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Interdisciplinary Perinatal Palliative Care Coordination, Birth Planning, and Support of the Team

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Perinatal Palliative Care

Abstract

Perinatal palliative care (PPC) birth planning is not simply a task or form to be completed prior to delivery. It is an opportunity for parents to define their goals for their baby’s care, goals that will guide decision-making and care planning for the remainder of the pregnancy, delivery, and the neonatal period. An interdisciplinary team led by a care coordinator facilitates individualized and relationship-based care and the development of a written care plan. Programs that acknowledge the importance and challenges of this work need to support the care team through adequate staffing and resources, continuing education and training, and opportunities for self-care.

The terms “parents” and “baby” are used throughout this chapter as many women and their partners consider themselves parents of a child who has died, regardless of the gestational age or circumstances. However, it must be acknowledged that some individuals will grieve their loss as the loss of a pregnancy rather than the loss of child and that some women will not share this loss with a partner. We use the terms “parents” and “child” for simplicity. Relationship-based care practices will allow the care provider to individualize care and terminology, as appropriate.

Anecdotes from family and provider interactions interspersed throughout this chapter offer examples to illustrate concepts and show how suggestions for care can be applied in clinical practice. Pseudonyms have been used.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Children’s Wisconsin, Fetal Concerns Center, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Emilie Lamberg Jones & Steven R. Leuthner

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  1. Emilie Lamberg Jones
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  2. Steven R. Leuthner
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Correspondence to Emilie Lamberg Jones .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Strong Memorial Hospital, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA

    Erin M. Denney-Koelsch

  2. School of Nursing, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Denise Côté-Arsenault

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Jones, E.L., Leuthner, S.R. (2020). Interdisciplinary Perinatal Palliative Care Coordination, Birth Planning, and Support of the Team. In: Denney-Koelsch, E., Côté-Arsenault, D. (eds) Perinatal Palliative Care. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34751-2_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34751-2_15

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-34750-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-34751-2

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