Midwifery postpartum clinical guideline following a term stillbirth

The Virtual Midwife

Midwifery postpartum clinical guideline following a term stillbirth

Barbora Snuggs, University of North Georgia, Vanderbilt University, USA

Many pregnancies and births bring joy and excitement while some end with the death of the baby prior to labor and delivery, also known as an intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) or a stillbirth. Midwives are closely involved in care for these women during labor and delivery, but evidence-based care guidelines related to midwifery care during the postpartum period following a term stillbirth are limited in the literature published in the United States. A midwifery guideline was developed based on 1) a needs assessment, 2) a literature synthesis, and 3) current guidelines to care for women following a term stillbirth in the initial 6-week postpartum period with input from obstetrician-liaison and the midwives working in a practice setting. Midwives can care for patients utilizing their clinical knowledge with skill, empathy, and compassion by following an established term stillbirth postpartum clinical guideline.