The hospital holds a special place in my heart. In addition, we spent almost a week in L&D waiting for our daughter's dramatic preterm arrival. The NICU is where my daughter lived her entire life earth-side. It is where I held her hello and rocked her goodbye. The nurses and neonatologists are some of the kindest people I have ever met on earth. We would never have been able to meet our daughter without them. The nurses took every photo we have of her. NICU, PICU, and L&D nurses and doctors deserve so much love and support for braving through these tough times with us.
Providing resources and learning materials for these doctors, nurses, admin, and staff is so critically important for helping parents when they lose a child. These front-line workers are not just caring for a critically ill tiny human, but they are also trying to balance the intense emotions of that baby's parents. They see birth and death in the same day sometimes. If you know someone that works in the NICU or Labor & Delivery, give them a Daisy award, a hug, a coffee, and a special thank you for their incredibly big hearts.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (rememberence photography)
If you need a photographer from NILMDTS (the more advance notice the better)
- The more advance notice, the better likelihood a photographer will be available
- You can call and ask if a photographer is available before even offering services to the family
- Photographers might be able to meet the family at home or the funeral home instead of the hospital (particularly because of Covid/RSV/Flu restrictions)
- If a photographer is unavailable, they offer free retouching services
NICU/PICU CARE PACKAGES
NICU/PICU Care Packages by Carmen's Miracle Makers - parent can fill out some basic info and a care package can be shipped. Spanish is available and should be noted in the additonal information box.
Project Sweet Peas NICU Care Packages - parent can fill out some basic info and a care package can be shipped.
Book Recommendations
- "Perinatal Bereavement Rituals and Practices Among U. S. Cultural Groups"
- "Handbook of Perinatal and Neonatal Palliative Care: A Guide for Nurses, Physicians, and Other Health Professionals"
- "Perinatal and Pediatric Bereavement in Nursing and Other Health Professions"
- "Perinatal Loss: A Handbook for Working with Women and Their Families"
- "Perinatal Bereavement for Birth Professionals: A Handbook for Supporting Families in Unexpected Outcomes"
- "Empty Arms: Coping With Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death" (other important books by the same author)
- "Our Only Time: Stories of Pregnancy/Infant Loss with Strategies for Health Professionals" by Amie Lands
Free eBooks & Audiobooks
If you have a Charlotte Mecklenburg Library card you can get free eBooks & audiobooks straight to your phone. CMLibrary works with apps Hoopla and Libby. If you don't have a library card yet, click here to sign up for one. Below is a list of books we recommend for nurses, doctors, caregivers, parents, & close friends/family for all baby loss situations. All of these books are available for free on the Hoopla app, and require a CMLibrary account to access. The first three books by Deborah Davis are the books I personally recommend to providers as comprehensive and medically relevent.
Books Available with CMLibrary on Hoopla
Request Angel Gowns