When Pregnancy and Birth Don't Go to Plan

How do you recover when pregnancy and birth don't go to plan? Are you overwhelmed by sadness and struggling to cope? Then this is the book for you.
 
You expected to feel the full pregnancy glow and to revel in nine months of eating without inhibition. You designed the perfect birthing plan with a clear vision of how you wanted that incredible moment to be, imagining your baby's first moment of bonding on your chest.
 
So what do you do when all of your hopes and carefully laid plans for an ideal pregnancy, birthing and newborn are crashed? How do you cope with the unexpected complications? The early miscarriage? The grief and sadness of loss? The trauma of a complex birth? The incomparable anxiety of seriously ill newborns?
 
Couples are facing these unexpected traumas every day. The statistics on miscarriage alone are 33 million globally per year. Yet conversations on the subject still remain in the realms of taboo and shame, causing women and men to suffer in silence, feeling isolated and unsupported in their pain.
 
When Pregnancy and Birth Don't Go to Plan is filled with our real-life stories. We are women who have experienced trauma around pregnancy, infant loss and life-threatening newborn illness and have found our way through to a new normal. You'll discover:
 
* Practical ways to help you cope with the physical and emotional pain
* All the help you and your family need, including an extensive directory of support organisations
* How friends and family can provide beneficial support.
 
Know that you are not alone. We share from our hearts to give you hope. We have survived and so can you.
"What a very brave, compassionate and inspiring book. Jo, in this book you have been able to capture the grief, tragedy, joy, love, hope and resilience that the women and their families have experienced. The stories shared within this book will support health professionals to reflect on how they provide care , what they say and how they respond during such a traumatic and vulnerable time." - Deborah Cameron, Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery & Clinical Governance, Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District, NSW Health.
 
"Jo has shone the spotlight on many taboo topics that are not always shared and talked about, this is beautiful validation of the experiences many women go through on their journey to be a mother. Sharing our stories removes the shame hopefully reducing the stigma associated with them and ensuring women can receive the support, empathy, and understanding they deserve." - Samantha Payne, CEO & Co-Founder, The Pink Elephants Support Network, Miscarriage Support.
 
"Jo has again produced a beautifully written account of the experiences that women and their partners face when pregnancy and birth don't unfold as they had hoped and dreamt. Time and time again I was struck by the profound rawness of the grief and suffering the women and their families experienced. The lack of understanding, kindness and compassion from professionals and the broader community often compounded their suffering. Many of the amazing families in this book managed to develop a strong appreciation of the preciousness of life. Further, many wanted to help and support others and went on to develop creative and beautiful resources and support groups.
This is the human spirit at work; creating value from profound suffering and loss. Thank you Jo and thank you to the women and families for courageously sharing your stories and challenging this taboo subject." - Dr Sue Leicester, Clinical Psychologist
 
"This collection of very personal and individual stories takes you on a journey that share the experience of loss, of love and of healing. 
Jo Spicer has an amazing gift of bringing these invaluable stories to the light sharing something that is most vulnerable and precious. I was walking right alongside these families through each step of their journey. To be allowed into the world of these courageous people was a true honour." - Dr April Traynor, Family Wellness Chiropractor