TRUSTED PAL CARE
Families who have lost a baby deserve specialized care in their subsequent pregnancies.
WHY SPECIALIZED PAL CARE IS NEEDED
Stillbirth and perinatal loss affect people of all backgrounds, ages, and socioeconomic status (though it affects women of color more than any other group) - but the one thing all stillbirth mothers have in common is that they are up to 5 times more likely to have another stillbirth.
PUSH is proud to have catalyzed the adaption of the proven pregnancy-after-loss care model created at the UK Rainbow Clinics here in the United States. We founded the very first US Rainbow Clinic - funded by generous donations from thousands of stillbirth families across the country - in collaboration with Mount Sinai Health System in New York City in 2022.
PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS
Holding on to hope is hard work after your baby dies.
"Pregnancy" and "pregnancy after loss" are two completely different worlds.
Instead of dreaming of the perfect nursery color, after a traumatic loss parents in a subsequent pregnancy – also known as a "rainbow pregnancy" – are more likely to wonder, "Should I even bother to set up a nursery in case this baby dies, too?"
The innocence is gone, and hope is a struggle at best.
Traditional providers may be excellent at caring for a family and baby in a "normal" pregnancy, but it takes a truly special provider to understand and accommodate the dramatic changes in experience and needs that come with pregnancy after a loss.
That’s where the Rainbow Clinic model comes in.
"Having a stillbirth profoundly alters the reality in subsequent pregnancies."
– Professor Alex Heazell, creator of the Rainbow Clinic concept, an OBGYN practice that provides specialized care for people who have lost a baby
TRUSTED PAL CARE FOR ALL
We are thrilled to see the growing interest in pregnancy after loss care since PUSH first introduced the Rainbow Clinic model in New York City. And ultimately, we aim to see this kind of empathetic, patient-centered, trauma-informed care available to all families, not just those pregnant again after a loss, and not just those lucky enough to have a Rainbow Clinic nearby.
The good news is, any prenatal care provider - whether physician, nurse, mental health support, birth workers, or other staff - can learn to become a Trusted PAL Provider. And PUSH's convenient, accredited online training modules are here to empower providers to offer the very best.
This is the same training used by the first Rainbow Clinics in the United States! And it is available now to anyone interested in offering world-class, sensitive care to patients who are pregnant again after a perinatal loss.
WHAT EVERY PAL DESERVES
The model of care developed at the UK Rainbow Clinics emphasizes a few key elements which we believe every family pregnant again after a previous loss should be entitled to - whether they have a Rainbow Clinic in their community or not. This includes:
-
Help determining the cause of any previous stillbirth(s) or losses, even if no cause has been found before
-
Prenatal care planned in partnership with patients, offering the right amount of appointments, ultrasounds, and testing that make sense for each specific situation – not just what’s dictated by the usual protocols
-
Emotional support throughout the pregnancy from a well-trained and empathic staff who understands the co-existence of the hope and fear, and won't question a patient's need for extra appointments or monitoring for reassurance
-
Equitable access to the highest levels of Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) care regardless of insurance or ability to pay
FIND A PROVIDER
The following US-based PUSH Trusted PAL Providers have worked closely with the PUSH for Empowered Pregnancy team to deliver best-in-class care to families who are pregnant again after a loss.
Coming soon!
Parents - Email us if you need recommendations for your PAL.
Providers - Contact us to learn how to be added to this list.