Pregnancy After a Loss: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death [Paperback]

Carol Cirulli Lanham (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 1, 1999

For a woman who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant, conceiving another child can be fraught with mixed emotions. This guide, filled with up-to-date medical information and written by a woman who herself experienced a successful pregnancy after the loss of her first baby, can help women cope with their anxiety. It offers guidance for women asking such questions as:

• Why did it happen—and how can I make sure it doesn't happen again?
• Will my next pregnancy be considered high-risk?
• How long should I wait before getting pregnant again?
• What can I expect at prenatal exams?
• Will I ever be able to love another baby as much as I love the one I lost?

Pregnancy after a loss can be a time of great emotional upheaval—but also, a time of healing and hope. With this sensible, sensitive guide, women can put their minds at ease—and learn to look forward to the future as they make peace with the past.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Carol Cirulli Lanham has been a journalist for the Associated Press, Reuters, Newsweek, and Vatican Radio. She suffered a pregnancy loss in 1994, and has since given birth to two healthy sons.

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Trade; 1st edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425170470
• ISBN-13: 978-0425170472
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 1 x 9.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (56 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #187,560 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

33 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The most informative and inspirational book- a must have! November 18, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

This book truly is for anyone who has suffered a pregnancy loss and is about to go through a subsequent pregnancy or is contemplating one. This book is full of stories of women, including the author, who have suffered through different kinds of pregnancy loss and have then gone on to give birth to healthy babies. After recently suffering a stillbirth, I had so many questions running through my head. Some of them being, What caused my baby to die?, Will I ever give birth to a healthy baby?, How will I ever make it through another pregnancy, Am I the only woman who has ever suffered this much pain?, How can I keep the memory alive of the baby I lost?, these are just a few examples. This book helps to answer so many of these questions. It is a very informative book because there is also so much helpful information on choosing a new doctor or keeping your old one, Questions to ask your doctor, how to decide if you are ready for a subsequent pregnancy or not, and some possible causes of pregnancy loss that sometimes go undetected. A section is also written on what to expect emotionally and physically during the three trimesters of a subsequent pregnancy and what can be done to help make it a little easier. Suffering a pregnancy loss is an extremely devastating, painful and scary time. Carol Cirulli Lanham has given me the inspiration, hope and courage to want to try again. She truly understands and you will feel her compassion and determination as you read this book. I have read it three times already and will always have it on hand. I have read many books on pregnancy loss and none of them compare to this one. Thank you Carol!

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Pregnancy After a Loss: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Miscar January 22, 2000

By Tammy P.

Format:Paperback

I wish I'd had this outstanding book when I was going through my subsequent pregnancy. This book addresses many concerns specific to women experiencing a subsequent pregnancy. Many of the issues that came up in my Subsequent Pregnancy After A Loss Support Group were touched on, including the desire for a child of a particular sex (either the same or different than the child you lost) and the need for more frequent monitoring during pregnancy. This book is well-organized and follows the three-trimester framework of most other pregnancy guides. However, the discussion of each trimester focuses on how women experience their pregnancy when they have suffered a loss in the past. Most meaningful to me as a mother who lost twins, this book addresses the feelings of mothers who lost multiple pregnancies and are now pregnant with a single child. I would recommend this book to any woman who is pregnant following a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a baby.

34 of 36 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars This book-unlike others-really spoke to how I was feeling. October 9, 1999

By Michelle A. Weinraub

Format:Paperback

I had to write this review. If one grieving parent sees how it made me feel and decides to try this book, then I will feel like I've helped to pass it on. Ms. Lanham's conversation style was just what I needed. She covers each stage of pregnancy loss and the decision to try again by interviewing dozens of women who suffered miscarriages, preterm or term births. She presents differing opinions in an objective, yet compassionate manner. (For example: How and when to tell people that you're pregnant again after your loss). She is not preachy, but lets the interviews speak for themselves. Several times, I felt like exclaiming, "Yes! That's how I felt, too!" The book discusses both the practical and emotional implications of getting pregnant again after a loss, and doesn't overdramatize or underestimate the range of feelings we will have during this trying time. This practical, yet heartfelt treatise helped Ms. Lanham with her loss (and subsequent successful pregnancies), and it is helping me, too.