pregnancy and infant loss
june 26, 2024
Category a - 1 cec

Families who experience pregnancy and infant loss are often isolated in their grief, and don’t know how to access support to begin mourning their baby.  This session will invite participants to learn more about the Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network and how to connect bereaved families with resources and peer support, as well as how to find evidence based information professionals can benefit from in order to provide compassionate and skilled care and support for families after their loss.

Presenter: Michelle La Fontaine is the Program Manager of  Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Michelle benefitted from peer support provided by PAIL Network to her and her family after the loss of their twins in 2005. Michelle is devoted to helping families get the support and resources they need to learn how to incorporate the loss of a baby into their lives in order to find hope. She is passionate about providing education to health care professionals to enable them to provide skilled and compassionate care to families at the time of their loss and beyond. Michelle has more than 20 years of related experience coaching and working with families in various capacities, and was instrumental in the development and advocacy around the passing of Bill 141: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Research and Care Act, 2015.