Thoughts on working with a laboring patient with a deceased baby?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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Hello. I was just curious to get some opinions as what anyone thinks of working with a laboring patient whose baby has died. How often do you encounter this? Do you tend to shy away from these patients (if you have any choice in the matter)? Do you encourage the mother to hold the baby?

I don't work in labor and delivery, but I have delivered a stillborn and had excellent nurses take care of me. I was just wondering what some of you thought.

Hello. I was just curious to get some opinions as what anyone thinks of working with a laboring patient whose baby has died. How often do you encounter this? Do you tend to shy away from these patients (if you have any choice in the matter)? Do you encourage the mother to hold the baby?

I don't work in labor and delivery, but I have delivered a stillborn and had excellent nurses take care of me. I was just wondering what some of you thought.

Dear Kar212,

I think we communicated through another thread. But I am an L&D RN from Hawaii and we, unfortunately, have our share of fetal demises. I can only imagine your pain and please do accept my sympathy.

I am so very happy that nurses were excellent in their care of you and your family through your difficult time.

I don't shy away from an important work that we do---our support through the actual labor and delivery, and even more important, during the immediate postpartum and thereafter makes our job more vital than ever. We observe the whole family unit to see that they appropriately grieve and support each other. We connect them with professionals in the community that can get further help.

Even without life, our baby angels that we have the honor and privilege of receiving here have a reason for being here. They are perfect angels---please do not think of them as any less.

I do hope in time your heart aches less, and I wish for you peace.

Much Aloha,

Tammy

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.
My brother and his wife lost their baby yesterday. this was her 7th pregnancy with only 2 children that she has carried to term. The baby was due in September. The hospital kept her in the labor/delivery/recovery area for her entire hospital stay. The nurses seemed very accomodating and sweet...yet, one called down the hall to shut the door because they were rolling to delivery with someone else. and a few doors down we heard the healthy cry of a newborn. SIL lady partslly delivered her 1 lb 11oz baby yesterday evening..sometime after 6 and left the hospital around noon today.

I will be attending a funeral Tuesday. Please if you pray.....remember our family.

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Oh my I am so sorry to read this. You and your family have my sincere condolences and thoughts. Please pass on to your brother and sister-in-law how sorry we are to hear this. What a terrible loss. (((((hugs))))) to your whole family.

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Specializes in Adult SICU; open heart recovery.

My friends grandmother went through the same thing many decades ago. Apparently she was deeply traumatized by it. Without being overly graphic and with all due respect to the horrible loss, it sounded like the baby had decomposed quite a bite after several months in utero post mortem. Isn't it now recognized that prolonged fetal demise is toxic to moms?

I had a great aunt who in the 1930's was about 4 months pregnant and they made her carry the full 9 months because they said if they induced it would be a violation of abortion laws!??
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