What if there isn a program nearby?
You do not need a program in order to take a perinatal hospice approach with your pregnancy. All you need to do is commit to creating a loving experience for yourself and your baby. You will need to make some decisions and advocate for your needs, which can be challenging when you are overwhelmed with sadness. But by being proactive, you may be able to enlist the support of your doctor, midwife, or nurse; having just one health care practitioner who is willing to coordinate your care can be immeasurably comforting and helpful. Even without that, you can coordinate your own care, and be energized or inspired by knowing that you are parenting your baby in ways that will honor this child as well as your role as parents. See our list of resources for many links to resources about birth planning and ways to celebrate your baby. (For one family’s story of traveling this path without a formal program, see Waiting with Gabriel.) Perinatal hospice isn’t so much a program as a frame of mind.
