Discussing stillbirth risk without causing anxiety

Join the second event in a new quarterly webinar series from the King's Midwifery and Maternal Health Research Group.

'How do we discuss stillbirth risk and support decision-making in pregnancy without causing anxiety and unnecessary intervention?' Tomasina Stacey in conversation with Claire Storey

Tomasina Stacey will summarise key data relating to the likelihood of stillbirth occurring and what is associated with an increase (or mitigation) of the ‘risk’. This will be used to stimulate a conversation and debate with Claire Storey about the challenge of sharing this information with women and birthing people in pregnancy, without causing increased anxiety or unnecessary intervention. Time will be allocated for a Q&A. 

This event will be of interest to maternity professionals, academics, birth workers and service users. 

Dr Tomasina Stacey is an experienced midwife, researcher and educator. Over the last 18 years, Tomasina’s research has predominantly focused on trying to understand and mitigate the risk of stillbirth. This has led to the identification of the role of maternal sleep position in the wellbeing of the unborn baby, unpicking the implication of changes in maternal perception of fetal movements and the identification and management of gestational diabetes, amongst a range of other factors.

She collaborates with a wide range of international researchers to identify new ways to reduce preventable stillbirths. She has a growing interest in exploring ways to better communicate the evidence a way that is accessible and that improves care and outcomes for all women, birthing people and their babies without increasing anxiety or unnecessary intervention.

Claire Storey has spent almost two decades working in maternity and newborn care as a parent advocate, commissioner and researcher following the loss of her first born baby in 2004. She has dedicated her time to highlighting the importance of the parental narrative during pregnancy, birth and the neonatal period, including after the death of a baby and to improving equity and quality of care whilst ensuring parents themselves are adequately supported at every stage.

Claire has recently been appointed as Director of Bereavement, Community and Parent Voice with the International Stillbirth Alliance (ISA) and is a Trustee at Mothers for Mothers, a charity providing perinatal mental health support in Bristol. Claire’s work seeks to raise the voice and participation of women, birthing people and their families and to strengthen advocacy for healthy pregnancies, neonatal care, bereavement support, good mental health and wellbeing.