What is a Bereavement Doula?

Bereavement Doulas are professionals who embody the roles of Birth and Death Doulas simultaneously.

I know that I haven't yet covered Death Doulas in this blog-athon but their name, like most doulas, tells you about their specialty.

Bereavement doulas are those trained to support people who have had a loss related to pregnancy. This can be anything from spontaneous abortions (also known as miscarriage), to life incompatibility diagnosis, to stillbirth and more.

They are wonderful people with huge hearts that are ready and able to guide families going through these distressing events.

It is hard to elaborate on the role of a Bereavement doula due to the breadth of loss that they help with. The best way I can think to describe their services is specialized birth and postpartum support with grief counseling woven throughout.

They can help by:

• doing research for the clients so that they get unbiased information relevant to their circumstances.

• provide a shoulder to lean on as clients navigate a system that can be very triggering,

• translate "medical speak" for their clients,

• preparing multiple birth plans (covering different scenarios),

• help with funeral/end of life planning,

• help clients to create memories.

I highly recommend hiring a Bereavement Doula to anyone experiencing a pregnancy related loss.