Life after Stillbirth
Meet our guest, Frankie Brunker, author of These Precious Little People
Please be warned that this weeks’ episode is a hard-hitting and emotional one. It is a raw and emotional account of stillbirth and the grief that follows. I chatted with Frankie Brunker, after meeting her met at a fabulous Yoga day put on by Lucy from The Rainbow Running club.
Route to Parenthood
Frankie’s route to parenthood started really quickly after conceiving in the first month of trying however, devastatingly their daughter was born stillborn at 38 weeks. This came as a complete shock.
Frankie’s husband had to call their family from the hospital to break the news. Frankie felt so concerned about telling family and how they would feel, particularly her nieces and nephews who were excited about a new baby coming into the family. They decided that they needed to be insular and in their own little bubble to get through this difficult time, one day at a time.
The Funeral
Frankie made the decision for her nieces and nephews not to attend the funeral of their daughter. At the time, this felt like the right decision but now Frankie has some regrets and is now mindful that not being included may make it more difficult for children, in general, to deal with grief.
Experiencing a Stillbirth
Frankie talks about her experience of giving birth at the hospital and how she felt that some of the midwives had limited experience of caring for a mother delivering a stillborn baby, and that she felt there were gaps in the bereavement care she and her husband received.
Frankie’s honest account of the, sometimes insensitive and ignorant, remarks she has received along the way is powerful and arresting
Precious Little People
As a result of her experience, Frankie is now the author of a beautiful children’s book to help explain baby loss to children but also Frankie says the book helps adults to come to terms with grief too. Her aim for the book is that you can talk about loss of your baby but that you can still think of them and smile. Her book aims to appeals to bereaved parents from diverse communities and cultures.
Blogging as a bereaved parent
Frankie has recently written a blog giving support to bereaved parents who may be finding it especially difficult going through this experience during lockdown, and urges people to reach out for support.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Frankie Brunker Instagram: @thesepreciouslittlepeople
