Your Opinion is Valued!

I’m posting this survey request as I feel it is important to be able to change the way stillbirths are perceived and how bereaved families are cared for.  Please consider taking the time to read and forward to others.  Thank you!

The International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA) is working on the follow-up to the 2011 Lancet Stillbirth Series.  As part of the follow-up, the ISA would like to hear from care providers, parents, and general community members in high-income countries about what needs to be done to prevent stillbirth and improve care for families who have a stillborn baby. As a member organization of the ISA, Still Life Canada is assisting with the dissemination of the surveys in Canada.  For information about completing an online survey on stillbirth action, please click the link that fits you.

Survey 1: Survey for parents who have had a stillborn baby 
Title:Your experience of stillbirth – an online survey to help improve care for families experiencing the death of a baby
Stillbirth is a devastating event for parents and families with long-­‐lasting impact on health and wellbeing. If you are a parent of a baby who was stillborn, we would like to hear from you in order to better understand the emotional, psychological, and financial cost of stillbirth to families, and identify the most important areas for stillbirth research and care improvement in our health systems. We would also like to know what can be done to improve care for families in the future. If you are willing to complete the survey or would like to read more about the study before you decide, please click here: http://materresearch.checkboxonline.com/canada-stillbirth-survey-parents.survey

Survey 2: Survey for general community members
Title:Stillbirth research and prevention – an online survey on community attitudes and beliefs about care
Stillbirth is a devastating event for parents and families with long-­‐lasting impact on health and wellbeing. The purpose of this survey is to improve care for parents whose baby is stillborn and to develop priorities in stillbirth prevention. We would like to hear from you in order to better understand community attitudes and beliefs about stillbirth and stillbirth care in our health systems. If you are willing to complete the survey or would like to read more about the study before you decide, please click here: http://materresearch.checkboxonline.com/canada-stillbirth-survey-community-members.survey
***Community members include a support person, family member, friend or colleague of a parent who had a baby who was stillborn.

Survey 3: Survey for care providers.
Title:Brief online survey on stillbirth prevention and optimal bereavement care
If you are a doctor, midwife, nurse, psychologist, social worker or other health professional involved in care of women and families following a stillbirth, we would like to hear from you. We are interested in your experiences, views and practice in caring for women and families around the time of stillbirth and in subsequent pregnancies, in order to gain information to inform the development strategies in stillbirth prevention and ensuring optimal bereavement care. If you are willing to complete the survey or would like to read more about the study, please click here: http://materresearch.checkboxonline.com/canada-stillbirth-survey-care-providers.survey

Christmas Flash Mob

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the shopping, the decorating, the baking, the cooking, the overbooking…let’s remember the real reason for Christmas.  

Wishing you peace this Advent season as we prepare for the arrival of our greatest gift, Baby Jesus.

If this season is particularly difficult and you don’t want to do the shopping, decorating, baking etc. know that it is ok. It is part of the grieving process. For many years after we lost our son, I just couldn’t bring myself to put up the tree and do extra joyful “Christmas-y” activities. Other than going to Mass on Christmas Eve, I had to give myself permission to skip some of the traditions even though I felt pressured to “just be happy”.

I was “happy-sad” that my baby boy was going to experience Christmas in heaven and feel the pure joy of meeting baby Jesus himself. Oh how I miss you my beautiful Little Love, kiss Baby Jesus for us and feel our kisses fly up to heaven too.

 

*Note that at the end of this video, there is a young infant that is featured as Baby Jesus.