I just received and began reading Companioning at a Time of Perinatal Loss: A Guide for Nurses, Physicians, Social Workers, Chaplains and Other Bedside Caregivers
If you are a local doula I’m very happy to loan this book out as soon as I’ve completed it. While this is a service not all doulas are comfortable providing, I think parents experiencing a loss so desperately need sensitive support through their labor, birth, and grief. Some parents know in advance that their infant has passed, but even a baby healthy at term sometimes has complications and does not survive the birth. As doulas we need to be prepared so that our own emotional response doesn’t impede our ability to support parents. While this book appears to be focused primarily on stillbirth, as a doula we may also be called to support parents through miscarriages or premature arrivals. I’m thankful for the chance to learn more about how to better serve in those situations, and as a mom who has experienced early pregnancy losses and a premature arrival these are challenges close to my heart!