In today’s issue

📖 Deep dive: Language barriers in bereavement situations
🔗 The best links I found this week
🩷 Self-care moment: When crap hits the fan, just let it R.A.I.N.

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📖 Deep Dive

How do you support someone through pregnancy loss when you don't speak their language?

Let's Talk About Language Barriers

Here's what we know - families who struggle with language barriers are 28% less likely to get the prenatal care they need. My heart breaks thinking about these parents navigating loss without being able to fully express themselves or understand their care team.

But here's the good news - we can make a real difference! As nurse Jen Hamilton powerfully articulates: "I promise her (via interpreter) that I will never allow a language barrier to get in the way of speaking to her the way I would speak to anyone else. I want to know who she is as a person. Not who she is as a patient."

Quick Tips for Cross-Language Bereavement Support

• Always Use Professional Medical Interpreters – This is especially crucial during sensitive conversations about loss.

• Keep eye contact with your patient while speaking, even when using an interpreter. This helps establish trust and connection.

• Allow extra time. Interpreted conversations typically take twice as long, especially when discussing complex emotional topics.

The Power of Presence

Research shows that even without shared words, we can make such a difference through non-verbal communication.

A gentle touch (when culturally appropriate), an attentive presence, an unhurried manner - these simple gestures speak volumes. They tell our families "I'm here with you" in any language.

📊 A few stats...because I'm all about the numbers!

• Women with total language barriers had a 28% higher risk of inadequate prenatal care (PreCARE study, 2023)

• Patients with language barriers experienced 33.5% higher rates of missing critical first trimester ultrasounds compared to 13.8% for native language speakers (PreCARE study, 2023)

• Patients with language barriers were nearly 3x more likely to miss recommended prenatal visits (PreCARE study, 2023)

Here's the beautiful truth - language differences might make situations a bit harder, but they absolutely should not stop us from providing the compassionate, comprehensive support every family NEEDS and deserves.

We've got this! Together, we can ensure every family feels supported through their loss, no matter what language they speak.

🔗 My Favorite Finds This Week

📄 Translated Health Docs
Easy-to-read, shareable health education in 15+ languages (Health Info Translations)

🇲🇽 Spanish Bereavement Boxes
We recently rolled out with a new Spanish Bereavement Box (Forget Me Not)

💞 Say it Right
What To Say & What Not To: For Friends of Grievers (Gemmas-hope)

📙 Learn
Some nurses find it helpful to learn the basics or even become fluent in another language if there’s a prominent population. (Babbel)

🩷 Self-care moment

When crap hits the fan. Just let it R.A.I.N.

The R.A.I.N. practice is a powerful tool for managing emotional intensity in healthcare settings. It allows us to care for ourselves while caring for others." - Tara Brach, PhD, psychologist and author of "Radical Compassion"

R.A.I.N. stands for:
Recognize what's happening
Allow life to be just as it is
Investigate with gentle attention
Nurture with self-compassion

This practice takes just 2-3 minutes between patient care. It's particularly helpful when feeling overwhelmed by difficult cases or communication challenges.

Source: Brach, T. (2020). "Radical Compassion: Learning to Love Yourself and Your World with the Practice of R.A.I.N."