From the Lending
Library
With this department we will share with you reviews
of select parent and professional resources. All
resources will be available through our lending library,
or other easily accessible source. Let us know if there
are any
resources you have found that are particularly
helpful or that you would like to see reviewed here.
A Most Important Picture. Johnson J., Johnson
M., Cunningham J.H., Weinfield I.J. Center Corporation,
Box 3367, Omaha NE 68103. 1985.
Following the death of a baby, personal photographs
can be one of the most important lasting keepsakes a
family is given. A Most Important Picture is an
instructive manual that can help careproviders obtain
quality photos. It is not intended as a technical manual
in camera operation but rather a manual to illustrate
various ways of taking pictures which will be supportive
and affirming to the grieving family." A comment in
the introduction emphasizes that this resource is not
addressed to the general public but rather specifically
for perinatal caregivers.
The manual is available through the Centering
Corporation at a cost of $10.75.
Bittersweet-HelloGoodBye. Sr. Jane Marie Lamb.
Share National Office, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, 211
South Third Street, Belleville, Illinois. 1988.
This comprehensive resource provides background
information regarding grieving and rituals, and gives
excellent examples of memorials and services. It also
providespractical resources to use in developing
activities and programs designed to remember babies,
including scripture, prayer, songs, readings and memento
suggestions. This book would be a worthwhile addition to
any lending library, and would be extremely helpful to
clergy as they help families plan farewell rituals.
This book can be ordered through any bookstore; the
current list price is $15.00.
Planning a Precious Goodbye. Pregnancy and
Infant Loss Center, 1415 E. Wayzata Blvd., Ste. 22,
Wayzata, MN 55391. 1984. ($2.50)
Making Loving Memories - A Gentle Guide to What You
Can Do When Your Baby Dies. Centering Corporation,
Box 3367, Omaha NE 68103. 1992. ($2.35)
Both of these booklets are small resources written to
be used as guides for parents as they create memories of
their lost child. They primarily discuss questions
surrounding memorial services (cremation vs. burial, what
to say in newspaper announcements, should other children
be included, etc.) and include only brief mention of
other memento ideas (e.g. photos, hair lock, footprints).
In its favor, Planning a Precious Goodby includes
information about the necessity of an autopsy (although
the emphasis is on helping others--i.e. research, rather
than for diagnostic assessment and accurate estimates of
recurrence risks, possible interventions, etc.).
Relatively inexpensive, it is worthwhile for a hospital
OB unit to consider purchasing one of these resources to
provide to families at no charge.
The booklets can be obtained directly from their
respective publishers at the indicated prices.
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