Peer Support

Often it is beneficial for parents who have lost a baby to share the common aspects of the experience. A sensitive volunteer can listen to your concerns, be a sounding board for your thoughts and emotions, and reassure you that the feelings you experience are common. HAND provides peer support in the following ways:

• Phone support allowing contact with a support volunteer who can provide a comforting ear and who has information and referrals for parents and professionals.

• General support meetings where parents can share experiences. For some parents, the reassurance that many people are having similar reactions is helpful.

• Subsequent pregnancy support meetings for parents anticipating another baby, to help them with their special emotional and psychological needs.

• Individual visits made by a HAND volunteer to parents who request them.

• Labor coaching for parents anticipating a stillbirth or other delivery problem, or for parents going through a subsequent labor and delivery after a prior loss.

Resource Library

HAND of the Peninsula maintains a lending library of literature, books, pamphlets, films and more about pregnancy loss and perinatal death.

Training Programs

HAND of the Peninsula sponsors regular training programs for volunteers interested in providing phone support or facilitating peer support groups.

"Helping Hands" Newsletter

HAND publishes its Helping Hands newsletter quarterly. The newsletter is distributed to parents, hospitals and health care providers. Helping Hands is available through subscription, and back issues are available upon request.

Inservice Seminars

HAND of the Peninsula presents inservice seminars for health care providers and professional counselors interested in learning more about perinatal loss and related bereavement issues.

Regional and National Conferences

HAND of the Peninsula provides sponsorship for health care providers and professional counselors to attend relevant regional and national conferences. Other interested individuals may also attend such conferences with HAND sponsorship.