Resources for Health Care and Service Professionals
This section has been created to support and equip health care and service professionals with the resources and information needed to provide skilled and compassionate care to families who have experienced a pregnancy loss, stillbirth or the death of their infant.
Resources include suggestions for communication, memory making, forming bereavement committees, and practical information and handouts for families (lactation after loss, employment leave, etc.).
Butterfly Image
The butterfly image is a commonly used symbol in the pregnancy and infant loss community. Please utilize this butterfly image in whatever way is helpful to you. Some suggestions:
- Placed on the outside door/curtain of a room, so everyone entering is aware of the loss
- Placed on the outside of a chart, so that everyone is aware of the loss (this can be for a current patient or a follow-up visit)
- Placed on the outside of your bereavement cupboard, for easy identification of supplies
Pregnancy Loss (Loss under 20 weeks GA)
Caring for a person who’s experiencing/experienced pregnancy loss (under 20 weeks gestational age)
Information for care/service professionals and resources for families
- Communicating with a family who is experiencing a miscarriage
- What to say, and what not to say to families experiencing loss
- Commemorating pregnancy or infant loss
- Employment leave for parents after pregnancy or infant loss
- Lactation after loss
- Creating memories document: making hand and foot moulds
- Sample bereavement checklist
- Time away from work after your pregnancy loss
- Hand and foot mould instructional video
Handout for families
Milk Production After LossArabic Chinese English French Punjabi Spanish Tagalog
Quality Standard
Ontario Health (Quality) and the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network have released a quality standard outlining quality care for people experiencing early pregnancy complications and/or loss.
It includes a conversation guide to help patients ask informed if they are in their first trimester, have pain, or bleeding, or think a miscarriage may be happening. View guide.
Download the following resources to see what steps you can take to improve care:
Quality Standard
Patient Guide
Quality Standard Placemat for Early Pregnancy Complication and Loss
Early Pregnancy Loss Provider Toolkit
This toolkit is for health and service professionals who want to provide compassionate care for early pregnancy loss patients and their families. It includes a coordinator checklist, staff education and resources, patient education and resources, and fill-able documents and guides, all based on best practice guidelines, patient and family feedback, and practical experience. Access this toolkit here.
Stillbirth
Caring for a person who’s experiencing/experienced stillbirth (over 20 weeks gestational age)
Information for care/service professionals and resources for families
- Communicating with a family who is experiencing stillbirth
- What to say, and what not to say to families experiencing loss
- Cuddle cot instructions
- Commemorating pregnancy or infant loss
- Lactation after loss
- Creating memories document: making hand and foot moulds
- Employment leave for parents after pregnancy or infant loss
- Sample bereavement checklist
- Time away from work after your pregnancy loss
- Hand and foot mould instructional video
Handout for families
Arabic Chinese English French Punjabi Spanish Tagalog
Infant Loss
Caring for a person who’s experiencing/experienced infant loss
Information for care/service professionals and resources for families
- What to say, and what not to say to families experiencing loss
- Commemorating pregnancy or infant loss
- Cuddle cot instructions
- Creating memories document: making hand and foot moulds
- Employment leave for parents after pregnancy or infant loss
- Lactation after loss
- Sample bereavement checklist
- Time away from work after your pregnancy loss
- Hand and foot mould instructional video
Handout for families
Arabic Chinese English French Punjabi Spanish Tagalog
Pregnancy After Loss
Supporting families after a loss
Memory Making
Recognize, honour and remember their baby in both public and private ways
Many families find it important to recognize, honour and remember their baby in both public and private ways. There are many ways that a family can commemorate their love and continue their connection to their baby.
As healthcare professionals, you can help the family in the creation of memorial rituals and objects. Your presence and participation helps validate that a significant loss has occurred.
Traditional Healing Supports
Meaningful connections with other services for Indigenous families
Finding meaningful support can be challenging, especially when you are grieving. PAIL Network has compiled a listing of resources in communities across Ontario that may offer crisis support as well as other meaningful connections with other services for Indigenous families at no cost. This list can be downloaded and printed, or you can access the links directly to the resources within the document. This list will be reviewed annually, and any additions or corrections can be sent to pailvolunteer@sunnybrook.ca
Please note that PAIL Network has provided these resources for information only and cannot endorse or recommend specific organizations.
Bereavement committees
For Professionals – Caring for Yourself
Caring for care providers: tips and information
Newsletter for Professionals
Newsletter for professionals
At PAIL Network, we want to keep in touch with professionals who support families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss in Ontario. In an effort to capture important pieces of information for you in one place, we have put together these newsletters.
Share your feedback about our resources
We’re always looking for ways to better support care professionals in providing the best care for people experiencing pregnancy or infant loss. Share your thoughts about the resources provided, and let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see in the future.
