They Were Still Born

Personal Stories about Stillbirth

Edited by Janel C. Atlas - Contributions by Amy L. Abbey; Nina Bennett; Joanne Cacciatore; Marion Flores; Ruth Fretts; Alan Goldenbach; Rachel Graham; David Hlavsa; Sherokee Ilse; Kara L.C. Jones; Monica Murphy LeMoi; Candy McVicar and Kelley Krahling

Stillbirth, defined as the death of an infant between 20 weeks' gestation and birth, is a tragedy repeated thirty thousand times every year in the United States. That means more than eighty mothers a day feel their babies slip silently from their bodies, the only sound in the delivery room their own sobs. Eighty stillborn babies a day means heartbroken families mourn the death of children who will never breathe, gurgle, learn to walk, or go to school. In 2006, Janel Atlas became one of those mothers who left the hospital with empty arms; her second daughter, Beatrice Dianne, was stillborn at 36 weeks. Reaching out for comfort, she realized a dire need shared by so many others like her, and so was born a collection of new essays by writers each sharing their firsthand experiences with stillbirth. Atlas includes selections not only from mothers but also fathers and grandparents, all of whom have intimate stories to share with readers. In addition, there are selections that answer many of the medical questions families have in the wake of a stillbirth and that offer the latest research on this devastating loss and how it might be prevented. Grieving parents will find in these pages the comfort of knowing they are not alone on this painful path, validation of their babies' lives, and guidance from those who have suffered this tragedy. In addition, They Were Still Born both inspires and shows readers how to honor and remember their own babies and stories of loss. No parent- or grandparent-to-be sets out planning to purchase They Were Still Born. Unfortunately, there will always be readers-devastated, grieving, and searching for voices to help them through-who need it.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 280 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4422-0413-3 • Paperback • June 2014 • $36.00 • (£28.00)

978-1-4422-0414-0 • eBook • December 2010 • $34.00 • (£26.00)

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Women, Health & Fitness / Pregnancy & Childbirth, Health & Fitness / Women's Health

They Were Still Born

Personal Stories about Stillbirth

Paperback

eBook

Summary

Stillbirth, defined as the death of an infant between 20 weeks' gestation and birth, is a tragedy repeated thirty thousand times every year in the United States. That means more than eighty mothers a day feel their babies slip silently from their bodies, the only sound in the delivery room their own sobs. Eighty stillborn babies a day means heartbroken families mourn the death of children who will never breathe, gurgle, learn to walk, or go to school. In 2006, Janel Atlas became one of those mothers who left the hospital with empty arms; her second daughter, Beatrice Dianne, was stillborn at 36 weeks. Reaching out for comfort, she realized a dire need shared by so many others like her, and so was born a collection of new essays by writers each sharing their firsthand experiences with stillbirth. Atlas includes selections not only from mothers but also fathers and grandparents, all of whom have intimate stories to share with readers. In addition, there are selections that answer many of the medical questions families have in the wake of a stillbirth and that offer the latest research on this devastating loss and how it might be prevented. Grieving parents will find in these pages the comfort of knowing they are not alone on this painful path, validation of their babies' lives, and guidance from those who have suffered this tragedy. In addition, They Were Still Born both inspires and shows readers how to honor and remember their own babies and stories of loss. No parent- or grandparent-to-be sets out planning to purchase They Were Still Born. Unfortunately, there will always be readers-devastated, grieving, and searching for voices to help them through-who need it.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 280 • Trim: 6 x 9

978-1-4422-0413-3 • Paperback • June 2014 • $36.00 • (£28.00)

978-1-4422-0414-0 • eBook • December 2010 • $34.00 • (£26.00)

Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Women, Health & Fitness / Pregnancy & Childbirth, Health & Fitness / Women's Health

Author

Janel Atlas is a writer and editor whose work has appeared in various regional and national publications. Since her daughter’s stillbirth, in 2006, Atlas has written extensively about pregnancy and infant loss. She now lives in Delaware with her husband, two daughters and one son.

Table of Contents

1 Forward
2 Introduction
3 One: What No One Tells You
4 Two: Blindsided
5 Three: Two Children, One Living
6 Four: The Traumatic Contradiction
7 Five: Living With (and Without) Caleb
8 Six: He Changed Our World
9 Seven: Mothering Grief
10 Eight: In a Wild Place
11 Nine: Born, Again
12 Ten: Just One Family
13 Eleven: Then Comes the Baby in the Baby Carriage
14 Twelve: A Plan Gone Awry
15 Thirteen: Saying "Grace": Family and Friend's Responses to My Daughter's Stillbirth
16 Fourteen: Our Christmas Angel
17 Fifteen: She Was Significant
18 Sixteen: How Death Can Bring Life: A Caregiver's Perspective
19 Seventeen: Invincible No More: What My Daughter's Stillbirth Taught Me About Life
20 Eighteen: Reunion Group
21 Nineteen: Standing in the Shadow of Grief
22 Twenty: Grief and Creativity
23 Twenty-one: The Year of Angels
24 The Way Forward
25 Twenty-two: Honoring and Remembering
26 Twenty-three: Creative Expressions of Grief
27 Twenty-four: What We Know About Stillbirth
28 Twenty-five: Emerging Research
29 Twenty-six:Making a Difference: Resources

Reviews

As is true for all obstetricians, I was confronted with the reality of stillbirth early on in my career. Nothing prepares mothers for this potentially devastating experience. The process must be shared and grieved if the wounds are to fully heal. They Were Still Born helps this process enormously. This collection is beautiful, moving, and healing.
— Christiane Northrup, M.D., OB-GYN; author of the New York Times bestselling Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom and The Wisdom of Menopause

These courageous, moving accounts from the fierce front lines of infant loss are filled with rare beauty and insistent love. They Were Still Born will help heal the bereaved and illuminate a culture that has for too long closed its eyes to the pain and devastation of stillbirth. A tour de force.
— Lorraine Ash, author of Life Touches Life: A Mother's Story of Stillbirth and Healing

The nearly two-dozen-chapter book's authors include a wide variety of men and women — a bereavement specialist, an obstetrician, a staff writer for The Washington Post, a registered nurse, a professor, an anthropologist, and more, all of whom share their experiences....In addition to the poignant essays, They Were Still Born includes a section called "The Way Forward," which features ideas for honoring and remembering your baby and engaging in creative expressions of grief. It also includes chapters on what doctors currently know about stillbirth, as well as emerging research on the topic. There is also a 10-page listing of resource books for adults and children, support networks, blogs and more.
— Delaware Online

There is useful information about the need for more autopsies following stillbirth and better data collection to assist with research into 'unexplained' stillbirth. Overall, this book should be a valuable resource not only for mothers grieving for a stillborn child, but also for their partners, relatives, and the wider community.
— The Lancet