of the 20’s and 30’s, I would rub his arms or hold his hand often. Sometimes, I would lift the blankets and sheets and physically hold his hand that way, instead of through the blankets. I didn’t talk much, we just sat there…together.

I would turn to look at his breathing from time to time. With the orange glow of the room it was difficult to see much movement but I could always see the bottom of his mouth opening with each breath. During these back and forth exchanges of stillness listening to music and breathing checks, I began to doubt my presence. What if he didn’t want someone here? What if he wanted to pass alone? I texted my brother-in-law and mother-in-law these thoughts. They both felt he would want someone here. I suppose but I wasn’t sure.

I pondered this for a while, listening to the music and watching his breathing.

I was going to leave around midnight. Hubby would take the next shift and stay until morning but that meant the kids would be at home alone, in bed for almost two hours. I didn’t like the thought of that. My brother-in-law offered to come and wait until I got home and hubby returned. But he was going to come earlier than I wanted to leave. I just didn’t want to go before midnight. As we exchanged text messages, I watched Grandpa breathe.

I noticed his breathing seemed to be spaced out more than it was before and I told my brother-in-law. He told me he was probably falling asleep and I also just believed he was breathing better because of his new position. But there was a part of me that felt this was him dying, so I stopped texting and just watched his breath. For thirty minutes I sat with him and rubbed his arms. I told him all would be okay. We were all going to be okay.

As time progressed, I noticed his bottom jaw wasn’t moving that much anymore. I feared he was going but continued to sit with him. There was no monitor in the room for me to check, I would have to trust my instincts.

No life-saving measures were to be taken anyway. While his heart was being monitored in the hallway, I had no idea if anyone was going to share with me if his heart had stopped. I went out into the hallway but no one was there. I walked to the nurses station but no one was there. So I peeked over the desk at the heart rate monitors and found Grandpa’s. The rate displayed, 53. “Hmmm…maybe he IS sleeping,” I thought to myself. I looked for his respirations but I didn’t see any. Realizing that these things can be wrong, I just chalked it up to being an error.

I returned to the room and checked my messages. I saw one from my brother-in-law. It was approaching the time where he would be leaving but I wasn’t ready. I told him to just stay home. I couldn’t leave. My entire body was telling me to stay.

I returned to his bedside and sat in the chair. I could still see his lower jaw moving but it was much slower than before. Only a breath every 15 seconds or so. I reached my upper body over the side of his bed and laid there. My arms across his chest and I prayed. “Lord, please take him into your kingdom. Please take him quietly, softly,  and pain free.” I laid there, with more prayers and listened.

“Smile,” by Nat King Cole was playing through the speaker. My eyes closed and my body draped across the bed, reaching out to a man I knew was likely leaving this earth. As much as I wanted him to stay, to have one more conversation with him, I knew he was going. When the song was over, I looked up and noticed his whole body was still. Even though he had been still before, this seemed different. I felt like he was gone.

I returned to the nurses station. A male nurse sat at the monitor and I said, “What’s his heart rate?” He didn’t answer.  I asked him again. He looked at me with sad eyes. I told him he seems very still now and I wanted to know if his heart was still beating. He said his heart rate was 24. I said, “So it’s time?”

He replied, “We can’t say for sure because there can be a rebound.” I didn’t care to hear him anymore. I turned towards the room. Another nurse said, “Are you going to call your mother?” I stopped, “Should I?” I asked. She said,  “Only you can know if it’s best to call her now or after.” I returned to the room.

A nurse came in behind me. I moved to his right side and sat in a small chair. I leaned over and rubbed his head and stroked his hair. I began to cry. The nurse was comforting as she listened for his heartbeat. She looked at me. I asked if it was still beating and she said yes, but every 3 seconds or so. She showed me where to watch for his heartbeat and I stared. I told him everything was going to be okay and that I loved him. His pulse, slipped away.

I heard a flatline sound in the hallway. The nurse who didn’t want to tell me his heart rate just a few moments ago, said it was now gone. He was gone. It was 10:20pm.

