Bereavement Support Program

Sadly, about 120 babies die at the Mater Mothers’ Hospital (MMH) each year. These deaths can occur because of stillbirth, prematurity or illness during the weeks following birth.

In 2007, the Mater Foundation funded a Bereavement Support pilot program for the MMH. The team set up a coordinated, holistic, perinatal loss service combining family support service with staff training and education, research and clinical practice. Part of the funding employs Trish Wilson, a clinical midwife with a background in grief and loss counselling, to coordinate the Bereavement Support Program.

“My role supports and encourages clear communication between the team of doctors, midwives, pastoral care and social workers, for the best possible journey for the families through the grieving process,” said Trish.

Facing Trish and the team at the Mater Mothers’, can be one of three situations. The first is the death of a baby in-utero resulting in a stillbirth. Informing the parents and guiding them through the early stages of grief, making sure they understand all their options and giving them a sense of control are all important aspects of care.

The second is a premature birth, which may be due to a multiple pregnancy or other maternal complications. In these situations, a baby may go immediately to the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery to fight for survival. These families may spend a few days, weeks or months on a rollercoaster of emotions before they are faced with the tragic reality of the baby’s death.

One of the most sudden and unexpected losses is when a baby dies during labour or birth. Such occurrences are traumatic for all involved when all attempts to resuscitate the baby become futile.

“Mothers in particular feel a great sense of guilt and self blame when a baby dies. We assist fathers with their feelings of helplessness; helping them support their family while understanding their own grief,” said Trish. “Families are not just grieving the loss of the child but the loss of the future with that child.”

An essential part of the program is on-going evaluation of the service. One aspect of the evaluation is to gain greater understanding in the decisions that parents make around the time when a baby dies. Also, we want to know what parents value about the care they receive.

“We want to understand how the program makes a difference in the families’ grief process, which will help identify specific education needs for the staff and the evaluation informs us how to improve the program into the future,” said Trish.