Supporting Work and Family Through Grief: A Father’s Experience

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Stillbirth Happens - Let's Talk

Project Hummingbird

13 episodes

2 weeks ago

Many people struggle to talk about stillbirth. Friends and family members may feel awkward discussing it. Some clinicians shy away from it. Bereaved parents may be left feeling isolated and alone. Co-hosts Jaime and Erin – mothers whose babies were stillborn – talk truth about stillbirth. Together with guests, they explore topics such as the nature of grief and loss, the hospital experience of stillbirth, and navigating life after stillbirth – all in a welcoming and safe audio space. Through stories of lived experiences, Stillbirth Happens – let’s talk hopes to normalize the conversation about stillbirth and give those touched by it a place to learn, grieve and feel connected.

All content for Stillbirth Happens - Let's Talk is the property of Project Hummingbird and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Social Sciences

Medicine,

Science

Supporting Work and Family Through Grief: A Father’s Experience

Stillbirth Happens - Let's Talk

32 minutes 11 seconds

3 months ago

Supporting Work and Family Through Grief: A Father’s Experience

In this episode we hear from Andrew Lockhart, a father of six whose third child–his son Wilder– was stillborn in 2017. Andrew talks about how he supported his family while juggling work as he grieved. We also hear from Brandon Drouillard, a pregnancy and infant loss educator who talks about how a father’s grief can be overlooked during stillbirth. Together, Andrew and Brandon give voice to the experiences dads have grieving their stillborn babies and supporting their families.

Key Insights

[10:33] “We were really lucky. We got, we had access to a CuddleCot TM. We were able to spend some time with Wilder and really process the loss of him.”

CuddleCotsTM provide continuous regulated cooling enabling families extended time to take photos, create memories, welcome extended family, receive support and make arrangements without feeling rushed.

[20:38] “My name is Brandon Drouillard and I work for the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network as Education Coordinator and a pregnancy and infant loss educator”.

The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network (PAIL) is an Ontario, Canada-based provincial program that provides free, peer-led support to families who have experienced pregnancy loss at any stage or the death of a baby up to 12 months of age. Operating under Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre DAN Women and Babies Program, PAIL Network offers various support services, including community-based and online peer support groups, to help grieving families connect and heal.
Read more about Brandon Drouillard, PAIL Network Education Coordinator.

[27:49] “There's not a lot of support out there, you know, for people who experience the loss of a child like this, like I can't even remember if Kim was able to get her maternity benefits through EI at that point”.

Employment Insurance (EI) Maternity Benefits in Canada provide financial support for up to 15 weeks to eligible birth parents, including surrogates, who cannot work due to pregnancy and childbirth.

Resources

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network Resource Library
Article: A grief ignored: narratives of pregnancy loss from a male perspective
Article: Men’s grief following pregnancy loss and neonatal loss: a systematic review and emerging theoretical model
Book: The Way Men Heal
Book: Grieving Beyond Gender: Understanding Diverse Grieving Styles
Book: Grieving Dads: To the Brink and Back
Book: Loving Your Baby
Magazine: Still standing: A father’s grief
Website: Fatherly.com (search: “pregnancy loss”)