ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines strategies midwives can use to raise awareness of stillbirth with women during pregnancy. It focuses on how to empower women to get to know, protect and advocate for their unborn baby. The other main challenge is providing sensitive, evidence-informed midwifery care once a stillbirth has occurred. The chapter discusses the importance of building a strong relationship between the midwife and the bereaved family from the time of diagnosis, through labour and following the birth. It also focuses on communication, privacy and shared decision-making and provides three core principles of care when a baby dies, namely communication, and facilitating privacy, and shared decision-making. There are four main challenges that have identified with respect to including a discussion about ways of reducing the risk of stillbirth during antenatal care provision, namely, breaking silence, ongoing discussion, changing habits and imparting knowledge. Good communication is considered a core competency of the qualified midwife, by most midwifery professional bodies globally.
