"Empty Cradle, Broken Heart" by Deborah L. Davis, PhD

After you read the book, please leave a comment below to share your thinking about it!  

​The Bereaved Optimist's Book Club was created to share book suggestions for and by families who have experienced a stillbirth.   Your unique perspective on these books is valuable! ​​​

Book Jacket Description: The heartache of miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death affects thousands of U.S. families every year. Empty Cradle, Broken Heart, Third Edition offers reassurance to parents who struggle with anger, guilt, and despair during and after such a tragedy. In this new and updated edition, Deborah Davis encourages grieving and strives to cover many different kinds of loss, including information on issues such as the death of one or more babies from a multiple birth, pregnancy interruption, and the questioning of aggressive medical intervention. There is also a special chapter for fathers as well as a chapter on "protective parenting" to help anxious parents enjoy their precious living children. Doctors, nurses, relatives, friends, and other support persons can gain special insight. Most importantly, parents facing the death of a baby will find necessary support in this gentle guide.
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Book Type: Self-Help Guide

Questions to Consider in your Comments: 
1. What feelings did this book evoke for you?
2. What was new, interesting, or surprising to you as you read?
3. Share a quote from the book.  Why did this one stand out?
4. Was anything missing or poorly done in the book?
5. Would you recommend it to other families experiencing a stillbirth?
6.  What connections did you make to your own story?
7. Does this book remind you of any others that you've read?