Fortunately, I have not had to perform EOL care on a mom. However, it's fairly common to perform EOL on a fetal demise. At our hospital, we will perform a blessing or baptize the baby, depending on whether the baby is born alive or not and on the parents' wishes. We always photograph the baby with both a polaroid and 35mm camera and we dress them in an outfit donated by local knitters/crocheters or that the parents bring in. We always do whatever the parents wish for...whether it's keeping the baby in the room or putting the baby in the morgue immediately.

For me personally, I would say that every demise I care for gets dressed head to toe...hat/outfit/diaper (even the 2-lbers)/booties/blanket, and that I get footprints on every baby, no matter how hard...for some parents it's the only reminder they feel comfortable taking home. We encourage everyone to name their baby. I also encourage every parent to take home the blanket.

__________________
StorkNurse05

http://obrninma.blogspot.com/

Stork nurse,

Do you ever find that the parents don't want to see the baby or have anything to take home?

Took care of a 30-week-gestation baby born dead at home. The parents did not want anything...until three days later! Do you save things just in case?

__________________
The ER is the only place where you are rewarded for efficiency by getting more patients!

Kim
http://www.emergiblog.com