Fear of Regrets
An MD on addressing a parent’s fear of making the wrong decision for their child.
A perinatal palliative care and Neonatologist, Dr. Natasha Henner, describes how she supports parents considering all the options and decisions for their (un)born child. She asks them about their history of decision-making, reminds them of the power of their ‘knowing’ (there’s no such thing as a wrong decision), tells them to ask for a PAUSE if they’re feeling pressure from an external person (provider, family member, social media group).
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An MD on addressing a parent’s fear of making the wrong decision for their child.
Most people adapt: “Parents craft their story whether their baby lives or dies based on who they’ve become after they’ve birthed this child.”
Fear of regret: "I have a lot of compassion for people making these decisions "
The antidote to regret: the mantra – ‘These are loving decisions.’
A physician’s thoughts for a parent who is afraid of making ‘a wrong decision.’
A bereaved mom: “I battled with guilt for a long time. Did we do her a disservice by keeping her on this earth for 5 months? I am learning to relinquish that because we had no clue.”
Regret re decision-making about interventions: “If we as parents center our child’s experience [not our fear of guilt], with every choice, I don’t see how we can go wrong.”
“It was a journey of contradictions.” Regrets and no regrets.
A social worker - To process regret, it can be helpful for families to review the steps and loving conversations that led to decisions.
Photos help remind me that we made the right choice.
I will have peace knowing I’ve done everything as his mom.
Parents worry they’re going to have regrets, but if it’s the right decision …
He gave us the lead on what decisions to make.
Educating parents about the Pros and Cons of the decisions can help with their regrets
Decisions start from Day One.