Supporting people through pregnancy loss

St. Charles registered nurse Lauren Paz is working to help women who experience miscarriages feel more supported. Based on her own experiences - as well as those of friends and patients - she believes more can be done to better serve women who have experienced a pregnancy loss.

"I want to empower caregivers to feel confident. I had two pregnancy losses myself and know what it was like to not receive resources," Paz said.

She doesn't fault caregivers for this; she knows most want to help but don't have the training to do so. Plus, she points out, there's no national standard of care for how to best support women after a pregnancy loss, and it's not something taught in nursing school.

"It's one of those things people learn on the job - there are no official standards of care," Paz said. "Countless women experience pregnancy loss and we aren't given any education on how to best support them."

That challenge is heightened, she said, by the fact that one in four pregnancies end in a loss.

"Even though it's a very common experience, women are not often met with proper education, compassion or resources to be able to move though it in a helpful way," she said.

Seeing a need for care, Paz applied for funding from St. Charles Foundation to purchase special kits from a nonprofit called Held in Hope to give to patients who have experienced a miscarriage. Those kits are now available for caregivers to access at St. Charles Bend's Family Birthing Center, Post-Anesthesia Care Unit and Emergency Department.

"I am so passionate about the kits," Paz said. "They give really nice education for families about what to expect after a loss."

Inside, patients can find medical and practical supplies (like pads and gloves), care items (like a special journal and pen) and links to local perinatal loss resources, as well as detailed educational materials to give families a better idea of what to expect as they navigate pregnancy loss.

"Now women can go home with some recognition and validation," Paz said. "I want them to feel supported and seen, and also to have some education that really speaks to ... what's normal and what's not."

Paz has the support of leadership at St. Charles for her efforts. According to Brooke Jensen, director of Women's and Children's Services for the health system, the effects of pregnancy loss - "too often suffered in silence," she said - can be devastating for families.

"We appreciate Lauren taking this on important issue," Jensen said. "We want to help break the silence and acknowledge that support is needed for those suffering from a loss."

Paz's passion for this topic led her to begin offering community classes called Loss Literacy on her own time, through her organization A Soulful Sorrow. She is also actively working to educate St. Charles caregivers about the use and importance of the kits, as well as helping to promote ongoing training. In the future, she hopes to hold a memorial celebration for Pregnancy and Infant Loss awareness month, which is recognized each October.