Pregnancy loss can occur at any time, from very early in the pregnancy to the loss of a baby soon after birth. Each loss is unique, and the hospital is committed to providing an individual response to the needs of a woman and her family.
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The Women's offers a range of support and bereavement services and also information and referral to community support agencies.
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Most loss happens early in a pregnancy (early gestation). Early loss or miscarriage may be caused by complications such as an ectopic pregnancy. Women who experience early bleeding or pain during their pregnancy should seek advice. At the Women's, the Early Pregnancy Assessment Service (EPAS) is available to assess for early miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy up to 16 weeks gestation.
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Our specialist bereavement services, offered through the Reproductive Loss Pathway, include all pregnancy loss that occurs after 15 weeks pregnancy (gestation) and such as late miscarriage, termination of pregnancy for genetic abnormality, stillbirth, fetal death in utero, neonatal death and infant death. Pregnancy loss also includes women who have a termination of pregnancy due to genetic abnormality.
Sometimes women chose to end their pregnancy if it is unplanned or unwanted, and may do so for psychological, emotional or social reasons. For more information, please see our web page Unplanned Pregnancy.
More information about reproductive loss can be obtained from the Women’s Health Information Centre.
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Reproductive Loss Services
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Holistic care for women and bereaved families is provided at the Women’s by the multi-disciplinary team of Reproductive Loss Services. Team members include doctors and paediatricians, nurses and midwives, genetic counsellors, social workers and pastoral workers. Each discipline provides expertise that is complementary to the care provided by other team members and medical specialists.
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Bereavement Care
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When a baby dies, we assist and support families in the early stages of bereavement by encouraging them to acknowledge the relationship they have had with their baby in the period immediately after the birth. This provides a firm foundation for coming to terms with the loss and for healthy grieving in the time that follows.
According to the family's wishes, we can facilitate acknowledgment of the baby through holding, touching, bathing, dressing, naming and blessing. A memory folder might be gathered, or photographs and other special mementos such as clothes the baby has worn or hand-made quilts the baby had been wrapped in.
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The family will have one of our staff as an individual point of contact, and will be offered advice about what to expect in hospital, and information about legal requirements. We can facilitate further contact with the doctor and help with follow-up telephone calls and information about bereavement support groups in the community.
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We offer emotional support and advocacy on behalf of the woman and her family in discussions with the doctor and other staff, and support during the time when choices must be made about the funeral and post-mortem. We also help with follow-up telephone calls and appointments after a woman is discharged from hospital.
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Explanation of terms
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| Late miscarriage occurs from approximately 15 weeks pregnancy (gestation) up to 19 weeks pregnancy (gestation) when there are no signs of life at birth.
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| A stillbirth is a baby of 20 or more weeks gestation who shows no signs of life at the time of birth.
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| A fetal death in utero is a baby who dies while it is still in the mother’s uterus or womb.
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| A neonatal death is the death of a live born baby within the first 28 days of life.
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| An infant death refers to a baby who dies after 28 days of life and before the first birthday.
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Links
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Australian Centre for Grief and Bereavement
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McCulloch House, Monash Medical Centre
246 Clayton Road
Clayton 3168
t: 03 9265 2155 (main office)
f: 03 9265 2150
Web: http://www.grief.org.au
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SIDS and Kids Vic
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1227 Malvern Rd.
Malvern 3144
t: 03 9822 9611
Free Call: 1800 240 400 - 24 hour telephone crisis help line
Web: http://www.sidsandkids.org/vic
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SANDS
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Suite 208, 901 Whitehorse Rd.
Box Hill 3128
t: 03 9899 0218
Web: http://www.sandsvic.org.au
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The Compassionate Friends Vic Inc
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PO Box 171, Canterbury 3126
t: 9888 4944
Free Call 1 800 641 091 (Victoria and Tasmania)
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Bonnie Babes Foundation
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PO Box 2220 Rowville 3178
t: 03 803 1800
Web: http://www.bbf.org.au
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Support after fetal diagnosis or abnormality (SAFDA)
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Royal Women's Hospital - Ph: 03 9344 2121
Monash Medical Centre - Ph: 03 9594 2026
Web: http://www.gsnv.org.au/safda
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Australian Funeral Directors Association – List of service providers
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Web: http://www.afda.org.au
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Coroners Act 1985 see: Victorian Legislation and Parliamentary Documents
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Web: http://www.dms.dpc.vic.gov.au
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Victorian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages
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Web: http://www.vic.gov.au/sl/86808-Births-deaths-marriages.html
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