It seemed fast to me. Just an hour before, he was breathing and now, he was lifeless.

“I have to call the family,” I told the nurse. I took a deep breath and called mom first. I didn’t know how she would answer the phone. I had hoped that she would answer it thinking I was just asking more about if I should be here or not. “Hello?” she said. “Whew,” I thought. “She isn’t crying.”

“He passed,” I said. “Oh he did?” she replied. I could tell she was starting to cry. We talked for a few moments and then I hung up. I called hubby next.Grandpa

A few minutes later, a doctor came in. He assessed Grandpa and stood there, staring at me. I said, “So he has passed?” “Yes,” he said.

I tried calling the other siblings after but no one answered. I sat there, in the stillness of the room. Frank Sinatra playing in the background and I thought, “I hope I did this right.”

“I hope I did this right,” is something I would think often after leaving births. I hoped I provided a high level of service to my clients when they gave birth to their babies. And when I read this, there were so many similarities in the companioning of someone through birth and through death. We use all our senses in these situations. Oils to help relax, provide a memory imprint, to mask a smell; lighting to create a calming environment, releasing tension, submitting to the task at hand; and music to bring up memories or create them.

Birth is very similar to death. It’s a transition from one environment to another; a transition worthy of support and companionship. At birth, the transitioner (baby) is never alone. At death, many of us are alone. I couldn’t imagine leaving Grandpa alone to make this transition. He had a companion with him when he opened his eyes to his new life, he would have a companion when he closed his eyes for the last time.

…

It rained when we left the hospital. Something that doesn’t happen this time of year. It was a tiny sprinkle but noticeable. I found it significant that it drizzled, mid-winter. It was only for a moment, but it was happening.

I have never companioned someone through death in this way before. I have helped families companion their dying babies and children but I have never been the companion in this capacity. It was truly an honor to be there as Grandpa made this transition and I will never forget these moments we shared together.

In loving memory:
Dorsie J. Meads

12 Things I Needed to Hear from my Doctor After My Miscarriage

March 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

This article originally appeared at The Mighty on November 15, 2015.

I have miscarried two babies, Ruby in 2010 and Gus in 2015. I had two very different experiences with my miscarriage. In 2010, the doctor treated my experience as a medical event and was unemotional. It took months for me to be OK with how I was treated, and his treatment of me compounded my grief. In 2015 when Gus died, I was treated with compassion and given options. I was able to move forward more quickly because I wasn’t struggling with mistreatment from my healthcare provider.

Here’s what I wish I heard from that first doctor in 2010.

1. I’m sorry. Please tell me you are sorry or that you will be thinking of me during this difficult time. I know you see miscarriage happen often, but this is my first miscarriage. Even if I have had more than one miscarriage, I would still like to hear those words.

2. Offer a kind touch or a hug. I may be really sad, and it’s helpful to know you care. This is not a medical event for me — it is heartbreaking. Placing your hand on my shoulder helps me feel deeply cared for and will improve my experience.

3. Please tell me what to expect. I have never done this before, and I am scared. I don’t know what my body and mind will experience. It’s helpful to know if I will be in pain physically as well as emotionally, and I will need to know a little bit about how to handle that.

4. Please give me options. It may be hard for me to live with having a dead baby inside me. Please help me understand the best options for my body and help me understand why. If I am anxious, please help me through that with medications or resources. If I am in pain, please offer me pain medications or resources. I need to know you are there for me if I need help. I will also need some sort of timeline. If you don’t know how long this process will take, it’s OK to say that. Just help me understand what to do if the process is taking a long time.

5. Prepare me for what I might see. I have never seen a very tiny baby before, and my baby may be so tiny that they aren’t very visible. Please prepare me for what to look for such as gray tissue or what the placenta may look like.

6. Please tell me not to flush. I may feel guilty and shameful if I flush my baby, so please give me something to capture my baby in and tell me where to keep my baby or what to do with my baby.

7. Tell me it’s OK if I do flush. If I do flush my baby down the toilet, please tell me that does not mean I didn’t love my baby or didn’t care. I need to know that many women have done this and it’s OK.

