“There is no foot too small that it cannot leave an imprint on this world.” Author Unknown
No one expects to lose a pregnancy or a baby. But it happens more often than you probably know. Perinatal loss (e.g. miscarriage, ectopic and molar pregnancy, stillbirth, and newborn death in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit [NICU]) is perhaps the most challenging experience that parents will go through in their lifetime.
Although family and friends can be supportive, sometimes it is helpful to talk with someone you have never met. There is no element of judgement with this type of support. Central Jersey Family Health Consortium offers grief support and resources through the Pregnancy & Parenting Wellness Program. Our experienced staff provides phone and/or text support to grieving parents for up to one year following a perinatal loss. We will walk through your early grief journey with you as we listen to you in a compassionate and caring way. In addition, resources such as perinatal bereavement support groups and therapists/counselors (if desired) can be provided. Contact the Program Manager at 732-937-5437 ext. 179 if you have questions or would like to talk with a staff member.
Support Groups - Download Document Here
SHARE Support Group - 3rd Thursday of the Month, 7pm - 9pm
Saint Peter’s University Hospital
1st Floor - Employee Cafeteria Conference Room
254 Easton Ave.
New Brunswick, NJ
Middlesex County
Contact: Irina Mariano-Brown, MSW, LCSW
Social Worker
Social Work Department
732-745-8522 or imariano@saintpetersuh.com
SHARE Support Group - 2nd Wednesday of the month, 7:30pm -9:30pm
Riverview Medical Center
Blaisdell Pavilion, Mausner Room, 5th Floor
1 Riverview Plaza
Red Bank, NJ
Monmouth County
Contact: Diane Labarbera, 732-530-2315, Share.rmc@gmail.com
UNITE (sponsored by Penn Medicine Princeton Health) - 1st Wednesday of the month, 7pm - 9pm
Virtual
Contact: Bernadette Flynn-Kelton, RNC, PCE, IBCLC, RLC
609-897-8980 or 609-897-8985, Register at www.princetonhcs.org/calendar
Postpartum Support International - Visit PSI Online Support Meetings | Postpartum Support International (PSI)
SHARE (National) Support Group - visit http://nationalshare.org/online-support/
Maternal Interviews:
If you live in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, or Somerset County and your loss occurred at 20 weeks or more or your baby died in the NICU, you are also invited to talk with one of our Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) nurses about your experience during a maternal interview. Mothers and other birthing persons can be accompanied by a partner or support person as you share information about your prenatal care (if applicable) and birth. Information obtained during maternal interviews may identify issues within the healthcare system that can be addressed and corrected. Please contact the FIMR Program Manager at 732-937-5437 ext 155 if you are interested in scheduling an interview.
What is Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR)?
FIMR is a program developed by national experts who were concerned about the problems of fetal deaths (stillbirths) and infant deaths (babies up to their 1st birthday). The FIMR program hopes to:
- Describe the problems or issues that may be related to those deaths in your area; and
- Work with our community to make changes that will improve the health of infants and children.
How do you participate?
We want to hear your voice, thoughts and reflections. What you have to say is very important to us and CJFHC can accommodate you by:
- meeting you at your home or a location of your choice;
- You can call CJFHC and speak to one of our nurses and complete a questionnaire; or
- Complete questionnaire and mail it to our office.
Who can participate?
Parents who have experienced the death of their baby (from 20 weeks in pregnancy to 1 year of age), in the past year and a half can participate. Resources and information are available to all families who have experienced the death of their baby.
What do we do with the information?
The information we gather is so important to understanding the lives of woman and families who experience the death of their baby and how they can be assisted. By talking with each family in our region, we learn from their experiences so that we can help other families and promote needed changes in care and services in our region.
We understand this can be a sensitive subject. Be assured that our nurses and social workers are trained in providing care and have extensive experience working with bereaved families and can assist in providing resources/referrals to support programs in our area. Women who have participated in this program have told us that they found it helpful to share their story and hope that the information will help other families in the future.
Is this process confidential?
The information you provide with be kept confidential. Your name, the hospital name, and the name of those who provided you and your baby care will not be shared. The information you provide will be reviewed by a Regional Health Care Team, but your identity will be kept confidential.
We hope you decide to participate in this valuable program. To receive more information or request a meeting with one of our professional staff, please email fimr@cjfhc.org or call 732-937-5437 ext. 186.
