LIVE WEBINAR | Navigating perinatal loss: A bereavement midwife’s perspective

Navigating perinatal loss: A bereavement midwife’s perspective

with Eliza Strauss

Who should attend this webinar?
Anyone who works in a professional care role or supports people through pregnancy and baby loss and grief, including ending a pregnancy for medical reasons. The content is applicable to a wide variety of professions including midwives, doctors, nurses, counsellors, social workers, teachers, emergency response teams, medical, corrections, mental health, hospice, volunteers, caregivers and more. 

Overview

No matter how small a baby, the impact of loss can be forever. The ripples of loss extend through the bereaved parents, their families, friends, work colleagues and through the maternity settings in which the loss occurred.

The way in which patients and their families are treated when their baby dies has far reaching effects on the ongoing mental health of bereaved parents. Inadequate care might exacerbate an already difficult grief (Henley & Schott, 2008; Leon, 2008; Lisy et al., 2016) hindering the parents’ process of healing (Gandino, et al., 2019; Gold, 2007).

The long-term effects can be both negative and positive. The literature points to the importance of providing best practice in bereavement care (Gandino et al, 2017). This requires up-to-date bereavement care training for staff, and best practice policies and procedures, to ensure that families and staff are optimally supported.

Pregnancy and baby loss is sometimes poorly understood. To add to this, many health professionals supporting families experiencing loss are often not trained or supported in the most effective way to ensure sensitive and effective care.

This webinar aims to support professionals who work with mothers, fathers and families navigating this often unexpected and overwhelming experience. It also explores how we can best support those caring for loss families by creating spaces for sensitive conversations filled with empathy and consideration.

Key learning points

• Understanding the unique aspects of loss and grief associated with pregnancy loss following a termination of pregnancy for medical reasons, known as TFMR

• Learn the main reasons and decision making around termination, including discussion around termination decisions in the context of sexual abuse, trauma and assault

• Different modes and how a pregnancy might end

• Partners and family – navigating different grief responses/conflict in decision making 

• Practical tips for supporting this cohort throughout the various stages – decision making, during and after the process 

About the presenter

Eliza Strauss is a specialist Bereavement Midwife who established a unique bereavement support programme, including a dedicated “Willow Room” at a private maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

​Eliza saw the need to better support families following the tragic loss of their babies, and for good quality staff education to assist health professionals in providing bereaved parents with appropriately sensitive support.

Eliza was awarded the national “Excellence in Bereavement Care Award” by the Australian College of Midwives for her work in the area of perinatal loss in a maternity hospital setting.

Eliza believes every family should receive best practice, quality bereavement care at every point in the painful trajectory of loss and grief.

In partnership with the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Eliza educates midwives and front-line health professionals with online training “Perinatal Loss in Practice: What hospital staff Need to Know”.

In 2025, Eliza left clinical practice and founded My Pebble Urn where she custom-makes ceramic urns for holding babies’ ashes.

FIND OUT MORE AND BOOK:

https://education.griefcentre.org.nz/course/perinatal-loss0926