8. Explain my situation to your staff. If I have to share my story with your staff, they may think I hung up because I have become silent. Sometimes I cannot form the words, or my tears swallow my voice. It’s helpful if your staff already knows and can be comforting to me on the phone.

9. Help me know that I can bury or cremate my baby. I may want to bring my baby home, bury my baby or have my baby cremated. If you don’t tell me this is an option, I may not feel at peace about where my baby went, and I may struggle later. Please share the options I have for my baby’s remains.

10. Share with me that I can take time off work. I need to know it’s OK for me to take some time off not only to complete the miscarriage but to recover emotionally. If you don’t tell me this is an option and that it’s OK, I may go back to work and regret it later — especially if I spend the days crying in front of coworkers and clients.

11. Please don’t minimize my experience. I know not all women will grieve miscarriage the way I am, but that doesn’t mean my grief isn’t worthy or valid. If I call my baby a baby, please reciprocate. I didn’t refer to my baby as “products of conception,” “embryo” or “fetus.”

12. Let me know I will survive and move forward. Right now, time seems to be standing still. I can’t imagine stepping outside and seeing how the world is still turning while my world has been crushed beneath me. I need to know I’m going to make it through this even though it will be hard.

Want this sent to your doctor? Download Miscarriage Handout for Care Providers.

Supporting Birth and Death

January 31, 2016 / / 0 Comments

TreeMy blog has been quiet these last three weeks. I have been consumed with the death of my grandfather-in-law. Right before Christmas, grandpa became sick and was struggling. Grandma, has been in chemotherapy for ovarian cancer and we discovered that despite months of treatments, the chemotherapy did not work and she was given a short period of time to live. They had been married 66 years when Grandpa departed his earthly life on January 18th.  I want to take a few moments to share with you my calling.

After I miscarried Ruby in 2010, I was called. I felt a pull within me to stop working and be with my family. This was a difficult pull to understand as I had been working diligently for nearly 12 years to become a police officer. I had finally accomplished the task only to feel pulled away from it. I couldn’t describe the pull, I just knew I wasn’t where I was supposed to be. So I left. This also coincided with a new pregnancy. A pregnancy wrought with anxiety and fear that I too, would lose the new life within me.

Following his birth, I was called.

I felt deep within me that I needed to help women through their miscarriages and also through stillbirth. It was a strange feeling and one that I couldn’t understand. How could I possibly support women through such devastation? I needed to learn more so I could fully understand what that might look like so I did. I received training through Stillbirthday. I felt more prepared to support families through loss but never intended to actually use the training.

But I was called.

The phone rang and I was asked to respond to the hospital. Someone I knew had lost their baby and they needed support. I was surprisingly calm and experienced excitement. While there was great grief and despair that day, the family took great comfort in knowing they had a “person.” Their person, who could support them throughout the entire process. I left with great peace, knowing this is where I was supposed to be.

I am called.

I have been serving families for a few years now in this capacity and also publicly speak on the topic of miscarriage, specifically, first trimester miscarriage. I feel the most calm and most holy when I am doing this. It feels like God’s work. I was called.

Then grandpa got sick and I was called.

I sat next to his hospital bed on Monday, January 18th. It was about four in the afternoon. Calls to hospice revealed that they would not be able to assess him until tomorrow. I hurt. I felt a deep hurt inside. Something wasn’t right and I wanted him to go home. There was no forcing hospice and as I sat in my uncomfortableness, words came out of my mouth.

“I am going to stay with him.”

Shocked that I just made this statement, I began to cry. I do not like to cry in front of people but I did.

“He will not be alone,” came out next.

I was on autopilot. Something had overtaken me.

I was called.

Knowing where I needed to be, I departed for my home. Hubby settled in with the kids as I grabbed items I felt I would need and I returned to the hospital to sit by grandpa’s side. My attempts to focus on writing or reading were futile. They felt wrong and I stopped. I had turned on music for him and released some essential oils in the room. I dimmed the lights and shut off my computer. Then I did something I rarely do. I sat.

