Perinatal Palliative Care

        BWH Center for Women and Newborn's Circle Program (Perinatal Palliative Care)

                                                            The BWH Center for Women & Newborn's Circle Program

             Mission Statement:

The CWN Circle Program is dedicated to providing excellence in interdisciplinary, comprehensive care for infants and their families facing dealth or life limiting illness

Medical Director and Chair: Dr. Jennifer Cohen

Perinatal palliative care is a process that begins with the diagnosis of a life- threatening or life-limiting anomaly. Families need support from the time they receive the diagnosis throughout the bereavment process, which includes a period beyond the possible death of the baby.

The Circle Program was developed to provide the best possible quality of life care for the infant and the family facing a life-threatening abnormality through the relief of the suffering and the  control of symptoms. By supporting parents' choices our palliative care team helps families begin to process their possible /future loss and allows them to be a part of their baby's life and care.

Our palliative  care group provides an interdisciplinary team approach that includes physicians (example: obstetriicians, pediatricians, specialist from Children's Hospital Boston), nurses, social workers, and clergy. This care team will :

• Meet with families prior to birth to explore issues surrounding the diagnosis and begin a plan for the birth and post partum

• Assist childbearing families in preserving hope while preparing for both giving birth and grieving their anticipated loss.

• Provide continuity of care designed to help alleviate medical and social cocnerns and give parents opportunities for quality time with their babies.

• Work with parents to create a personalized birthing or care plan that includes making decisions about the delivery and what measures will be taken once the baby is born.

• Provide resources and follow up care for families after discharge from the hospital.