The WiSSP Resource Library

PERTAINING TO MISCARRIAGE

1.    Miscarriage: A Shattered Dream, Sherokee Isle and Linda Hammer-Burns; Pregnancy and Infant Loss Center of Minnesota.

    Written by two women who have undergone similar tragedies, this 60 page book provides insights for couples who have experienced a miscarriage.  Common questions and concerns are addressed, and reactions of different individuals (including mothers, fathers, single women and children) are discussed.  Also included are a bibliography and a resource list of organizations and publications that offer service and literature.

2.    Miscarriage: A Book For Parents Experiencing Fetal Death, by Joy and Marv Johnson; Centering Corporation.

    A short book that discusses the shock, fear and other emotions associated with miscarriage. A list of ways to memorialize a baby are included, as is a list of events (eg., anniversaries, a mother nursing in public) that may cause one to remember and hurt after time has passed.

3.   Tender Miscarriage--An Epiphany, by Paula Saffire; Harbinger House, Inc., 1989.

    Tender Miscarriage is the author's account of one particularly turbulent year in her life, characterized by personal and family transition complicated by a pregnancy that ultimately ends in empty arms. Intertwined with the unavoidable stresses and demands of this transition is the author's recountings of the emotional events of her pregnancy, up to and beyond the point of her loss, ultimately leading her to a place of understanding.

4.   Facts about Miscarriages...and the Grief it Causes, by Paul R. Feldman and Sharon N. Covington; Fertility Press; Rockville, MD; 1989.

    This sensitively written brochure discusses facts about miscarriages, including its causes and concerns about recurrence. Aspects of grieving and methods of coping are also mentioned.

5.   Journey to Motherhood - One Woman's Story of Triumph Over Miscarriage by Allison Freeland; Prentice Hall Press, 1992.

    Journey to Motherhood is the author's account of how she learned to come to terms with repeated miscarriages. It tells how the author would not give up hope of having a child of her own and was finally successful.

6.    Motherhood after Miscarriage by Dr. Kathleen Diamond; Bob Adams, Inc., Holbrook, MA, 1991.

    An extremely thorough account of the physiological experience of pregnancy and miscarriage. While the focus is on miscarriage, the book covers other topics such as family planning, infertility, in vitro fertilization, etc. Although this book contains a significant amount of medical information, it lacks coverage of the emotional issues surrounding miscarriage.

7.   12.   After Pregnancy Loss by Mary Beth Franklyn; Discipleship Resources, Nashville, Tennessee, 1988.

    A guide for grieving parents and clergy or counselors following a miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death, authored by a woman who has experienced a pregnancy loss.  Written in a strongly Christian approach, this pamphlet includes descriptions of situations parents may face including funerals and provides suggestions for coping in addition to recommended readings.   Also included are thoughts and feelings from other couples who have experienced a similar loss.

8.   Single Parent Grief by Sherokee Ilse; deRuyter Nelson Publications, Inc., 1994.

    Well-known expert on bereavement Sherokee Ilse provides helpful hints, resources and suggestions regarding support for single men, women and teenagers coping with the loss of a child, miscarriage or stillbirth.  The pamphlet explores personal feelings, interactions with others and building of support/coping skills.  An appendix of support resources is also provided.   

9.    Miscarriage:  A Man’s Book by Rick Wheat, Centering Corporation, Omaha, NE, 1995.

    This is a brief, easy-to-read resource, written by a man who has himself, along with his wife, undergone the experience of miscarriage.  It offers effective and practical approaches to the immediate crisis elements inherent in the event of miscarriage.  Attention is given to the unique reactions of women and the special support the devastated woman in the relationship will need.  The author prepares the reader for the difficulties and struggles that may arise in the relationship, as both partners become overwhelmed with grief, and are emotionally unequipped to offer support to each other.  Quotes and thoughts from men who have undergone the experience of miscarriage are a positive feature of this book as is preparation for special difficult issues such as taking down the nursery, paying medical bills, telling other children, and anniversaries of the miscarriage and due dates.