I am excited to announce a brand new training and certification opportunity for the bereavement and birth worker community which will be offered through Loss Doulas International™ and Babies Remembered. It is the first known certification program specifically for caregivers working with parents in subsequent pregnancies after loss. 
 
When parents suffer the loss of a child early or later in pregnancy or after birth, seeking and/or being in a subsequent pregnancy takes a toll on parents, family, and friends, as well as their caregivers.  The ability to be believe one can get pregnant again, dealing with secondary infertility, and if pregnant -being blissfully naïve during another pregnancy often disappears. They know the ultimate loss does occur and could happen again.   Parents and caregivers are left to navigate the uncharted waters that lie ahead leaving them on an emotional roller coaster. 
 
Most parents report they are full of worry, doubt, and are downright frightened.  They often find it difficult to embrace hope until actually becoming pregnant again and when pregnant, they have to make it past certain milestones or the time when their baby may have died.  Caregivers feel helpless as they attempt to give parents personalized care, appropriate assurance and the attention they desire and need. During the subsequent pregnancy process and beyond, parents need a more specialized type of support, which includes a strong emotional component, rather than standard prenatal care. 
 
Studies show that bonding issues with rainbow children following loss occurs for a number of parents, sometimes becoming serious. And since there are no guarantees for a happy outcome, the stress of being pregnant again after one’s bubble has been burst with a baby death can be intense.
 
Therefore, it is important to help parents keep healing their hearts while still being and acting as parents to their children who died.  At the same time, parents may need assistance facing their fears while working to embrace, show their love and bond with their growing baby. They may need an advocate and/or well-aware birth professionals to assist them in getting specialized care.
 
This means that a Rainbow Baby Advisor™ or Rainbow Baby Doula™ can play a significant non-medical role in mom’s care.  Removing the taboo of talking openly about the impact of early and later losses during a rainbow pregnancy and having intentional conversations about pregnancy care can be both comforting and reassuring for pregnant moms and partners.   Rainbow Baby Advisors™/Rainbow Baby Doulas™ will be well-prepared to offer parents a listening ear, compassion, intentional guidance, a calm voice, and a wealth of resources while parents receive care provided by the medical team.  Our team commits to providing extensive training and practical teaching which will inform and empower our professionals to give 'Gold Standard' care and mentoring to rainbow mothers. 
 
This certification and training will be available to any birth worker already certified as a Doula, Midwife, Nurse, Doctor, Social Worker/Therapist, etc., as well as those who have already taken our Baby Loss Family Advisor™/Baby Loss Doula® certification and training.  It will be offered not only in-person, but also as an online option. 
The  Rainbow Baby Advisor™/Rainbow Baby Doula™ Certification and Training will be launched by early fall.
 
Please continue to check our website and Facebook pages to stay up to date on our offerings and classes.  Email [email protected] to get on our waiting list for online or in person classes.
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