It’s hard to turn off my mind but in those moments, it came easy. I just sat.

Grandpa passed.

I knew the moment and I have the entire account written but that’s not what this post is about. I have been called. This feeling is indescribable but some parts of it I can describe. It’s an urge, a yearn, or a pull. The call. I might also describe it as a sense of something overtaking your normal responses and giving you a different response. It’s not a response of regret or fear but you just do it. It happens and you don’t know why. The “why” may be revealed and it may not be but it’s there.

It’s hard to listen to the pull. One might fight the pull. The first calling took me two years to stop fighting and succumb to it. When I finally did, I felt peace. I feared supporting families through loss but there was a call. It took me nine months to succumb to that call. When I was called to witness my grandfathers death, it took me one second to succumb to that call. It just happened.

I never imagined I would support death in such a way (the death of a baby or the death of a loved one). After my first son was born, I was called to support women through birth and did so for five years as my only occupation (other than being a mother). I do not know why I have been called to support birth and death but there are similarities. Both are rites of passage. Both are transitions. Both can be scary, full of anxiety, fear, love, trust, faith, hope, and both need support.

There is rarely a time in our lives when we are alone but we are not alone at birth, ever. The mother is there even if no one else is there, the mother is. No baby is born without their mother. Why then, when making the transition to death, should we die alone? Dorsie didn’t die alone. I wasn’t going to let him. I would have stayed all night and I contemplated that and how it might happen. There was I time I felt like I should leave. A panic of sorts where maybe he wanted to die alone but I stayed. There was a pull. My body was forced to stay in the chair even though my mind was racing on if I was the right person or the person he would want there.

I stayed though…because I was called.

An Open Letter – Worthiness Determined

September 29, 2015 /

Worthy

An Open Letter to an Undisclosed Person:

Thank you for meeting with me about my displeasure with your organization. I appreciated you taking the time out of your busy day to meet although your heart was not open and we left on the same terms with which we met. At the time, I was utterly exhausted from 36+ hours of work that I had completed and honestly had less than 5 hours of sleep when we met. As you know, my work is very emotionally draining and can be physically taxing but you weren’t concerned with that, just concerned about how you were going to defend yourself and organization.

Let me say that I was not trying to hurt you personally. My displeasure was because of many things. I addressed those with you but your heart was not open. You didn’t hear me, you were only there to defend. If I were a hospital representative who expressed those feelings, you would not have approached me in such a way. You would have been open to hearing my concerns. But I am not a hospital, I am just a person who you berated, threatened and attempted to rip apart her very core.

I wanted to keep the conversation on task by trying to explore the communication breakdown within your organization but you weren’t interested in fixing that organizational breakdown and only offered for me to call you personally when your organization failed to provide. If they failed to provide, you shared you would find a way to provide. You don’t see how that isn’t really feasible and ultimately, not sustainable for you, your family and of course, your organization.

Our conversation should have been about mending a damaged relationship, addressing communication failures, and coming together to provide for families but you did not see that. You came with discontent and hate towards a comment I made on my personal Facebook page. In addition, you felt assaulted because I did not involve your organization with one of my many clients. A client you should have never known I was serving and even though you did, you did not come to me. You expected me to come to you. And when I didn’t, you were offended.

I apologized to you but you did not accept it. You offered no humanity, you remained cold and heartless, ripping apart all I do and comparing my loss to yours. Discounting my children by stating I couldn’t possibly understand your loss and referring to them as blobs. I took it. It’s not like I haven’t heard it before but there was no need to compare our losses during this conversation.  It wasn’t about our deceased children or the grief we both carry for them. This was about your organizations failings and my businesses inability to utilize a service. Then the second piece was my sadness over something I lost from your organization as a bereaved mother.

You lumped them into one big issue and refused to see either side. You were grasping at every straw in an attempt to destroy me. It was wrong and inappropriate. You said I should have come straight to you with my displeasure instead of utilizing your organizations outlet for asking questions and submitting a complaint; instead of posting something on my personal page. But why should I have come to you directly?

