For more than 20 years, it’s been my joy as a birth doula to be present at the arrival of 200+ babies. It’s a privilege to partner with families as they welcome the newest member of their families.
Unfortunately, not all pregnancies end in joy. I believe, however, that all pregnancies should bring blessing. Feeling helpless as a witness to the suffering of loss among clients, friends and family, I decided to find answers to the questions no one wants to ask:
What do you say to the very pregnant women who knows her baby will die shortly after birth?
Who will help create mementos of the loved and wanted baby whose life was compassionately ended because it had a condition incompatible with life?
What do you do when you’re the only support for the woman who is miscarrying — even before she had the opportunity to announce her pregnancy?
How do you comfort the parents who excitedly arrive at the hospital because labor has finally begun, only to be told the baby does not have a heartbeat?
Along the way, I’ve realized that not only do our friends and families struggle with these questions, our medical professionals do too.
I founded Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas to serve those experiencing loss, to educate and inspire those providing their care and to change the way our society interacts with these families.
Together, we will remove the stigma of loss.