Hadlee's Heart

Hadlee Gray Shade was stillborn in 2022. Grief is so very hard and everyone deals with it differently. This loss was so painful for all of the family, but Hadlee continues to live in all of our hearts. Because of this little girl and for so many others who we love- we decided to make a difference in some way. FOO Crew will be donating money to those who have experienced loss and grief, provide information, and also to provide help with bereavement pay for those who may not qualify. Hadlee’s dad, Cam, did not have the chance to take off and grieve after the stillbirth. Since there was no baby to bring home- he had no paternity leave. The pain of losing a child is something that does not go away, but he didn’t have a chance to even process it. Grief is a process and we need to take the time to heal.

The 5 Stages of Grief is a theory developed by psychiatrist Elisabeth

Kübler-Ross. It suggests that we go through five distinct stages after the loss of a loved one. These stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.

In 1988, President Reagan joined the cause and designated National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month an annual event taking place each October.

Here are some things FOO Crew can help with:

1. Resources for pregnancy and all things related
2. Provide bereavement pay for those who have loss so they can have time to seek counseling, be with family, etc.
3. Monies given for autopsies to know why the baby was stillborn if insurance will not pay for this and there is no known cause of death
4. Counseling and grief support

In 2020, about 21,000 stillbirths were reported in the United States according to the CDC.

“Fetal mortality—the intrauterine death of a fetus at any gestational age—is a major but often overlooked public health issue.” National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 71, Number 4

The loss of a baby due to stillbirth remains a sad reality for many families and takes a serious toll on families’ health and well-being.

A stillbirth is the death or loss of a baby before or during delivery. Both miscarriage and stillbirth describe pregnancy loss, but they differ according to when the loss occurs. In the United States, a miscarriage is usually defined as loss of a baby before the 20th week of pregnancy, and a stillbirth is loss of a baby at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Stillbirth is further classified as either early, late, or term.

• An early stillbirth is a fetal death occurring between 20 and 27 completed weeks of pregnancy.
• A late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 completed pregnancy
• A term stillbirth occurs between 37 or more completed pregnancy

What Increases the Risk of Stillbirth?

Stillbirth with an unknown cause is called “unexplained stillbirth.” The further along a woman is in her pregnancy the more likely it is that the stillbirth will be unexplained. Having an autopsy on the baby and other laboratory tests is important in trying to understand why the baby died before birth. Your health care provider can share more information about this.

Stillbirth occurs in families of all races, ethnicities, and income levels, and to women of all ages. However, stillbirth occurs more commonly among certain groups of people including women who:

• are of black race
• are 35 years of age or older
• are of low socioeconomic status
• smoke cigarettes during pregnancy
• have certain medical conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity
• have multiple pregnancies such as triplets or quadruplets
• have had a previous pregnancy loss

Learn more about pregnancy and infant loss and what you can do: https://nationaltoday.com/national-pregnancy-and-infant-loss-awareness-month/

References

1. Gregory ECW, Valenzuela CP, Hoyert Fetal mortality: United States, 2020. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 71 no 4. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2022. Read report
2. https://www.cdc.gov/