The Prenatal Bombshell

Help and Hope When Continuing or Ending a Precious Pregnancy After an Abnormal Diagnosis

By (author) Stephanie Azri, Sherokee Ilse

Publication date:

16 April 2015

Length of book:

296 pages

Publisher

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

ISBN-13: 9781442239425

Finding out your unborn child has been diagnosed with a poor or fatal prenatal diagnosis is devastating news sure to reverberate through your family’s life forever. The emotional aspects of such a pregnancy and the practical implications of an adverse diagnosis are difficult to navigate. The Prenatal Bombshell is a warm and understanding companion guide through the journey from diagnosis and beyond once you’ve decided to either continue or end your precious pregnancy. Issues such as managing the pregnancy, delivery, termination, creating memories, future babies, and the long term impact of such a traumatic experience are all covered in detail. The lived experiences of other women who have gone through this journey are also included to provide hope, support, and guidance through difficult times.

The Prenatal Bombshell does not attempt to convince women to make a particular choice about their pregnancy. It supports them from their choice onwards in a way that is honest, informative, and reliable. Filled with stories and testimonies, this is a helpful book to have during, and well beyond, a poor prenatal diagnosis.
Azri, a clinical social worker, and Ilse, the author of numerous books for parents dealing with the death of an infant (Empty Arms), approach their subject as professionals, but also as women who have suffered the loss of newborns. They cover the physical and mental states that parents are likely to go through, with plentiful advice ('Save everything, even if you're unsure you will want such mementos later') on taking care of oneself and one's family. The book is divided into two separate sections based on whether parents terminate or continue the pregnancy, as well as a jointly applicable section on how to move on after a difficult diagnosis. They address difficult but important practical considerations in chapters like 'If Your Baby Dies.' The book's underlying message for parents is to look clearly at what is happening and to accept, not try to deny, the difficult emotions that it will bring. This book is an excellent vehicle for coming to grips with a very difficult situation.