Medical Team
by Tracy Winsor, Be Not Afraid
You may not leave your initial diagnosis experience with all the information you need regarding your options. Many parents seek out additional obstetric referrals so that they can gather more information on the option of carrying to term. PerinatalHospice.org FAQs provides research-based information regarding carrying to term. In addition, you have the right to consult with pediatric specialists who treat living children with the diagnosis you have been given to understand treatment options for your baby which may include fetal interventions or newborn surgeries.
If you are carrying to term, depending on your baby’s diagnosis, you may benefit from a variety of specialized services. Perinatal palliative care and/or perinatal hospice programs can be affirming resources. Developing a plan with your medical team for your baby’s care at birth is helpful for all involved.
Below is a list of medical providers who work around prenatal diagnosis. A medical team can collaborate with parents so that a plan for birth and newborn care can be developed during the pregnancy.
- OB/GYN or Midwives: Provide prenatal care and deliver infants.
- Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists (MFMs) or Perinatologists: Provide specialized screens, antenatal screening and manage high risk pregnancies.
- Neonatologists: Provide care for newborns in NICU.
- Pediatric Specialists: Neurologists, Cardiologists, surgeons with varying specialties, etc.
- Nurse Navigators: May direct referrals and appointments within a hospital system.
- Chaplains: Provide spiritual support in the hospital setting.
- Social Workers: Provide a variety of supportive care to parents. Social workers may work within a Palliative Care Team or on a High Risk Obstetrics Unit, and most NICUs have Social Workers.
In addition to your medical team, you may benefit from the support of someone who can assist you with the journey. There are numerous resources listed on the diagnosis specific pages of this website as well as other pages.