You stated it was because we were “friends” on Facebook as if that gives me some entitlement. Maybe it does, but what about all those who had the same feelings and aren’t friends with you on Facebook? Where do they go when they feel disappointed? I suppose to your special VIP club that no one knows about. I wouldn’t come to you (the owner) no more than a Private would go to their General if they had a concern. I explained this, but you didn’t understand that concept.

You continued to “one-up” me. Any situation I discussed, you presented something worse that you were involved in. Your underlying message was that I couldn’t possibly have an understanding because I haven’t been where you have, seen what you have, experienced what you have and more. We are both unique. We both have stories to tell but you didn’t see that; only defensiveness and hate. That’s what you brought to this meeting.

When I shed tears in front of you because of the sheer exhaustion of my last 36+ hours, not a sign of humility appeared and you continued to thrash about, searching for oxygen to heal a wound you believe I created. No humanity; just defensiveness and continued berating of me and my profession.

“Anyone can do what you do,” you said. “I can do it without any training and slap a credential behind my name,” you blundered. No, “anyone” can’t do what I do just as much as “anyone” can’t do what you do. And this is where you became such a hypocrite and didn’t even see it. I chose for my client to have a personal service, untrained by your “standards” yet trained in her own way and definitely up to serving a special case, but she wasn’t “good enough” for you because she wasn’t trained by your organization.

You said your organization is “premier” with all the training and support that is received and that is wonderful. It does make your organization special. But my organization is special and premier too. It is also unique and came with an intense amount of training. You don’t see that and you won’t, even when I invited you in to share. “I have a friend that serves families the way you do and she doesn’t have training,” you muttered.

Oh, but it is very important that your friend receive training. I explained that it is frustrating that your friend doesn’t have any formal training because there is so much that can be offered. Maybe your friend is offering it but without the training, your friend may not even know. Training doesn’t make one superior but it does help families.

However, I see a bigger issue here beyond all that. It’s worthiness. You and your organization determine worthiness and that is not okay. It’s also discrimination at its finest. What makes someone more worthy than another? You have a manual complete with pictures and statements which determines worthiness. Your statements were sickening and heartless. I was in utter shock to hear you placing humans into worthiness categories, no different than all the scuttlebutt with Planned Parenthood who also determines worthiness.

“You see this? What can we do with that?” = UNWORTHY
“See this here? Now we can do something with this. We can create something great.” = WORTHY
“What do we do with a blob?” = UNWORTHY
“This one is so perfect.” = WORTHY

Looks determine worthiness. Age determines worthiness.

And you still question why I DIDN’T CHOOSE YOUR ORGANIZATION?  I was not going to allow you or your organization to determine the worthiness of my client or any of my clients for that matter. You continued on in an attempt to defend yourself but you really hurt yourself even more. The clarity I had after sleep was so unbelievable. You told me to call you and you would personally find the right person within your organization to help, but that isn’t helpful. It’s a special club; the club where those who were deemed unworthy, become worthy. It’s not enough that they are already in a “club” but now they are in a “sub-club” and can be treated as a VIP; if you determine them worthy.

But what about all those you never deem “unworthy?” Where are they left? What do they get? Oh, they can still get a box, which is much better than a bag, right? But that’s it. They aren’t offered the professionalism, just some random person with little training to fill in.

You stated that this can be too hard for some people in your organization; that they leave because its too difficult. So maybe the training isn’t correct? Maybe they need different training? More training? Have you explored that? Or maybe you tell them about the worthiness and they too feel that some are unworthy, because of your standards. This is not okay.

I asked where you wanted to go from here and you turned it back on me. I shared from my heart where I wanted to go with you and your organization, how much I believe in it, how much I support it but that didn’t matter. There was no thank you, just defensiveness and anger. Your heart never became soft. There was no reciprocation. You even went so far as to say that I performed a major disservice to a particular client. That if I had called upon your organization that you would have been able to provide something I couldn’t. You hit below the belt on this one although my client would not have been worthy by your organizations standards.

