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(00:00) Dr Janette Berrington describes the challenge for staff in acknowledging the grief felt by a family in one room, and the other of another dealing with a birth in the next room.
(01:54) Nurse sarah Stephenson says there is the danger of staff not acknowledging the death of a baby, while parents want the opposite. And the butterfly sticker helps to endorse that.
(02:58) Dr Jen Dixon mentions that previously she would try not to discuss bereavement with parents, but now with experience she realises parents want to talk about it, and it helps to remember their names.
Guidelines: 3. Acknowledge Bereavement
- Parents often feel their loss is underestimated
- tendency to try to be positive and focus on the surviving twin.
- Generally parents welcome the opportunity to discuss the loss of the twin who died, at whatever stage of pregnancy the loss occurred, and also ‘permission’ to grieve for their loss, while celebrating their surviving baby.
Staff could say: ‘It’s completely normal for you to feel terrible sadness about the death of your baby, but at the same time feel excited about his/her twin. Other parents experience this too. Don’t be afraid to discuss this’’.
As neonatal units get bigger with more staff, it’s more challenging to provide continuity.
The Butterfly sticker acknowledges the twin that has died without having to say anything.
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