My name is Daylan, I am a recipient of one of Bridget's cradles because I recently experienced the loss of my daughter at 14 weeks gestation on December 20th, 2021. Her name was Meadow Rose. While in the hospital I was blessed with the beautiful cradle that your organization had created.
Before receiving the cradle, my daughter was previously in a red biohazard bag that the ambulance crew had placed her into at my home. The wonderful labor and delivery nurse honored my daughter's life by placing her in your organization's creation. I was so grateful for this ever-so simple object because my daughter deserved for her life to be treated as precious.
However, I had experienced some emotional hardship surrounding my experience with the ambulance crew’s actions. When they initially made contact with my daughter and I, she was laying on a towel on the ground between my legs. I had just delivered the placenta. The paramedic at my home took my daughter, with the towel underneath her, and placed her into a red biohazard bag.
I was never given an option, or even asked, how I wanted my daughter to be transported to the hospital. In the moment, I was glad that someone took charge and did something with Meadow. I was in such shock, I had no clue what to do next.
Later, when nurses retrieved her from the bag at the hospital, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. I had just allowed someone to place my daughter's body into a red-colored trash bag, and I just left her in there.
She looked cold and alone, and I didn’t protect her for the short amount of time that I had with her. I was in such shock, that this was even happening to her, that I hadn’t even considered it. I assumed that this was general practice, but it was perceived as if her life didn't matter to the paramedics.
I also felt that she was simply considered "medical waste" that would be fit for a biohazard bag. For lack of better words, I was crushed, and I can't ever look at a red biohazard bag the same again.
I would love for better transport solutions to be presented to ambulance crews for fetal demise cases that occur in their communities. To have access to items like Bridget's Cradles on their ambulances would allow them to offer more respectful transport options for the mother and family of this lost child.
Of course, not all mothers may choose this option, but to have it as an option is ideal. If I would have been offered an option, such as the ability to hold my baby in a cradle, I may not hold so much guilt in my heart.
More so, I believe deeply that all first responders need more training on how to handle these types of situations. As a first responder myself, I thoroughly understand that you are only as good as the training and experience that you have.
Either the EMT's at my home didn't know of any other way to handle this situation, or they had never received proper training on how to work compassionately. This information could also help crews who may not have access to wonderful products, such as Bridget's Cradles. They would be able to approach these types of situations with better knowledge of what a grieving mother needs and the perspectives of the mother and her family.
The training for first responders to use items and provide mothers options for transporting her child is astoundingly essential to a grieving mother's mental well-being. I pray that the training is implemented quickly and spread widely.
Mothers who experience the most painful tragedy of their lives, in the future, can be properly cared for and have their children treated with respect. A mother's experience with first responders and medical professionals will affect her for the rest of her life, and this training matters.
Written by Daylan, mother of Meadow Rose, born into Heaven at 14 weeks
[Organization Note: Bridget's Cradles is saddened that Daylan endured the traumatic experience that she did and that her precious baby, Meadow, was transported in a biohazard bag.
We believe in the importance of providing respectful options for holding a baby in Heaven, such as our cradles. We also advocate for bereavement training for first responders and hospital staff. Compassionate care and offering dignifying decisions are crucial aspects of supporting bereaved parents through the loss of a baby.
If you are a hospital staff in need of cradles, you can request a free donation of Bridget's cradles on our website here: www.bridgetscradles.com/hospitaldonationrequest.
For bereavement training, we recommend contacting one of our partner organizations that specializes in bereavement training for hospitals: Rachel's Gift.
Together, we can ensure that no other grieving moms and families have to experience the emotional turmoil and trauma that Daylan did. Thank you.]
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