When I asked again where we should go from here, you said you asked that question and I didn’t answer which was not true and I again explained and asked what you wanted. “Respect,” is what you said. I had respect for you but how can one have respect for you after learning all these things? You asked for personal respect, which is admiration. But you do not have qualities with which I would want to admire nor emulate.

You didn’t ask for respect for your organization, you asked me to respect you. You didn’t ask me to support your organization, you asked me to support you. But after all that was revealed to me, in an attempt to show me what my clients may be missing, I cannot respect your organization. It is not all inclusive.

You are not the one that determines worthiness. I am worthy. My children are worthy. Everyone deserves VIP treatment no matter how hard it is. And finally, you had the opportunity to make things right, but you didn’t. So I just want you to know. I AM STRONG! I am here and I will provide VIP treatment to all my clients. They are all worthy! I operate with integrity. I do what’s best for my clients and if not using your organization is best, then that’s what I recommend.

What is a Bereavement Doula? Glad you asked!

August 12, 2015 / / 1 Comment

What is a Bereavement Doula?

That isn’t even a common question. I have been a birth doula for over 11 years and when I started, most people had no clue what a doula was, nor could they repeat the word. It was usually repeated back as “adoula.” When I began my bereavement doula journey, the occupation became even more confusing followed by the question, “Is there really a need?”

First, there is ABSOLUTELY, beyond a shadow of a doubt, a need for this occupation. The biggest concern I have right now, is how do I, and others in my occupation, get the word out to families that this is something they need. They don’t know they need it until it’s too late and then we hear, “I wished we had known about you at the time.” Even so, would they have called? Most likely they would not have called because this is not something expecting parents plan for and they are quickly overwhelmed with all the choices they are suddenly presented with.

Second, what is a bereavement doula?

Bereavement DoulaA bereavement doula doesn’t have one single definition. She is, who she is and supports in many different ways. She is unique. But in a nutshell, a bereavement doula provides physical, emotional, and informational support to families experiencing pregnancy loss. Yes, this is a similar definition to a birth doula who provides physical, emotional, and informational support to families during pregnancy, birth, and immediate postpartum.

So what does that support look like?

This is where the support becomes very individualized. It depends on the gestation of the baby at the time of death and the needs of the family. For miscarriage, the support may simply be attending the doctors appointment to confirm the miscarriage, presence with her in the emergency room while she bleeds and births her baby, emotional support via text, phone, email, or instant messaging while she labors and births her baby at home, preparing her to greet her baby, bonding options for her tiny baby, explaining options and final disposition for her baby’s body, and walking with her through the grief journey after she has birthed her baby.

For stillbirth, the support may include much the same as above but may be more in-depth for ensuring memories and mementos are created with a more fully formed baby.

Recently, a hospital social worker stated that it was her job to support the family. There is no doubt that the hospital social worker has an important role in supporting families through loss and through the NICU experience but there are some major differences in the support that a bereavement doula provides.

A bereavement doula will:

  • Provide individualized support
  • Be present during appointments
  • Attend the clients birth
  • Be there beyond any “shift”
  • Be available after hours
  • Will create a sacred space (music, lights, ceremony, smell, memories)
  • Hold space for the family
  • Won’t treat this as “just another shift” or “just another loss”
  • Hold hands and walk the family through their journey
  • Provide follow-up support for weeks and months to come
  • Give individualized resources and support groups

Some of these a social worker or bereavement coordinator can provide but there isn’t a single hospital program that can give a patient one-on-one continuous support by the same care provider for the entire length of the labor and birth.  This, right here is the biggest difference between a bereavement doula and any other perinatal loss specialist. Bereavement doulas are there, no matter how long it takes. We don’t work on shifts. It’s hard work. We aren’t bound by the same laws and policies as a hospital employee is.

Some hospitals follow-up with their patients following loss. Some hospice programs offer regular phone calls to ensure the family is doing well and these are wonderful additions to the perinatal loss program but how many hospitals and hospice programs have the same care provider following up in-person, on the phone, via email or via text? 

