WHEN PREGNANCY FAILS

by Susan & Judith Lasker Borg ‧ RELEASE DATE: April 15, 1981

Sensitive guidance in dealing with both the emotional and practical aspects of pregnancies that result, tragically, in miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death. The authors, both health-care professionals with experience of failed pregnancies, first provide straightforward yet supportive information about the realities of such situations--the physical pain of miscarriage, the inescapable decision after amniocentesis reveals a deformed fetus, the need to find a funeral director--and offer reassurance that grief and anger are normal reactions, even at the death of a baby who has never lived outside his or her mother's body. The reactions of others who are inevitably affected--grandparents, siblings, relatives and friends--are each addressed in a separate chapter. Under ""Public Issues,"" such questions as health care, the law, and environmental hazards are related to parents' concerns. Recommended guidelines for hospitals--give parents the opportunity to see their child, take time to provide parents with as much information as they need to make sense of their tragedy--are hardly calls to dramatic reform, but all the more telling for their simplicity. Apropos of ritual and religion, various options are presented--from personal, private ceremonies to formal religious services. Some parents, in their anger, wish to ""do something"": here is a realistic look at the painful process of malpractice suits, and their meager financial rewards. In its combination of thoroughness and compassion, a helpful resource for all concerned.

Pub Date: April 15, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Beacon

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 1, 1981

Categories: NONFICTION