The Midwife and the Bereaved Family

A dead baby is a very real happening for some women and midwives. This death may occur in early, middle or late pregnancy, at birth or in the postnatal period. Miscarriage, abortion and stillbirth are the terms used to describe this event in a woman's life. Technology and sophisticated prenatal care have helped to reduce infant morbidity and mortality in Australia. But however good the technology and care may be, when a woman and her family are faced with a dead baby they will ask many questions of both themselves and the caregivers; perhaps not immediately, but they will ask. What midwives need to ask of themselves is 'Do I have the knowledge, the skills and the ability to deal with questions?'