These are some major differences and these are all aspects of support that a bereavement doula provides. It is continuous, one-on-one, support for the family through pregnancy, birth, and beyond. I didn’t touch on other services that bereavement doulas can provide such as funeral planning but that is also available too. We have so much to offer families and we have a huge network of resources and tools to help the family cope and move forward.

– Breaking the silence of First Trimester Miscarriage

The Bereavement Wars

July 14, 2015 / / 0 Comments

The Bereavement WarsBereavement Wars? What are they?  This is going to be controversial and I imagine there will be backlash but this needs to be said.

This isn’t something new. I have talked about it before and have been experiencing issues off and on since I came into the bereavement field. I don’t know why we have to “fight” over who gets to help families through pregnancy loss. This is the worst time in a families life and behind the scenes people are fighting over it.

This normally would be something flattering. You know, similar to two guys fighting over a girl but this is not flattering at all. It’s downright horrible and disgusting. We already have too many pregnancy loss groups. All run by different individuals and organizations. It’s overwhelming to a newly bereaved family. Where will they find support? Is this the right group for me? Will it be a loving and comforting environment? Who governs this group?

But behind the scenes, much of it (bereavement wars) is all about the person who runs the group. Hate towards other organizations similar and not similar. Hate towards authors, bloggers, other loss mothers, etc. It seems to be about who can provide the best support but in reality, no support is being provided. It’s the hidden agenda in the persons group/organization. It’s about their personal gratification.

“Don’t call that bereavement doula because we have an awesome program at our hospital. Don’t inform a family about that resource because we already have resources available. Don’t do _____ because _____.”

Why not provide women ALL their resources and options? Why hide resources? Isn’t the purpose of the group/organization to  provide support, provide healing, provide love, provide resources to further healing? It IS in my opinion. But who am I?

I am not talking about organizations and groups that have niches.

First Trimester Miscarriage

Second Trimester Loss

Stillbirth

Fatal Diagnosis and carrying to term support

Fatal Diagnosis with termination support

Sibling support

Partner Support

Grandparents support

Support for birth professionals

Support for hospital staff

Training for hospital staff

Stillbirth photography

Pregnancy After Loss Support

Abortion Support

Angel Gowns

Blankets

Memory bears/dolls

Memorials and Remembrance Walks

While I know we cannot ALL fall under one group/organization because each of us wants to bring a piece of our child’s legacy into what we are doing, why are we fighting with the other groups/organizations? Maybe your organization or group doesn’t fit that family’s needs? Ah, but then you wouldn’t have helped. That’s a sad way of looking at it.

You DID help! You provided a resource. Your group/organization may not have been the one the family utilized but your organization provided a resource the family could use and they will be forever thankful for it.

My list here is not all inclusive, but I don’t ban or not include any organization, even if I have disagreed with the owner. I may talk about how awesome one group or organization is, but there are so many out there for you to use. I wish there were less. I wish there was one place all the groups/organizations out there could be listed. We need a directory. I know The Miscarriage Association (US) has a “directory” but it’s not enough.

Loss families do not need to know we are fighting behind the scenes but some do know and when they find out, it’s destructive. It reduces their ability to heal and cope. It’s not flattering to them. It’s sickening to them. So why are we at war?

Most of these groups are run by women. Women in general are so hateful to each other. The age of the internet has compounded the ease in which hate is transmitted.

But I tell you, this has got to stop.

Are you willing to come together and put your personal feelings aside for the greater good of the loss community? Are you willing to ban together, not further separate so families can feel surrounded by love? If you are, let me know! Comment here. Share this! Help others to see it’s time to come together in ALL aspects of loss to help our families in need.

Our families should not suffer anymore hurt because you didn’t want to refer or call or pass on a resource. We can’t provide everything a family needs. Remember that it’s OKAY if you can’t provide everything they need. That’s why we have other organizations to refer to. You are amazing for all that you give to the loss community. You have such a huge heart to bear your soul with them and share in your own experiences. I hope you will help us stop these bereavement wars. We are failing the community we so desperately want to heal.

#bereavementwars

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