WINGS: Family-focused grief support following perinatal loss
Perinatal loss, such as stillbirth or miscarriage, can cause significant grief for women and the entire family who experience the loss. The Christ Hospital Health Network offers bereavement support for grieving families through a program called Women in Need of Grief Support (WINGS). Our program offers emotional and grievance support options to meet the needs of families who experience perinatal loss at both of our birthing centers in Mt. Auburn and Liberty Township.
Our multidisciplinary team consists of staff from Labor & Delivery, PACU, NICU, social work, and pastoral services. We offer expert and compassionate support during a family’s time of need and assist with processing grief from the maternal, paternal, grandparent and sibling perspectives.
We discuss with families how to handle difficult times such as holidays, expected delivery dates, and the anniversary of a loss. We also work with families on individualized plans on care for the infant following loss and how to create healing memories. To make the process easier for families, our staff works closely with Baxter Crematory Services to assist with needs around care of an infant following loss.
We also host multiple services throughout the year to remember infants that we have lost, including an annual WINGS Memorial Service on Bereaved Mother’s Day (Sunday before Mother’s Day.) The 2024 service is in our garden on May 5th at 2:30 p.m.
Perinatal Loss Support Group
For ongoing support following perinatal loss, and to help women remember loved ones gone too soon, we host a monthly Perinatal Support Group. Women who have experienced perinatal loss are invited to join to share in support with others who have experienced similar loss.
They meet the third Wednesday of each month from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Civic Garden Center at 2715 Reading Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45206.
We also host an online support community on Facebook for those who have experienced perinatal loss.
Should you have any questions or needs, please reach out to Janet Ferguson our nurse navigator at 513-261-8007 and she will be happy to assist you.
WINGS Memorial Garden
A beautiful and quiet space is a fitting and lasting memorial to loved ones lost and offers a place where families can visit for peaceful reflection. The WINGS Memorial Garden at The Christ Hospital honors children lost too soon and their families with a memorial stone for each child. It is located in the peaceful surroundings of the courtyard of the Joint and Spine Center at our Mt. Auburn campus. A second garden at our Liberty Township campus is scheduled to open in summer of 2024.