When a baby dies: stillbirth from the community perspective and what parents want to know

Abstract

The death of a child at any time is a devastating experience for parents, with lifelong physical, psychological and spiritual sequelae. The death of a baby before birth presents its own particular challenges. This article is written by mothers whose babies have died. Our daughters, Olivia and Annie Rose, were stillborn at 36 weeks after uneventful pregnancies 15 years apart. In this article we describe the reality of stillbirth expressed by parents in sadness over their lost hopes and dreams and in the loss of a social identity that would validate the individuality and significance of those little lives. Over the last 10 years, we applaud the improvement in and the more humanised approach to the care of stillborn babies and their parents; however, concern now exists around the levels of awareness about stillbirth in the community, before, during and after any pregnancy.