Support for Families
The Utah Pregnancy After Loss Program is designed specifically to support families after a pregnancy loss, newborn death, or severely complicated pregnancy. We see patients who have experienced the following:
- Stillbirth for any reason
- Newborn death for any reason
- Termination of pregnancy for medical or obstetric reasons
- Recurrent or other types of pregnancy loss
- Placental disorders including preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction with major complications/trauma
- Preterm birth due to medical or pregnancy problems with major complications/trauma
For those whose loss has just happened, the trauma is real, with answers and support hard to find. For those who seek another baby after loss, the road to a successful pregnancy is often a terrifying and lonely journey.
Families who have faced pregnancy complications or loss deserve advanced medical care. This is also true for those who hope for another baby. They also often need mental health support in ways unique to their experience.
Our program creates a support team of specialists for you:
- Physicians and nurses
- Mental health professionals
- Peer support specialists
We work with you to support you after your loss, or if you are in (or planning) your next pregnancy after loss. We also provide specialized care if your pregnancy is complicated by placental disorders.
The UPAL Program is set up to focus on specific types of complicated pregnancies. This may be a wonderful option for you. However, our other maternal-fetal medicine clinics may be best for your condition. We may recommended one following your initial visit. Our care team will schedule you with the provider best suited for your unique needs.
University of Utah Stillbirth Center of Excellence
University of Utah has launched the nation’s only Stillbirth Center of Excellence. The center is focused on excellence in clinical care, bereavement support, research, education, and advocacy. This includes partnering with the Utah Pregnancy After Loss Program as well as flagship programs for clinical education (IMPROVE USA), addressing equity in stillbirth rates, and more. Contact us at stillbirthcenter@hsc.utah.edu.
Benefits of Care
Consultation After Your Stillbirth, Newborn Death, Other loss, or Complicated Pregnancy
Research Studies
University of Utah is a research institution focused on advancing medical care and understanding. We are also an excellent resource for other doctors and researchers throughout the world. Join us in better understanding the causes of stillbirth, fetal loss, and miscarriages by participating in one of our studies.
Are you looking for answers? Do you know why your baby died or if a safe pregnancy is even possible? If you have experienced a recent loss, you can schedule a consultation to meet with one of our physicians.
Our doctors will sit down with you. We will discuss important medical and obstetric information. We will review the autopsy and placental examination results. We can also talk about research opportunities. These resources can assist in determining possible causes for your loss.
If you are coming to us from outside the U of U Health system, we can support you through the process of requesting your previous records or requesting additional testing and obtaining the results. We’ll also recommend appropriate clinical care (within your system) based on the results.
Our goal is to help you find answers where possible, provide solutions where we can, and be with you as you move forward in your grief and healing.
Our program’s goal is to support you physically and emotionally with a care plan customized to your family’s needs. You can also help others like you as we build our support community.
These consultations can be either in-person or virtual.
Peer Support
UPAL's peer support program is one of the first in the country. We offer embedded parents with lived experience as a clinic resource. This type of mental health support is unique. It connects patients with others who understand pregnancy and infant loss. Peer support specialists help by validating complex grief. They also provide valuable resources and normalize fears, triggers, and anxiety. UPAL's peer support specialists lead a monthly labor and delivery tour. This tour is for parents who are pregnant again after a loss. It helps them navigate tough feelings and triggers about giving birth.
Find a Utah Pregnancy After Loss Provider
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Why Choose U of U Health?
The Utah Pregnancy After Loss Program is a founding member of the USPAL (US Pregnancy After Loss) Network. The Rainbow Clinics at Mt Sinai and Columbia University are also co-founders. So are parent-founded organizations The Natalie Foundation and The Iris Fund. The USPAL Network is modeled after the Rainbow Clinic. Dr. Alex Heazell at the University of Manchester developed that clinic.
As a member of the USPAL Network, we designed our program for parents who have lost a baby. We designed it to meet your needs. Your unique medical and mental health requirements. Here, we know you face deep grief and heavy stress. We are here as you cope with a recent loss, preterm birth, or placental disorders. We also support you as you plan for another pregnancy after a loss.
Our medical team works closely with mental health professionals. We also include peer support specialists who are bereaved parents themselves. This ensures that families and their babies experience the best possible individualized care. We are with you from the waiting room to the delivery room and beyond.
Make an Appointment with Utah Pregnancy After Loss Program
Call 801-213-2995 to make an appointment
If you have experienced stillbirth, newborn death, pregnancy termination, or recurrent pregnancy loss, UPAL offers specialized care and support. We also help patients planning a future pregnancy after loss or trauma. All families are welcome at our clinic, including those who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, adoptive parents, birth parents who are placing their baby, and members of other underserved communities.
When you call, our team will review your needs and determine the right next step. We'll schedule the visit that best fits your care. If no appointment is available within six weeks, we will send your request to the clinic for follow-up.
Virtual Visits
Not a local to the Salt Lake City area? No problem. Our program is designed to help parents in remote locations. Consult with our doctors virtually. Call 801-213-2995 to schedule a virtual visit with one of our providers. You must be in the state of Utah during your virtual appointment.
"It really helped to know that I had someone in my corner, doing as much as they could to help prevent me from losing another baby."
What to Expect at Your Appointment
Following your initial consultation, we will offer you a symbol/pin to wear to your subsequent appointments. This ensures that from the moment you enter the hospital facility, hospital staff will recognize that you are a pregnancy after loss patient.
During your appointment, you will have a medical assessment. We will also want to discuss any mental health concerns that you may be experiencing.
Many parents who have endured stillbirth or newborn loss often struggle with isolation, anxiety, depression, or PTSD. We will provide immediate resources and referrals for these situations. Our team includes a psychiatrist and we collaborate on mental health support with faculty at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute.
You can often speak with a peer support specialist while in the clinic. These specialists have similar experience with loss. They provide companionship, normalize anxiety and triggers, and share resources for support. They offer a safe place to share stories and help you feel less alone. These peer support specialists provide extra support during a new pregnancy after loss.
During your appointment, we may also share opportunities to participate in research trials or studies that our program and others are conducting locally as well as globally. These research studies may contribute to possible answers and actions for future patients like you, as well as improving clinical care for other patients with pregnancy loss.
You will have time to study these options, as well as ask questions about potential concerns.
Remember that if you are feeling anxious about your baby and your pregnancy, you are welcome to make an appointment any time for a quick check or request mental health support. Our goal is to create a team environment between clinicians, you as the parents, and your baby.
Peer Support Network & Resources
The UPAL peer support program consists of in-clinic, in-person support as well as valuable resources for various situations. Peer support connects participants with others who have faced similar challenges and creates a safe, non-judgmental environment for sharing experiences. This shared experience helps reduce feelings of isolation and offers valuable insights into what might lie ahead during the subsequent pregnancy.
Meet Our Patients
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