Description
Book SynopsisStillbirth, defined as the death of an infant between 20 weeks'' gestation and birth, is a tragedy repeated thirty thousand times every year in the United States. That means more than eighty mothers a day feel their babies slip silently from their bodies, the only sound in the delivery room their own sobs. Eighty stillborn babies a day means heartbroken families mourn the death of children who will never breathe, gurgle, learn to walk, or go to school. In 2006, Janel Atlas became one of those mothers who left the hospital with empty arms; her second daughter, Beatrice Dianne, was stillborn at 36 weeks. Reaching out for comfort, she realized a dire need shared by so many others like her, and so was born a collection of new essays by writers each sharing their firsthand experiences with stillbirth. Atlas includes selections not only from mothers but also fathers and grandparents, all of whom have intimate stories to share with readers. In addition, there are selections that answer many o
Trade ReviewAs is true for all obstetricians, I was confronted with the reality of stillbirth early on in my career. Nothing prepares mothers for this potentially devastating experience. The process must be shared and grieved if the wounds are to fully heal. They Were Still Born helps this process enormously. This collection is beautiful, moving, and healing. -- Christiane Northrup, M.D., OB-GYN; author of the New York Times bestselling Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause
These courageous, moving accounts from the fierce front lines of infant loss are filled with rare beauty and insistent love. They Were Still Born will help heal the bereaved and illuminate a culture that has for too long closed its eyes to the pain and devastation of stillbirth. A tour de force. -- Lorraine Ash, author of Life Touches Life: A Mother's Story of Stillbirth and Healing
The nearly two-dozen-chapter book's authors include a wide variety of men and women — a bereavement specialist, an obstetrician, a staff writer for The Washington Post, a registered nurse, a professor, an anthropologist, and more, all of whom share their experiences....In addition to the poignant essays, They Were Still Born includes a section called "The Way Forward," which features ideas for honoring and remembering your baby and engaging in creative expressions of grief. It also includes chapters on what doctors currently know about stillbirth, as well as emerging research on the topic. There is also a 10-page listing of resource books for adults and children, support networks, blogs and more. * Delaware Online *
There is useful information about the need for more autopsies following stillbirth and better data collection to assist with research into 'unexplained' stillbirth. Overall, this book should be a valuable resource not only for mothers grieving for a stillborn child, but also for their partners, relatives, and the wider community. * The Lancet *
Table of Contents1 Forward 2 Introduction 3 One: What No One Tells You 4 Two: Blindsided 5 Three: Two Children, One Living 6 Four: The Traumatic Contradiction 7 Five: Living With (and Without) Caleb 8 Six: He Changed Our World 9 Seven: Mothering Grief 10 Eight: In a Wild Place 11 Nine: Born, Again 12 Ten: Just One Family 13 Eleven: Then Comes the Baby in the Baby Carriage 14 Twelve: A Plan Gone Awry 15 Thirteen: Saying "Grace": Family and Friend's Responses to My Daughter's Stillbirth 16 Fourteen: Our Christmas Angel 17 Fifteen: She Was Significant 18 Sixteen: How Death Can Bring Life: A Caregiver's Perspective 19 Seventeen: Invincible No More: What My Daughter's Stillbirth Taught Me About Life 20 Eighteen: Reunion Group 21 Nineteen: Standing in the Shadow of Grief 22 Twenty: Grief and Creativity 23 Twenty-one: The Year of Angels 24 The Way Forward 25 Twenty-two: Honoring and Remembering 26 Twenty-three: Creative Expressions of Grief 27 Twenty-four: What We Know About Stillbirth 28 Twenty-five: Emerging Research 29 Twenty-six:Making a Difference: Resources
