Empty Arms: Coping After Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death

Rating:
Summary: VERY HELPFUL IN COPING AND RECOVERING
Review: MY LITTLE CHRISTOPHER WAS STILLBORN ON JULY 4, 1999. I WAS DEVASTATED. MOST PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE EMOTIONS, FEELINGS, HOPELESSNESS OF LOSING AN INFANT. MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW HOW TO REACT OR WHAT TO SAY. THEY TRY TO COMFORT YOU IN THEIR OWN BLIND WAY BUT MOSTLY THEY JUST MAKE THINGS WORSE. READING THIS BOOK AND EXPERIENCING HOW OTHER PARENTS FELT AND DEALT WITH THIS HORRIBLE TRAGEDY MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS WITH PEOPLE WHO KNEW AND REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT WAS LIKE. SO MANY THINGS THAT WERE DISCUSSED THAT THESE PARENTS WISHED THEY HAD DONE OR HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO TO REMEMBER/MEMORIALIZE THEIR CHILDREN WERE SO HELPFUL IN MY DECISION MAKING PROCESS AND BURIAL OF MY SON. IT WAS LIKE LEARNING FROM THE REGRETS OF OTHERS. IT DEFINITELY AIDED IN THE HEALING PROCESS. EVERY HOSPITAL SHOULD HAVE A COPY AVAILABLE FOR PARENTS WHO LOSE AN INFANT!

Rating:
Summary: when no one else understood
Review: Sherokee Isle wrote this wonderful book that touches on all that I went through. I have recommended it to many friends with similar experiences and it has helped them cope with the loss of their little Angels too. I even wrote to her (her address is in tha back of the book) to thank her for helping me, and she sent a hand written personl note back to me telling me how sorry she was for my loss. There are many things she suggests doing to help you through this hard time. She validates your feelings and discusses her personal stories. She is a voice of experience.

Rating:
Summary: A MUST FOR THE LOSS OF A BABY UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE
Review: THE HOSPITAL GAVE ME THIS BOOK WHEN WE LEARNED THAT OUR DAUGHTER PROBABLY WOULD NOT SURVIVE LONG AFTER HER BIRTH. WE WERE FACED WITH SAYING GOODBYE BEFORE WE WERE GIVEN THE CHANCE TO SAY HELLO. SHEROKEE GAVE US THINGS TO THINK ABOUT. OUR DAUGHTER WAS STILLBORN AND DUE TO THIS BOOK WE MADE EVERY POSSIBLE DECISION BEFORE WE EVER GOT TO THE HOSPITAL. HER BIRTH AND THEN FUNERAL WERE DIGNIFIED THANKS TO THE SUGGESTIONS FOUND IN THIS BOOK! LATER I GOT PREGNANT AGAIN BUT UNFORTUNATELY MISCARRIED. I GOT THIS BOOK OUT AGAIN AND IT HELPED TREMENDOUSLY. I WILL FOREVER BE GRATEFUL FOR THIS BOOK AND WILL RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE FACING THE MISCARRIAGE,STILLBIRTH OR NEONATAL DEATH OF THEIR BABY. HAVING THE BOOK WRITTEN BY A WOMAN WHO HAD GONE THROUGH THE SAME THING MADE IT EASIER TO SWALLOW! I DIDN'T FEEL SO ALONE.

Rating:
Summary: Good Information
Review: This book has it all. It covers real emotions from someone that's "been there." It helped me to understand and accept my own feelings. It also helped my family and friends understand what I was going through. I have talked with several grieving parents and have recommended this book to each one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Very informative and supportive.
Review: This book has it all. It covers real emotions from someone that's "been there." It helped me to understand and accept my own feelings. It also helped my family and friends understand what I was going through. I have talked with several grieving parents and have recommended this book to each one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Too clinical for this subject
Review: This book was fine for a parent who wants to know about the "technical details" after a child's death, but it doesn't REALLY say much about the deep feelings I needed to address after my child died. It was not a bad book , but rather mediocre.

Rating:
Summary: Good Information
Review: This book was helpful in understanding medical terms and stillbirth. It seemed to lack in emotional depth, but it was still good.

Rating:
Summary: Simple format makes it helpful
Review: This is a good book if you want something simple. It is in the question, answer format and fairly short. You can easily find what you are looking for without having to search through the other stuff you don't want to think about right now. It would have been extremely helpful right when my son died. It would be good for the hospitals to give out. It didn't have as many stories of other couples (they do help you to feel less alone) as I would have liked, though. There is some advice on how to go on and answers to questions I would not have even thought of, though so I do recommend it. It shouldn't be the only book you buy on loss, but if you can afford more than one, get this one.

Rating:
Summary: it helped me to hold on to life.
Review: When our daughter Leilani Jean died three weeks before delivery ,it was a terrilbe blow after having lost two other children in the first trimester of pregnancy,We had awaited her brith for 12 long years only to learn that it was not to be.This book helped us to cope and it helped me to hold on to the edge of what seemed an endless black pit.and it also helped me to see the light at the end of it all.Nothing can take the pain away but this book does help soften it alot.