Forget Me Not
Forget Me Not is our special perinatal hospice and palliative care bereavement program for babies with a life-limiting condition. This program provides support for families who have experienced a fetal demise or stillbirth or who wish to continue their pregnancy with a baby who will likely die before or after birth.
We are a member of perinatalhospice.org
You Are Not Alone
You may be experiencing guilt, fear, denial, anger, grief and confusion. We walk alongside you on your journey through pregnancy, birth and death.
We honor the baby as well as the baby’s entire family including, but not limited to, parents, siblings and grandparents. Perinatal hospice and palliative care is a way of caring for all involved with dignity, compassion and love.
Whatever time you have with your baby can be meaningful. Going through a bereavement program such as Forget Me Not can start the healing process. This program emphasizes that no matter how short, a baby’s life has beauty and value. The baby can continue to receive caring support such as warmth, feedings, medication and oxygen focused on alleviation of pain and suffering. In celebration of the baby as a unique human being, we encourage you to name your baby. Decisions and plans can always be adjusted as the baby makes his or her needs known.
What Does the Program Involve?
The Forget Me Not program involves the following:
- Individualized birth plan with wishes for labor and delivery, routine medications and additional testing
- Referrals for support groups, grief counseling and mental health
- Referrals for home hospice and other medical care as appropriate
- Memory items such as footprints, hand and foot molds, locks of hair and photographs
- Cuddle CotTM, Comfort Cub, Angel Gown® and birthstone jewelry
- Purple Butterfly program for a multiple-loss birth
- Options to clothe, bathe, rock, sing to, feed and read to baby if able
- Multidisciplinary team approach that may include physicians, nurses, clergy, social workers and genetic counselors
- In-depth consultations with maternal-fetal medicine and neonatology specialists in high-risk pregnancy and newborns
- Access to books regarding perinatal loss
- Spiritual ceremonies such as baptism, prayer, blessing, etc.
- Information on the Ramsey Keller Foundation for assistance with funeral costs
For more information, please contact Dr. Kristin Veneman, Neonatologist, at (406) 751-5391.
