When A Baby Dies: The Experience of Late Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death

I believe this was a British book and I did not have the Kindle version- mine was paperback and widely available in the United Kingdom, where I was living at the time of my son's death. I felt like this was more like a "textbook" with regard to infant death, which, honestly, I needed sometimes after my son died. I would not choose it as the only resource after a baby dies -"Empty Cradle, Broken Heart" is a good companion as it fills more of the emotional need and provides the parent with more personal experiences- but while sometimes that type of book is necessary, sometimes it is too emotionally difficult to process given the circumstances. I also felt like this book was better for my relatives to read rather than just being for the actual parent of a baby who died, but, again, I would read it in conjunction with other texts (if any other bereaved parents are like me, though, then one book would never have been enough any way...I doubt any books could be "enough".)

After our child was stillborn in 2006, this book was recommended to me. It is a straightforward and honest look at the aftermath of late miscarriage, stillbirth, and neonatal death. The authors use a combination of information and personal stories to structure the book, and this works very well as a device. When the information threatens to get too clinical, the personal stories (told in the words of the parents who suffered the loss) remind the reader of the human side. I appreciated that the authors did not try to tell me as a parent how I should or should not be feeling. When a Baby Dies is a good book if you are trying to make sense of your own loss, or would like to support someone else through their grieving process. The book comes with a long appendix which provides possible medical explanations for stillbirth and neonatal death.

Whn dear friends lost their baby at 4 1/2 months into the pregnancy, most people, them too, did not treat it as a death. This book gave me the info and the strength I needed to help my friends grieve. They were actually relieved that someone allowed them to express their grief. It has a lot of info - and so, I would not give it to my friends, at least not yet. It is less self-help or support, and more other-help, or assisting you to understand this loss.

When our baby died at birth 8 years ago, this book ministered to me in a way that many other books on the subject could not. Because the bulk of the book is taken from interviews with and letters from grieving parents, I felt I was being encouraged where I was in my grief, not being told "how to grieve". (Or worse, being given a timetable!) Full of personal stories and touching private moments, When a Baby Dies really answered the questions I did not know how to ask, or even thought of yet. There is a ton of medical information, which I craved at the time, very precise to the individual conditions of each baby. If you are searching for a book full of information, but also personal and moving, then this book should help. And if you are in need of a book on a baby dying, then let me say how sorry I am for your loss.

I wish this book would have dealt more with the emotional impact of infant death. There was a good section on self help and support.