Shannon & Tracy Armes of Wilsons, Virginia, generously donated a CuddleCot™ System to the labor and delivery unit at Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in September. It was dedicated in memory of their late daughter Skylar Armes.October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month – a time to spread awareness about the statistics that impact so many, and give some extra love to those people in your life who have had to handle the incredible grief that comes with losing a child.
According to the CDC, each year, about 24,000 babies are born still in the United States.
That means about one in four women will lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery or infancy, ending what is typically a joyous time in heartbreak.
While there is no way to ease the pain associated with the death of a baby during pregnancy or delivery, the Flexmort CuddleCot™ System, available at Bon Secours, can provide a small source of comfort to those parents and loved ones who might otherwise have a very limited opportunity to visit with their baby.
The device works as a cooling mattress is placed in what resembles a bassinet to regulate the baby’s body temperature following death, preventing a color change for hours and sometimes days. This technology allows parents and other loved ones the gift of time with the baby allowing them to bond, take pictures and make unforgettable memories while coping with the loss.
Bon Secours is proud to offer the CuddleCot System to our patients to help them in their grieving process following infant and pregnancy loss.
We believe it’s important that all families have time to bond with their child, allowing the opportunity for a better chance at closure. Taking small steps like holding the child, naming the child, and bonding with the child can be some healthy ways to process loss. It can also be very effective in helping these families cope in a way that otherwise hasn’t been available.
Shannon & Tracy Armes of Wilsons, Virginia with their daughter, Skylar Armes.The CuddleCot system is available to patients at all of Bon Secours’ labor and delivery units in Richmond including Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center in Mechanicsville, Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center in Midlothian, and Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond.
For more information about the services available at Bon Secours’ labor and delivery units including magic hour, nitrous oxide, and hydrotherapy tubs, visit https://bonsecours.com/richmond/our-services/womens-services/birth-and-parenting/labor-and-delivery. For more information about the Flexmort CuddleCot™, visit http://flexmort.com/cuddle-cots/.
