May
5
Mon
2025
13. Collaborative Approaches to Bereavement Care
May 5 @ 10:00 – 10:50
13. Collaborative Approaches to Bereavement Care @ Zoom

Speaker: Nonkululeko Shibula

Facilitator: Rizka Ayu Setyani

As a bereaved parent, I bring a unique perspective to the essential connections midwives foster during perinatal loss. This presentation explores the intersection of family support systems, community networks, and cultural connections in bereavement care, highlighting how midwives can play a transformative role in these deeply personal and communal experiences.

This session aims to inspire midwives to recognize the power of connection in their work, ensuring that bereaved families receive compassionate, culturally sensitive, and comprehensive holistic support. By embracing these relationships, midwives can help shape healing narratives for families while fostering a more interconnected approach to care.

Drawing on lived experiences and collaborative initiatives, the session emphasizes the importance of integrating parent voice advocates into bereavement care. These advocates provide crucial insights that help midwives navigate cultural sensitivities, break taboos, and create environments of trust and healing.

Through personal stories and case studies, we demonstrate how midwives, alongside parents and communities, can foster meaningful connections that promote emotional, spiritual, and cultural understanding. Initiatives such as peer support programs and culturally sensitive frameworks offer pathways for midwives to build bridges between clinical care and the relational aspects of family and community.