» For Professionals

In recent years, the number of multiple conceptions has increased so dramatically that many helping professionals are encountering loss in multiple birth much more frequently than ever. Some have told us, when calling to request our resources, that in the past two weeks they had 4 or 5 families who had suffered a multiple birth loss, “as many as we used to see in a year”. Not only is there a tremendous need for sensitive and informed care at the time of the loss, but also later from counselors and psychologists, pediatricians, physicians and nurses involved in a subsequent pregnancy, and others who will interact with the family “down the road”. We hope that the articles in this section, and some others that we would like to add to it, will be helpful, and also encourage you to make our flyer available to those in need.

It’s important to note that with the increase in multiple births, more professionals have themselves been experiencing loss. Over the years, our group has included quite a number of physicians and nurses (even obstetricians), social workers and counselors, psychologists and others who themselves have had to confront the loss of one or more, both or all of their babies. Most have found that nothing could have completely prepared them for this personal and parenting challenge. Many have found that their loss experience was itself impacted by this (their caregivers were also their colleagues and it was “their” hospital) – and many have found it a tremendous personal and professional challenge to return to work which involves birth, death, multiples and so much that relates to their own experience. Many have found a deeper appreciation of the issues involved in their work and a heightened capacity to relate to others’ situations. We very much welcome input on these issues from parents who are also helping professionals, and we are glad to see the impact that some are hoping to have within their field on awareness of multiple birth loss needs.

Along these lines, please be sure also to see the website of Elizabeth Pector, MD www.synspectrum.com⁄multiplicity.html with a variety of very relevant articles based on her own experience and prodigious research and activism in the years since.

We welcome input, questions, comments and other contributions from those who are on the front lines as professionals.

Multiple Birth Loss and the Hospital Caregiver

La muerte en nacimientos múltiples y el personal de los hospitales

Décès lors d’une grossesse multiple, les professionnels de la santé: des alliés pour les parents

Doula Care and Twin Loss

The Death of Your Twin or Triplet Baby (outreach pamphlet)

The Death of Your Twin or Triplet Babies (outreach pamphlet)

The Death of Your Higher Multiple Baby (outreach pamphlet)

The Loss of a Twin or Multiple in Childhood (outreach pamphlet)

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