About this course

Learning Objectives

• Describe the many forms of loss that may impact clients in the perinatal period
• Describe the various ways that trauma and grief can show up for parents from obvious losses as well as less recognized perceptions of loss
• Explain how to best support and provide adjunctive referrals for clients who are experiencing trauma or grief in the perinatal period
• Discuss the challenges that therapists may face in working with this population
• Compile resources to help validate client’s experiences and provide additional support

Learning Levels

• Beginner

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Megan MacCutcheon, LPC, PMH-C

  Megan MacCutcheon is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Perinatal Mental Health practitioner, and Board Approved Supervisor. She specializes in working with individuals who are experiencing mood and anxiety disorders during pregnancy and following childbirth. She also provides EMDR intensives for those who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic birth. In her private practice, Be Well-Wellness, she provides a holistic and collaborative space for providers whose missions are focused around serving families during pregnancy, postpartum, parenting, and beyond.

References

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• Armstrong, D. S. (2002). Emotional distress and prenatal attachment in pregnancy after perinatal loss. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 34(4), 339–345. Sigma Pubs.
• Boulet, S. L., Mehta, A., Kissin, D. M., Warner, L., Kawwass, J. F., & Jamieson, D. J. (2015). Trends in use of and reproductive outcomes associated with assisted reproductive technology in the United States, 1996–2010. Fertility and Sterility, 103(3), 723–730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.11.004
• Carson, S. A., & Kallen, A. N. (2021). Diagnosis and management of infertility. JAMA, 326(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2021.4788
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Data and statistics on congenital anomalies. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/data.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Neonatal intensive care unit admissions among infants: United States, 2016–2020. National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief No. 525. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db525.htm
• Dolk, H., Loane, M., & Garne, E. (2010). The prevalence of congenital anomalies in Europe. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, 686, 349–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9485-8_20
• Franck, L. S., O’Brien, K., & the COINN Working Group. (2019). The incidence of parental stress and trauma in neonatal intensive care: A systematic review. Early Human Development, 141, 104871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2019.104871
• Gunyon-Meyer, B., Cole, J., Tremayne, L., & Standeven, L. (2018). Perinatal mood disorders: Components of care [Training manual]. Postpartum Support International 2-Day Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Training.
• Ionio, C., Colombo, C., Brazzoduro, V., Mascheroni, E., Confalonieri, E., Castoldi, F., & Lista, G. (2016). Mothers and fathers in NICU: The impact of preterm birth on parental distress. Europe’s Journal of Psychology, 12(4), 604–621. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v12i4.1093
• Kersting, A., & Wagner, B. (2012). Complicated grief after perinatal loss. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 14(2), 187–194. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3384447/
• Lawn, J. E., Blencowe, H., Waiswa, P., Amouzou, A., Mathers, C., Hogan, D., ... & Cousens, S. N. (2016). Stillbirths: Rates, risk factors, and acceleration towards 2030. The Lancet, 387(10018), 587–603. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00837-5
• Mullany, K., Minneci, M., Monjazeb, R., & Coiado, O. C. (2023). Overview of ectopic pregnancy diagnosis, management, and innovation. Women’s Health, 19, 17455057231160349. https://doi.org/10.1177/17455057231160349
• Project Poppyseed. (n.d.). Perinatal grief. Retrieved April 26, 2025, from https://projectpoppyseed.org/about/perinatal-grief/
• Quenby, S., Gallos, I. D., Dhillon-Smith, R. K., Podesek, M., Stephenson, M. D., Fisher, J., ... & Brosens, J. J. (2021). Miscarriage matters: The epidemiological, physical, psychological, and economic costs of early pregnancy loss. The Lancet, 397(10285), 1658–1667. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(21)00682-6
• Ritsher, J. B., & Neugebauer, R. (2002). Perinatal Bereavement Grief Scale: Distinguishing grief from depression following miscarriage. Assessment, 9(1), 31–40.
• Shaw, R. J., St. John, N., Lilo, E., Jo, B., Benitz, W., Stevenson, D. K., & Horwitz, S. M.(2014). Prevention of traumatic stress in mothers with preterm infants: A randomized controlled trial. Pediatrics, 132(4), e886–e894. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2013-1331
• Sun, H., Gong, T. T., Jiang, Y. T., Zhang, S., Zhao, Y. H., & Wu, Q. J. (2019). Global, regional, and national prevalence and disability‐adjusted life‐years for infertility in 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: Results from a global burden of disease study, 2017. Human Reproduction Open, 2019(3), hoz008. https://doi.org/10.1093/hropen/hoz008
• World Health Organization. (2023). Infertility is a global public health issue. Human Reproduction Update, 29(3), 245–246. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmad014