Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: - IAWG

Emotional and psychological supportC-11• Encourage the woman/couple to see and hold the baby to facilitategrieving.• Prepare the parents for the possibly disturbing or unexpectedappearance of the baby (red, wrinkled, peeling skin). If necessary,wrap the baby so that it looks as normal as possible at first glance.• Avoid separating the woman and baby too soon (before sheindicates she is ready), as this can interfere with and delay thegrieving process.AFTER THE EVENT• Allow the woman/family to continue to spend time with the baby.Parents of a stillborn still need to get to know their baby.• People grieve in different ways, but for many remembrance isimportant. Offer the woman/family small mementos such as a lockof hair, a cot label or a name tag.• Where it is the custom to name babies at birth, encourage thewoman/family to call their baby by the name they have chosen.• Allow the woman/family to prepare the baby for its funeral if theywish.• Encourage locally-accepted burial practices and ensure thatmedical procedures (such as autopsies) do not preclude them.• Arrange a discussion with both the woman and her partner todiscuss the event and possible preventive measures for the future.DESTRUCTIVE OPERATIONSCraniotomy or other destructive operations on the dead fetus may bedistressing and call for additional psychosocial care.AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT• It is crucial that you explain to the mother and her family that thebaby is dead and that the priority is to save the mother.• Encourage the partner to provide support and comfort for themother until she is anaesthetized or sedated.• If the mother is awake or partially awake during the procedure,protect her from visual exposure to the procedure and to the baby.