Water method: sensitive accompaniment for parents in mortality

Water method: sensitive accompaniment for parents in mortality

In the State Clinic Amstetten, a sensitive concept is used to support parents who experience the painful loss of a child due to miscarriage or dead birth. This innovative method, known as a water method, enables the parents concerned to actively shape their mourning process and to say goodbye to their star child.

The special thing about this method is that the dead are placed in a cool water that resembles the amniotic fluid, a protective medium during pregnancy. This slows down the process of decomposition and the child occupies a natural attitude. According to the senior midwife Petra Riesenhuber, this approach gives parents the opportunity to process the situation in a conscious framework and to say goodbye. Relatives can also be integrated here, which makes saying a respectful and loving experience.

sensitive accompaniment by specialists

The midwives Hannah Kürner and Bianca Pichler are at the side of the parents throughout the process. "The water method was developed in the Netherlands and is increasingly establishing itself in German -speaking countries," explain the two specialists. "At the express wish of the parents, we use this method and report on all important aspects of the process." They emphasize that it is important to give the parents support in this difficult time and to support them in coping with grief.

Head of Head Tina Auer emphasizes how important it is for hospital staff to offer the families concerned a space for grief and healing. "It is particularly important to us that parents receive the time and the space they need for their individual mourning process," continued Auer. The water method reflects this human approach by helping the families concerned to process the loss in a worthy way.

This method has been more and more well received not only in Amstetten, but also in other parts of Austria. The respectful handling of the emotions and needs of the parents is of central importance. The employees in the state clinic have faced this challenge and show how important an empathetic approach is in care.

The use of the water method is a significant ability in modern obstetrics that offers those who have experienced a loss, the opportunity to experience their grief in a protected space. The consideration and the individual support are key factors for emotional processing and dealing with such a tragic experience, As recently reported .