Customer Reviews

When Hello Means Goodbye

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I recieved this book while in the hospitol after delivering our stillborn son. I read this book over and over. It was a great help to me in the days shortly after I went home. It is a great comfort to know others cared enough about future parents that they could give so much of themselves to write a book about something so personal....after 7 years I share this book with others that I come into contact with that have experienced a loss. This book is a must for parents to have in a time when nothing makes sense.

Since our daughter was stillborn 7 weeks ago I have read just about every book I could find on perinatal loss. This one was sent to me by the nurse reviewing my hospital stay for my insurance company and it was the best. I found it very comforting and insightful and I've read it several times. It was short and easy to focus on in spite of the shock I was experiencing. I liked it because it dealt specifically with late pregnancy losses and the associated shock, grief, and heartbreak. It is a good gift for someone who is experiencing this catastrophe.

When my son, Dylan, was stillborn my sister-in-law gave me the book "When Hello Means Goodbye" I must have read it 100 times. It helped me to deal with a pain that no one I knew at the time could possible understand. It is in a box with the momentos I have of my sons short life and will always be cherished.

This book is designed for families whose baby has just died, but we read it initially after our daughter was diagnosed with a terminal birth defect. I read it again before she was born (four months later) and again a week later after her death. Periodically I re-read it to remind myself that although the outside world pretends that nothing happened, that we have every right to grieve for our baby.

When Hello Means Goodbye effectively gives parents permission to fully parent their dead baby as much as is possible in the brief time given them. Parents are encouraged to name, hold, photograph, bathe and dress their baby, as well as sing, cuddle, and share their baby--or anything else they may feel they want to do. Many times people feel it is "wrong" to do these things, but the authors gently and firmly show through other parents' stories, poems and photos that it is the most natural thing in the world. They talk you through the beginnings of grief and give an overview of what to expect as you adjust to life without your little one.

Although brief, this book really helps. Highly recommended for anyone who has lost a baby or who deals with perinatal loss (nurses, doctors, social workers, etc.)

I've read about 8 or 10 books on loss since our son was still born 5 weeks ago. This is the most practical and helpful of all the books I read. It was given to us at the hospital in a "grief basket" after we found out he had died, but before I went into labor. It was the second most important thing in the basket, second only to the box of soft tissues. I was very fortunate to have been able to read much of it prior to my son's birth. We held, kissed, photographed Peter, etc., as suggested, and I find having done all those things a great comfort. (If you can, take gazillions of pictures and give your baby lots of love - you won't regret it.)

My mother, the grieving grandmother, found it helpful also.

This book contains excerpts written by parents who have had their joy stolen by the death of a baby. It includes neonatal death, stillbirth, and death before birth, and the inspired poems and real stories these parents have written in their anguish serve as catharsis for those who suddenly find themselves thrust into similar situations. This insightful book should be required reading for any parent faced with the horror of coping with the loss of a tiny one so new and already dear to their heart.

I received the book at the hospital with other mementos of my still born son. It took me a couple of days before I was able to read it. It was a great first book to read because it was all I could handle at the time. It included some beautiful poems and discusses how you may be feeling. It doesn't go in depth on alot of issues so if you are looking in depth discussions this is not the book for you.

I received this book from the hospital after my son died....it was a book I read and reread many times. The poetry and other families stories of loss were very helpful in dealing with the death of my son.

This book was given to me by my nurse practitioner when my first child was born still. It was helpful with the immediate concerns that confront you after your baby dies and before you have time to seek help elswhere. I have re-read it numerous times in these past 2+ years. The poems were particularly poignant and help me get in touch with my feelings. I would recommend it for anyone who has been unfortunate enough to experience the death of a child.

The books that I recently received were to help my husband and I with the loss of our twins. The were born and lived a little time but we miss them just the same as they were here a life time. People do not understand that and these books helped.