Different Baby, Different Story: Pregnancy and Parenting After Loss

Nurses Margaret Murphy, Jane Warland, and Lynnda Parker team up with O’Leary, a psychologist, to provide a “journey from loss to hope” in this useful guide for those trying to get pregnant after losing a baby. Balancing communication, hope, and grief, they write, will successfully lead a couple through mourning and new pregnancy. The authors touch on miscarriage, stillbirth, and SIDS, and use testimonials and quotes to show how other parents have dealt with the death of a child. For instance, they write of one woman who gave an ivy plant to her husband after losing their son; the couple still take care of the plant in his honor, 18 years later. Each chapter contains reader questions, practical coping suggestions (such as lighting a candle each year on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, or joining a support group), and closing reflections. The authors also address practical aspects of a new pregnancy, such as a prenatal visit checklist, advice for when to tell others the news, and ways to communicate anxieties effectively with family and friends. The authors’ strength is in their straightforward and comforting tone—“be reassured that, given your history, this is normal behavior”—which will be a balm to grieving readers. This compassionate book will help expectant parents find joy and healing after tragic loss. (Dec.)