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.).
Care & Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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During the COVID-19 pandemic, our Family Support services remain available to people who have experienced the loss of their pregnancy or the death of their baby. We have online support groups, a private Facebook group, and a website with resources for families and professionals. |
Caring for Care Providers
Caring for care providers: tips and information
Pregnancy Loss
Caring for a person who’s experiencing/experienced pregnancy loss (under 20 weeks gestational age)
Information for care/service professional
- 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
Stillbirth
Caring for a person who’s experiencing/experienced stillbirth (over 20 weeks gestational age)
Information for care/service professional
- 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 professional
- 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 Support
Supporting families after a loss
Memory Making
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.
Hand and Foot Mould Instructional Video
Toolkit for Professionals
This section contains suggestions for hospital-specific practices that promote skilled and compassionate care for families who are experiencing pregnancy or infant loss. Here you will find information for hospital staff looking to develop bereavement support systems within their organizations.
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.
