About Stillbirth: How to Get the Best Support to Cope with the Unexpected Loss of Your Baby
Sometimes, an apparently risk-free pregnancy may shock a family with its tragic ending. Modern society still considers stillbirth a taboo and doesn’t seem prepared to offer appropriate support and guidance to millions of grieving couples who weren’t fortunate enough to get to meet their beloved babies. Delivering a stillborn baby is a part of a terrifying experience, dreaded by all future mothers. To get this enormous weight off your shoulders, you first need to rely on an extremely accurate source of information. In fact, most families are probably looking for pertinent answers to important questions, enabling them to find the most appropriate stillbirth support, to get their lives back on track or to take all the necessary precautions, in case they plan to have another baby.
Could this tragic episode be avoided, by simply following a few simple measures of precaution?
It might be hard to believe, but despite advanced technological breakthroughs guaranteeing a superior prenatal care, medical experts still have difficulties in establishing an exact cause of death, when it comes to stillbirth. On the other hand, if you want to deliver a healthy baby, it is recommended to schedule a preconception visit with your specialist, to pay extra attention to your weight, to eat right, to get a lot of rest and to stop smoking and drinking alcohol.
How could a medical specialist diagnose fetal death?
Nowadays, doctors can easily diagnose fetal death, by performing an ultrasound examination to find out if the baby’s heart is still beating. Further blood tests can be done on the mother to help them discover the cause of death.
How could my family cope with these overwhelming feelings of regret, remorse, shame and emptiness?
In most cases, grieving families consider stillbirth a curse, an unjust sentence for their sins or a cruel twist of fate which has instantly shattered their boldest hopes and dreams. Some of them are fortunate enough to find the compassion and the guidance they need in order to move on, by relying on stillbirth support groups and foundations, like the IzzyJane Foundation, March of Dimes, the BabyCenter, or Start Legacy Foundation. Discovering similar stories, accurate advice and the moral support that you were looking for will help your family make sense of what has happen and deal with the unexpected death with your baby.
Should I be worrying about an elevated risk of stillbirth during my next pregnancy?
In most cases, the odds of having a stillbirth after another are minimal (below 3%). So as long as you follow all the simple measures of precaution detailed above, you should prepare yourself to deliver a beautiful, healthy baby and stop worrying about going through such a painful experience one more time.
The IzzyJane Foundation wants to help future mothers and parents who are struggling to cope with the pain of losing their unborn children, by creating and distributing beautiful forever bracelets. A forever bracelet is not just for families which have been directly affected by this tragedy. These unique items were brought to us by The IzzyJane Foundation, to give us all a chance to ensure the best moral and financial support for couples who are currently trying to deal with stillbirth. A forever bracelet is the perfect symbol of love, compassion and understanding, highlighting our commitment to turning the stillbirth taboo into a more bearable episode, properly supported by our society.
