You may have a healthy pregnancy but then have something go terribly wrong.
Your baby stops moving -- it has died before it was born. It is stillborn, the medical term for a baby who dies after 20 weeks gestation but before birth.
Your baby dies shortly after birth.
In either case, you and your partner may be in such a state of numb confusion that it will be hard to know what to do.
You'll have only a short time with your precious baby. One part of you may want to be protected from the whole experience by trying to deny it is happening. The other part of you may want to cherish the time you'll have with your baby, whether your baby is born alive or has already died. This will be precious time -- probably the only time you will have with your beloved baby.
Don't be afraid to ask your health care provider what happened. The more you understand the situation, the better you will be able to cope with the grieving. You may also request to visit with the hospital chaplain or counselor.
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