Our discussion with Leslie Gunnerson, RN and perinatal loss specialist, focuses on pregnancy loss and infant death. While sidestepping difficult conversations about death may often seem like a kindness, avoidance contributes to feelings of isolation, depression, and unresolved grief. The loss of a baby at any gestation, or during the newborn period still includes a delivery experience and it is important to remember that this birth experience will remain with a family forever. We will discuss how a family can be supported in forming connections and cultivating healing and how to nurture the family unit even during times of intense emotional pain and into the days that follow.
BIO: Leslie Gunnerson, BSN-RN, CAPM has worked as an RN in Maternal-Child Health in the hospital setting since 1992. She was a bedside nurse in the NICU for 22 years, and also worked providing maternal care and support in the outpatient setting with a focus on infant nutrition, staff and provider lactation education, family lactation support, and support of the refugee population. Since 2018 Leslie has taken on the role of program manager for perinatal pailliative care, working to improve staff education, parent support, and alignment of services for families experiencing a life-threatening or life-limiting diagnosis during the perinatal period.
Leslie would love to have people join her private FB page, “St. Luke’s SHARE perinatal loss group.”
https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/loss-grief-in-prenancy-postpartum/
https://www.marchofdimes.org/compications/loss-and-grief.aspx
http://www.grieveoutloud.org/resources.html
Video links:
“How to Help a Grieving Friend”
We don’t move on from grief . . . we move forward with it. Ted talk by Nora Mcinerny.