Our Take: Time to say goodbye

“My husband and I lost our son, Eli, at 38 weeks and three days in September 2015. We spent as much as we could with Eli before I was discharged from the hospital. We held him, took pictures, had visitors and a naming ceremony for him. Eli will forever be a part of our family. Having a CuddleCot on our unit at the time would have allowed us more preserved time to spend with our son.

“The refrigerated cot gives grieving families more time to spend with their precious babies who pass away before birth or shortly after. More time spent with their baby allows families time to bond with their child and create moments they will cherish. I’m so glad that the New York Times described what the cot has meant to grieving families across the country. (Click here to read the NYT story)

“I worked with another bereaved mother, Kandis Tubb, our Unit Manager Patty De Stefano, and the Beacon Foundation to obtain a CuddleCot for Memorial Hospital in the spring of 2016. I’m hopeful that more hospitals follow suit and obtain CuddleCots for their Labor and Delivery Units. It is so important for grieving families to have options and be able to spend that precious time with their baby or babies that they can never get back.”

Lauren Rose, RNC
OB Bereavement Coordinator
Childbirth Unit nurse
Memorial Hospital of South Bend