In Today’s Issue:

🔗 The best resources I found this week
📖 Deep dive: When Nurses Need to Take Photos for Bereaved Families

Know a co-worker who would benefit from this newsletter? Subscribe here
Want to learn how to get Forget Me Not Boxes in your hospital? Reply “Bereavement boxes”

🔗 The Best Resources I Found This Week

📷 Free Professional Stillborn Photography
I’m sure most know about this resource, but if you don’t, make sure you check to see if this service is offered in your area. Local photographers volunteer their services and come to the hospital to take professional photos for families who have experienced loss. (Now I lay Me Down To Sleep)

💧 Neonatal Immersion Photograpy
A lot of nurses do this themselves. Neonatal immersion photography (NIP) delays decomposition and improves skin appearance while making limbs more flexible, creating womb-like imagery that resembles the baby's natural environment. This article shares some helpful stats and shows what’s possible using this technique. (capturinghopesphoto.org)

💧 Immersion photography Basin
This clear plastic basin provides perfect vessel for water immersion photography in hospital setting. prodyne.co

📖 Deep Dive

When Nurses Need to Take Photos for Bereaved Families

I've been getting questions about photography lately. A lot of them.

Several bereavement coordinators have told me it's a common challenge for new and seasoned nurses face on the unit. I’ve also seen questions in this category pop up on the Labor and Delviery Nurses Rock Facebook group.

Questions like, How do I take good photos? Who should I call for professional photography? What camera should I use? How do I handle this on my own?

Today, let’s dive into these questions so you have a plan in place when you need it.

The Uncomfortable Truth About Photos

Here's the thing about bereavement photography - parents remember these pictures for decades. They become the only evidence that their baby existed. No pressure, right?

Research shows 92% of parents want these photos, even when they initially say no. But most hospitals don't have photographers available 24/7.

So it falls to you.

Where to look for inspiration

Please follow out this incredible woman’s FB page, Deneen Bryan. She’s a bereavement photographer and regularly posts videos of the process. It can be very helpful to watch someone see their technique on how to handle the baby and delicately prep them for photos.

Don’t Underestimate an iPhone

One nurse from the Facebook groups nailed it: "We've started just taking them on the patient’s phone. The phone cameras are so good these days.” This is smart. No HIPAA issues. No waiting for prints. Parents get immediate access.

🪄 PRO TIPS for TAKING PHOTOS ON A PHONE 

• Turn off flash. Always. Natural light from windows looks infinitely better than harsh hospital flash.

• Use Portrait mode. It creates a soft background blur that feels peaceful.

• Try "Studio Light" for gentle enhancement. In Portrait mode, swipe through the lighting options at the bottom. Studio Light brightens faces subtly without looking fake.

• Clean the lens first. Your phone lives in pockets and scrubs. Wipe the camera lens with your shirt before shooting - it makes a huge difference.

• Get close for details. iPhones excel at close-up shots. Fill the frame with tiny hands, perfect feet, or peaceful faces.

• Tap to focus. Touch the screen where you want sharp focus. This is especially important for detail shots of hands or faces.

• Use the volume button to Take the photo. Instead of tapping the on-screen shutter, use the volume up button. It reduces camera shake.

• Take black and white shots. Swipe to filters and try "Dramatic" or "Noir." Black and white hides skin imperfections and creates timeless, peaceful images.

• Switch to the "Hidden" album after. Help families create a hidden album so these precious photos don't appear in their regular camera roll unexpectedly.

The Water Immersion Technique

Here's something that's gaining attention in bereavement care. Water immersion photography for early gestational losses.

This technique involves gently placing the baby in sterile saline solution for photographs. It's particularly helpful for losses between 16-22 weeks gestation.

The water mimics the intrauterine environment. It plumps the skin, reduces the appearance of decomposition, and makes limbs more flexible for positioning.

One nurse shared:

The process is straightforward. Use a clear container with warm sterile saline. Gently lower the baby into the water. Take photos through the clear sides of the container. The key is making it look natural, not clinical.

This isn't right for every situation. But for very early losses where families want photos, it can create beautiful, peaceful images that comfort grieving parents.

How it works:

• Clear container with warm sterile saline

• Gently place baby in water

• Photograph through clear sides

• The water plumps skin and mimics the womb

• Add subtle decor that doesn’t distract from the baby, ie: small flower

Can these photos be taken with an Iphone?

Yes—your iPhone can capture water immersion shots beautifully. Just keep the lens dry by holding the phone above the clear container (or shooting through a flat piece of glass), use Portrait mode and tap to focus on tiny features like the face or hands, place the basin near a window and turn off room lights to avoid harsh reflections, and wipe the container’s side between shots to prevent water droplet glare.

PRO TIP: Use small ribbon or umbilical tape to tie off the umbilical cord so the clamp isn’t overpowering the photos.

What Actually Matters

Light. Natural light from windows beats hospital fluorescents every time.imi

Details. Close-ups of hands, feet, perfect ears. Parents treasure these more than full-body shots.

Black and white. Hides imperfections. Creates timeless quality.

Take more than you think. You can't recreate these moments.

PRO TIPS:

• Include family. Photos of parents holding their baby are precious. Siblings' hands touching the baby. Grandparents present. These relationships matter.

• Capture the details. Hand and footprints being made. The baby being bathed or dressed. These process photos tell the story of their time together.

• Mind the background. Move medical equipment out of frame when possible. Use simple, clean backgrounds. Let the focus stay on the baby and family.

What About Families Who Don't Want Photos?

Jennifer Hicks, a seasoned bereavement doula and professor said it best,

Instead of addressing it right away, let it sit for a while and later say,...

Giving them the choice gives them control and gives them the chance to empower them. Empowering your patient can lead to a better chance at recovery.

Professional Resources

Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep has volunteer photographers nationwide. They're free and skilled at this work.

But they're not always available immediately. That's where you come in.

When You're Flying Solo

It's 2 AM. No photographer available. Just you and grieving parents.

Focus on presence over perfection. Take photos with intention. These images will be treasured regardless of technical quality.

One mother said: "They are not great photos, but I am so, so very grateful to have them".

Making This Work

Talk to your unit about photography protocols. Who feels comfortable? What equipment is available?

Some units let nurses volunteer for bereavement cases. If you're interested, speak up.

The Bottom Line

This isn't about creating perfect images. It's about honoring a brief life. Validating grief. Providing tangible memories when everything feels surreal.

Your willingness to learn this skill makes an immeasurable difference for families in their darkest moments.

You don't need to be Ansel Adams. You just need to try and be present.

👋 That’s a Wrap!

Before you go: Here are ways we can help your hospital

We offer bereavement boxes to give as gifts to those who leave the hospital after a miscarriage, stillborn, or infant death. Reply to this email “Sample” to get a free sample sent to your hospital.

What we prioritize:

1. Tools for hospitals to create a bereavement experience for families to begin their grief journey

2. Educating nurses with modern bereavement standards and continuing education.

3. Helping hospitals build a foundation of trust and support, so bereaved families feel seen and cared for—now and in the years to come.

These boxes were born out of our own personal losses, including Jay’s (CEO) 15 years of experience working in labor and delivery as a CRNA and witnessing time and again how the hospital experience can profoundly shape a family’s grief journey, for better or for worse.

Until next week,

Trina and Jay
Co-founders of Forget Me Not