ABSTRACT
The option to donate milk within the context of perinatal palliative care allows pregnant women to be involved in medical decision making before birth. In this article we examine how a perinatal bereavement program engages women and families in the process of milk donation when the deaths of their newborns are anticipated. We include two case examples to offer insight into the complexities within the patient experience of milk donation after perinatal loss.
Subject(s)
Bereavement , Breast Feeding/psychology , Milk, Human , Mothers/psychology , Palliative Care/psychology , Tissue Donors/psychology , Decision Making , Female , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Perinatal Care/methods , Professional-Family Relations , Tissue and Organ Procurement/methodsABSTRACT
Perinatal palliative care allows for an active partnership among a pregnant woman, her family, and her multidisciplinary treatment team and addresses her specialized medical care, emotional, social, and familial needs when a life-limiting fetal diagnosis is confirmed. The purpose of this article is to highlight the multidisciplinary care model used within a perinatal palliative care program. A case study provides a unique perspective on support needed for parents who anticipate that their newborn may die before or shortly after birth.
