Suffering the loss of a child – during pregnancy, childbirth or after – is devastating.
Northeast Georgia Medical Center offers care extending far beyond the traditional Labor and Delivery and Postpartum Services. Our Perinatal Support Services team is here to care for our moms and families in all aspects – from blessings and baptisms to navigating hard medical decisions or the loss of a child. It’s our goal to provide our families with a point of continuity and emotional support as they progress through their birth journey and beyond.
We want you to know that you are not alone. In fact, 1 in 4 women will experience perinatal loss.
Suffering the loss of a child – during pregnancy, childbirth or after – is devastating. We want you to know that you are not alone. In fact, 1 in 4 women will experience perinatal loss. As common as it is, it’s often not talked about openly, and many women experience feelings of sadness, guilt, loneliness and even depression. We are here to help.
Bereavement & Family Support Services
Our Bereavement & Family Support Services enhance communication between staff involved in caring for parents and baby, bridge the gap between the outpatient and inpatient settings, and provide integrative emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual care across the prenatal, intrapartum, postpartum and NICU continuum. These services also provide grief counseling and support.
Chaplain
Bereavement & Family Support Coordinator
We work alongside other staff to provide:
- Safe Space
Creating a safe space for discussion without assumption. - Coordinated Care
Interdisciplinary approach involving perinatology, neonatology, women’s services, emotional support and spiritual support. - Education
What to expect along the journey of a medical diagnosis, treatment options and parent choice, as well as hospital experience and birth plans. - Honoring a Life
Preparing for and facilitating transitions through birth, loss and grief processes. Chaplaincy can provide services such as baptisms and blessings.
Honoring Your Child
We believe an integral component of the healing journey is making memories and discovering ways to honor the life of your baby. Remembering and affirming the life of your baby facilitates your ability to adjust to a different future.
Through a partnership with Rachel’s Gift, we are able to provide bereaved families with a specialized gift box of memories and grief literature. Our goal is to honor the story and the life of every baby, regardless of gestational age.
Remembrance Service
We offer a pregnancy and infant loss remembrance service every October as a way for us to affirm your baby’s importance and significance. We also focus on creating tangible keepsakes and memories for the family to take home with them.
Supporting a Loved One
Losing a loved one can be hard to comprehend, and even harder to know how to help the person suffering this loss. While everyone grieves differently, there are some things you can do to help during this time.
