Then depending on the culture, they may want the baby blessed and this is done. We like the parents to dress their baby and to take pictures. These are mementoes they need to have, because late on it is important that they have something to look at. We also encourage siblings to visit the baby that has died. Being in a maternity hospital can compound the grief for stricken mothers, with the joy of motherhood and the sound of healthy babies echoing through the building.
Society sees a maternity hospital as joyous and giving birth, and flowers and all that goes with it.
But for parents whose baby has died, it is the direct opposite. Instead of planning to take their baby home, they are making arrangements for a funeral. It is extremely traumatic for them. In years gone by they were left to their own devices, whereas now, there is a huge input from the staff and we see the grieving process as being very much part of the mother's care. Cathy says it is very important to view miscarriage or a still-birth as a death and not just a loss.