This workshop explores how postpartum bodies become living archives of grief following stillbirth or late miscarriage within the context of perinatal palliative care. Drawing from phenomenology, affect theory, and clinical social work, the session examines the embodied experience of bereaved parents navigating postpartum after fetal loss. Participants will critically examine the limitations of traditional postpartum care models and learn how to integrate grief-informed, trauma-responsive practices rooted in perinatal palliative principles, including anticipatory grief, memory-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The workshop advocates for a reimagined approach to postpartum care that honors the body as both a site of loss and a source of resilience.
Learning Objectives:
1. Analyze how postpartum bodies function as embodied sites of grief following stillbirth or late miscarriage through phenomenological and affective lenses.
2. Evaluate the limitations of traditional postpartum care models and identify opportunities for integrating grief-informed, trauma-responsive practices.
3. Apply perinatal palliative care principles such as anticipatory grief support, memory-making, and interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance support for bereaved parents in the postpartum period.