The Perinatal Loss Centre
Support and education for health practitioners, bereaved parents and their families
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No matter how small your baby, the impact of loss can be forever.
The ripples of loss extend through bereaved parents, their families, and through the maternity settings in which losses occur. The Perinatal Loss Centre provides support to health professionals and families affected by the death of babies. For updates on the services we provide, and to receive quality information on perinatal loss, follow our Facebook Page. RESOURCE FOR COPING WITH LOSS DURING COVID-19 |
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OUR people
Eliza Strauss is a specialist Bereavement Midwife who established a unique bereavement support program at a private maternity hospital in Melbourne.
Eliza saw the need to better support families following the tragic losses of their babies, and for good quality staff education to assist health practitioners in providing bereaved parents with appropriately sensitive support. Eliza was awarded the national "Excellence in Bereavement Care Award" by the Australian College of Midwives for her work in the area of perinatal loss in a maternity hospital setting. Eliza believes every family should receive best practice, quality bereavement care at every point in the painful trajectory of loss and grief. In partnership with the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Eliza educates midwives and front-line health professionals with online training "Perinatal Loss in Practice: What hospital staff Need to Know". Read more... Strauss, E (2020) My journey to becoming a bereavement midwife, Australian Midwifery News, Vol 20 No 1 pp 34-35 Strauss, E (2019) Perinatal Loss and the Midwifery Student, Australian Midwifery News, Vol 19 No 2 pp 18-19 |
Dr Renée Miller is the Principal Clinical Psychologist of the Antenatal & Postnatal Psychology Network. This Network is a collaboration of independently practising Perinatal Psychologists who work with bereaved parents, parents who become pregnant after loss, and parents who are struggling postnatally after the birth of a subsequent baby.
Renée and her colleagues have a particular interest in working with bereaved parents to support them through miscarriage, medical termination, stillbirth, newborn death and infant death. The loss of a baby is like no other loss. It can pervade a person's sense of self, their relationships, subsequent pregnancies, and subsequent parenting. Our Network provides support to parents to integrate their loss into their ongoing lives, and to optimally parent their other children, in the midst of grief. If you are a bereaved parent looking for the support of a perinatal psychologist, click here. Renée is a passionate educator in the area of perinatal loss. In partnership with the Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE), Renée educates therapists with an online training course, "Perinatal Loss in Practice: What Therapists Need to Know". |
Anita Guyett is a bereaved parent. After the loss of her baby, Anita dedicated her career to improving care and support of bereaved parents. Anita was the previous General Manager of Bereavement Care at Sands Australia, where she led the creation of the Australian Principles of Bereavement Care. Anita has also been involved in research into perinatal loss.
Anita has worked to publicly reduce the stigma of talking about perinatal loss, with appearances on the Today Show, and numerous podcasts and radio interviews. Anita is currently studying a Masters of Psychology (Clinical) with a view to working with bereaved parents in clinical private practice. Anita is passionate about improving bereavement care for parents who have lost babies. Anita moderates our Centre's private Facebook Page for bereaved parents, where bereaved parents can talk to one another for peer support. |
our collaboration
Together, we bring a unique combination of skills and backgrounds in perinatal loss.
We consider the 'front line' of midwifery, the bereaved parent's perspective, and the psychological and social impact of loss on bereaved parents and their subsequent pregnancies and parenting of other children.
We have all been involved in an advisory capacity on the development of bereavement care standards and guidelines in Australia.
our advisory group
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Associate Professor
Jan Hodgson Program Director for Masters of Genetic Counselling University of Melbourne Read more... |
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Associate Professor
Kate Stern Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and Royal Women’s Hospital. Read more... |
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Clinical Psychologist
Narelle Dickinson is a 2015 Churchill Fellow Recipient, investigating the risks and implications of cross border surrogacy for Australians. Read more... |
The death of a baby is a devastating experience for expectant parents.
In the depths of parents' grief, an enormous difference can be made in the sensitive care they receive from health professionals, as well as from family, friends, and other bereaved parents.
In the depths of parents' grief, an enormous difference can be made in the sensitive care they receive from health professionals, as well as from family, friends, and other bereaved parents.
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Our vision
To improve the care of women and couples experiencing miscarriage, medical termination, stillbirth, newborn loss and infant loss.
To educate health professionals in best practice bereavement care to support women and couples who experience the loss of their babies.
To facilitate access to professional counselling services for bereaved parents following pregnancy loss, and during subsequent pregnancies.
To promote forums for bereaved parents to meet other bereaved parents, and to provide quality information around parental loss.
To provide information about community support services to practitioners and to bereaved parents and their families.
To facilitate legacy pledges that support not for profit bereavement services.
To improve the care of women and couples experiencing miscarriage, medical termination, stillbirth, newborn loss and infant loss.
To educate health professionals in best practice bereavement care to support women and couples who experience the loss of their babies.
To facilitate access to professional counselling services for bereaved parents following pregnancy loss, and during subsequent pregnancies.
To promote forums for bereaved parents to meet other bereaved parents, and to provide quality information around parental loss.
To provide information about community support services to practitioners and to bereaved parents and their families.
To facilitate legacy pledges that support not for profit bereavement services.
These organisations support you
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