By Margaret Maccoll
Amy Banson has dedicated her work to helping women and their families following the death of a child at or soon after birth as a bereavement doula.
Her chosen path followed a number of years as a doula, assisting women during childbirth which had “happy birth outcomes” and further study in Canada.
“It’s confronting but I’m talking to people about it every day. I know it, I live it and breath it,” she said.
Amy recently moved to the Sunshine Coast from Canberra and will on 1 August from 6pm-9pm at The Shared, 13 Railway Street, Yandina, host of panel of experts to discuss bereavement following the death of a baby.
Amy said she would be asking questions of the panel that included a doula from Angel Care, a midwife, a heartfelt photographer and a pediatric nurse working in palliative care.
Before the panel discussion she planned to play tapes from two women speaking about the loss of their babies, one a recent loss and one about 40 years ago.
“We’ve come a long way in 40 years,” she said.
One woman aged 70 had twin boys who died when she was 26 weeks pregnant and only recently spoke about it to Amy.
“It’s important for women to talk about that time. At the time she was told not to mourn them, not to look at them, not to speak of them. This was the first time she’d ever spoken about them out loud.”
Amy said most people are not sure what to say when a baby dies or they’re scared to say something that makes things worse.
She said women need to talk about what has happened, to acknowledge the baby, and so do their families.
For more information visit www.littlesilkwings.com.au
