Abstract
Parents experiencing or anticipating pregnancy and infant loss (PIL) often feel isolated and alone in their grief. A major stressor for parents is determining how to talk with others in their social network: how much to share and what to withhold. After leaving the hospital, parents may find few or no supportive services as they lean more on their families and friends, their community faith leaders, or seek out mental health providers, support groups, and other sources of support. In this chapter, a team of interdisciplinary authors (physician, nurses, social worker, music therapist, art therapist, bereavement therapists, community advocate, and bereavement photographer) will outline the major sources of community support for parents with perinatal loss, with a focus on rituals, death practices, and bereavement support during the mourning process.
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Denney-Koelsch, E.M. et al. (2023). Community Supports for Parents with Perinatal Loss and Bereavement. In: Denney-Koelsch, E.M. (eds) Perinatal Bereavement Rituals and Practices Among U. S. Cultural Groups. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47203-9_12
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