Hand in Hand: Perinatal Palliative Care
No one can walk in another’s shoes. We can, however, walk “Hand in Hand” through difficult times. Hand in Hand at The Women’s Hospital is a program to expand choices for those families whose unborn babies have been diagnosed with life-limiting conditions and to celebrate these babies’ lives in every way possible. Our mission is to provide comfort and care to meet the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the baby, parents, and family or friends.
Bereavement Program
Our Bereavement Team partners with parents and family members to provide grief support throughout their journey. We use a multidisciplinary approach, led by a neonatologist and bereavement coordinator, who is certified in Perinatal Loss Care (CPLC) and experienced with Resolve Through Sharing (RTS).
Our parents and families meet with the bereavement coordinator and the team to design a plan of care that meets each family’s individual needs. Hand in Hand Care is ongoing. The care begins when a family receives the diagnosis that their baby has a life limiting condition and continues throughout the pregnancy and delivery. Bereavement support is available to families as long as needed.
The Hand in Hand program is dedicated to providing family-centered services, including
- A memory box provided to parents and families for your baby’s keepsakes. Additional ultrasound, recording of your baby’s heartbeat, pictures (before, during and after birth), footprints, handprints, gowns and hats are mementos that may be placed in the memory box to remember your baby’s life.
- Community events offered. Families are invited to our annual Walk To Remember each October and to our Candle Lighting Ceremony each December.
Bereavement Team
- Parents
- Bereavement coordinator
- Maternal-fetal medicine specialists
- Genetic counselors
- Neonatologists
- Obstetric physicians
- Registered nurses
- Chaplain
- Respiratory Therapists
- Social Workers
Our Promise
For our parents, we hope to honor each moment, each hour, each day of your child’s life. It is a privilege for us to share in this journey and to know and feel the impact of your baby’s life on you and others. Our bereavement team is here with you and for you, hand in hand.
For more information about the Hand in Hand Perinatal Palliative Care Program, contact our Bereavement Coordinator at
812-842-4574.