A Gift of Time:
Continuing Your Pregnancy
When Your Baby's Life
Is Expected to Be Brief
By Amy Kuebelbeck and Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D.
From Johns Hopkins University Press
"An invaluable resource ... beautifully written, touching ... It is a must-read not only for parents who find themselves facing such a heart-wrenching situation, but also for those who care for and support these families." — Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
"A wonderful book ... it is a great asset for couples who have not yet made a decision or who have already decided on a path forward." — International Journal of Childbirth Education
A Gift of Time is a gentle and practical guide for parents who are (or are considering) continuing their pregnancy knowing that their baby's life will be brief. When prenatal testing reveals that an unborn child is expected to die before or shortly after birth, some parents will choose to proceed with the pregnancy and to welcome their child into the world. With compassion and support, A Gift of Time walks them step-by-step through this challenging and emotional experience—from the infant's life-limiting prenatal diagnosis and the decision to have the baby to coping with the pregnancy and making plans for the baby’s birth and death.
A Gift of Time also offers inspiration and reassurance through the memories of numerous parents who have loved a child who did not survive. Their moving experiences are stories of grief—and of hope. Their anguish over the prenatal diagnosis turns to joy and love during the birth of their child and to gratitude and peace when reflecting on their baby’s short life.
Based on material from more than 100 parents from across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, A Gift of Time draws extensively from parent experiences and includes many direct quotes that tell powerful stories of their own. Full of practical suggestions for parents and for caregivers, it also features the innovative concept of perinatal hospice/palliative care. Caring and thoughtful, the book helps parents embrace the extraordinary time they will have with their child.
Amy Kuebelbeck, a former reporter and editor for The Associated Press, is the author of the memoir Waiting with Gabriel: A Story of Cherishing a Baby’s Brief Life. Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D., is a developmental psychologist and expert in the emotional aspects of neonatal medical ethics and perinatal bereavement. She is the author of Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Surviving the Death of Your Baby.
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BOOK REVIEWS
"These knowledgeable authors speak eloquently for families, parents, prospective parents, and health care professionals across many disciplines who share in ... the hard work of seeking to bring joy into brief, yet eternal, moments together with their babies. The book will mean so much to those who have already endured these trials as well as those who are met daily with such news."
— Brian S. Carter, M.D., neonatologist, ethicist, and professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tenn., and lead author of Palliative Care for Infants, Children, and Adolescents
"A Gift of Time will be an invaluable resource to parents who have received the news that their baby has a condition that will cause the baby to die either during the pregnancy or shortly after birth. At such a time, most parents feel very alone. In this beautifully written, touching book, Kuebelbeck and Davis offer practical advice interwoven with stories, insights and experiences from 120 mothers and fathers who have walked this path. It validates the feelings and fears that many parents in this situation face and will help them embrace the short amount of time they will share with their baby. It is a must-read not only for parents who find themselves facing such a heart-wrenching situation, but also for those who care for and support these families. It will ensure that any parent will be given all of the knowledge, options, information and resources they need to cherish the precious gift of their baby's life."
— Share Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support
"A wonderful book ... it is a great asset for couples who have not yet made a decision or who have already decided on a path forward. For childbirth educators, this is an important read that will introduce you to new options of perinatal hospice and palliative care, and help you serve as another source of support for families that face this type of birth and loss."
— Jeanine M. Estrada, International Journal of Childbirth Education
"It offers hopeful options for families facing heartbreaking choices ... it's a surprisingly moving and even uplifting read for anybody, particularly those of us who love children with special needs."
— Terri Mauro, About.com
" ... the authors have achieved their goals in writing this book; they bring comfort to the families going through this traumatic time, and make the health care providers who read it determined to 'do better.'"
— Anita Catlin, DNSc FNP FAAN, Advances in Neonatal Care
"This informative and heartbreaking book provides information to parents and families in the critical area of continuation of pregnancy in light of a terminal diagnosis. ... Quotes from patients and families offer a view to help encourage, inspire, and help others feel they are not alone. ... The health care team can learn much from this text."
—Deborah Roberts, PhD RN, Pediatric Nursing
"A Gift of Time is a gift. With their beautiful writing, the authors honor the families who contributed to this book, comfort the families who will, sadly, need to make use of this book, and deepen and enrich every reader’s human experience. ... We owe them our gratitude."
— Dia Boyle, MercatorNet.com