Perinatal loss - How to provide support to families affected by this grief

Overview

Perinatal loss is loss covering preconception and assisted conception issues, early and late miscarriage, termination including genetic/medical termination, prematurity, stillbirth and neonatal death.  It loss is more than the loss of a baby, it is the loss of an attachment relationship, the loss of dreams and hopes.  Perinatal loss is a unique form of loss and is often disenfranchised. Bereaved families may feel a whole range of feelings such as sadness, shame, guilt, isolation.

Working with families bereaved from pregnancy and infant death can be very daunting.  It can be raw, emotionally-charged and challenging for therapists, and at the same time a rewarding privilege to hold space for families going through such an unbearable loss.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify key features and types of perinatal loss;
• Explore the uniqueness of perinatal loss and differentiate between perinatal loss and loss at other times in the lifespan;
• Differential diagnosis between perinatal loss and mental health diagnoses
• Outline and application of grief models relevant to perinatal loss;
• Examine effective ways to support parents through perinatal loss (including pregnancy after perinatal loss);
• Introduce the role of developmental and relational lens when working with perinatal loss.