Products of Conception....

I'm amazed at the lengths that the American and British health departments go to, to train their staff in dealing with the "sensitive" issue of foetal remains. When I say remains, it doesn't just refer to stillborn or late miscarriage, it also includes foetuses less than 24 weeks gestation. Ive seen list after list of policies and procedures in hospitals spanning over both continents, defining what to say, how to say it, and if your going to say it make sure you do it guidelines that sound so straightforward and moral.
I'm interested to know if anyone in Australia was given any options with regard to the remains of their baby once removed from their fallopian tube or miscarriage for that matter?

I didn't receive any options, I didn't know anyone was given options under these circumstances. Ive just sent the hospital that treated me an email asking them to forward me a copy of their foetal remains disposal policy, just because it was never broached as a topic.

Ive notice in a lot of Australian literature these remains are referred to as "Products from conception"  Although it does sound a little more clinical or distant than foetal remains. A little bit like my surgeon referring to my ectopic pregnancy as "tissue."

Written by me.

Another thing that has my mind boggled is the amount of research that has gone into the importance of counselling and ongoing communication with  mothers that have suffered early pregnancy loss to combat depression and further complications. Its not rocket science, it seems like complete common sense to me and yet....I had to beg for a counselling session, where a social worker from the hospital visited me in my temporary accommodation, told me she had suffered from 2 ectopic pregnancies and had not been able to have her own children,told me she was "proof" that it can happen twice. Told me to basically be grateful for having my son and handed me a "beyond blue" book and wiped her hands of me.....Ouch!

Is it a question of population? Do we just not have the population and percentage of incidences high enough to warrant such practise in this country? Or is it a question of resources? Are our resources used up and burnt out unable to cope with the level at which needs to be considered "standard"?? I don't know...I'm one of those people who isn't ashamed to say....I don't know. But what I hate is....I don't understand! What has happened to me and 2% of pregnant women in Australia, and the 20-25% of women who early miscarry in this country.....I don't understand why we aren't considered for the more "sensitive" nature of treatment in the way that all other developed countries are heavily documented.

Please let me know if you have had a different experience to me. Did you feel supported, did you feel your emotional needs were met as opposed to strictly physical? Were you discharged and followed up on to prevent depression? Were you advised of what was happening with your babies remains? 

Think Pink

Janey