Anna Calix
October 30, 2024
Subsequent siblings, who are sometimes referred to as replacement children, are people who were born after the death of a brother or sister. Little has been written about them or from their perspective. This non-fiction, self-help, psychology book breaks new ground by assembling rich and heartfelt life stories from a diverse group of subsequent siblings while also weaving in clinical literature and discussion. It is based upon more than one hundred subsequent sibling interviews, which, to the authors’ knowledge, currently comprises the largest and most diverse sample of this group. Through the subjects’ engaging narratives the reader can understand some of the common obstacles and repercussions of the subsequent sibling role. Additional testimonies from parents and surviving siblings illuminate the multilayered impacts of loss upon a family system.
Those who are born after a deceased sibling enter a family that has been forever changed by loss. This book provides a brief overview of the research on subsequent children and the concept of the replacement child. It examines the parental experience of the death of a child, the complexity of pregnancy after loss, and the intrauterine and attachment experiences of children born after loss. The death of a child causes immense parental pain and impacts parenting approaches, perhaps resulting in impaired bonding or overprotectiveness of subsequent children. Some subsequent siblings are expected, consciously or unconsciously, to serve as a replacement for their lost sibling and to fill the void of loss. A variety of replacement dynamics can occur, and in some instances the subsequent child is viewed as an inadequate substitute for a deceased and idealized sibling. This book explores common issues that are faced by subsequent siblings, which include impaired bonding with parents, a sense of pressure to heal their families, survivor guilt, phobias, difficulties with identity formation, and the shouldering of caretaker roles. Their loss and experiences are often unrecognized because they were born after their sibling’s death. Like most mourners, many subsequent siblings need to make meaning of their loss. It is often complex for them to grieve for an unmet sibling, or to integrate their sibling’s death into their life story. Many subsequent siblings also recognize strengths that they have gained because of their role. This book includes chapters about surviving siblings and children who were born after a sibling with special needs.
Pregnancy after prenatal or infant loss can be a lonely and frightening time, but through stories of both pain and healing, the authors show how to navigate the exciting but choppy waters of a subsequent pregnancy.
The loss of a pregnancy or newborn infant changes the meaning of pregnancy, birth, and parenting forever. Increased parental fear and anxiety, and continuing grief for the deceased baby, can impact subsequent pregnancies in unexpected ways. Parents who are unsupported in pregnancy after loss are may be more at risk of experiencing anxiety, depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and difficulty in attaching to a new baby.
Different Baby Different Story explores the range of emotions, thoughts, and physical experiences of parents who have gone on to subsequent pregnancies. Including stories from mothers, fathers, other children, and extended family members, this poignant and moving work will help readers through their own feelings and give voice to those who may have felt unheard or unsupported in the past. With practical advice on self-advocacy, the book helps expectant parents gain insights as to how others learned to work with health care professionals, mental health professionals, and their own families and friends and coworkers. For expectant mothers, their partners, their families and their friends, this work supports the range of experiences and encourages readers on a path to healing.
Despite research which highlights parents’ increased anxiety and risk of attachment issues with the pregnancy that follows a perinatal loss, there is often little understanding that bereaved families may need different care in their subsequent pregnancies. This book explores the lived experience of pregnancy and parenting after a perinatal loss.
Meeting the Needs of Parents Pregnant and Parenting After Perinatal Loss develops a helpful framework, which integrates continuing bonds and attachment theories, to support prenatal parenting at each stage of pregnancy. Giving insight into how a parent’s world view of a pregnancy may have changed following a loss, readers are provided with tools to assist parents on their journey. The book discusses each stage of a pregnancy, as well as labor and the postpartum period, before examining subjects such as multi-fetal pregnancies, reluctant terminations, use of support groups, and the experiences of fathers and other children in the family. The chapters include up-to-date research findings, vignettes from parents reflecting on their own experiences and recommendations for practice.
Written for researchers, students and professionals from a range of health, social welfare and early years education backgrounds, this text outlines what we know about supporting bereaved families encountering the challenges of a subsequent pregnancy.
More than a million people lose a pregnancy each year, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination for medical reasons. For most, the experience often casts a shadow of isolation, shame, and blame. In the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, twenty-five million people of childbearing age live in states with laws that restrict access to abortion, including for those who never wanted to end their pregnancies. How did we get here?
Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, both experienced late-term loss, and together they take an incisive, deeply reported look at the issue, working to shatter taboos that have made so many pregnant people feel ashamed and alone. They trace the experience of pregnancy loss and reproductive care from America’s founding to the present day, exposing the deep impact made by a dangerous tangle of laws, politics, medicine, racism, and misogyny. Combining powerful personal narratives with exhaustive research, I’m Sorry for My Loss is a comprehensive examination on how pregnancy loss came to be so stigmatized and politicized, and why a system of more compassionate care is critical for everyone.
More than a million people lose a pregnancy each year, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or termination for medical reasons. For most, the experience often casts a shadow of isolation, shame, and blame. In the aftermath of the 2022 decision to overturn Roe v Wade, 25 million people of childbearing age live in states with laws that restrict access to abortion, including for those who never wanted to end their pregnancies. How did we get here?
Rebecca Little and Colleen Long, childhood friends who grew up to be journalists, both experienced late-term loss, and together they take an incisive, deeply reported look at the issue, working to shatter taboos that have made so many pregnant people feel ashamed and alone. They trace the experience of pregnancy loss and reproductive care from America’s founding to the present day, exposing the deep impact made by a dangerous tangle of laws, politics, medicine, racism, and misogyny. Combining powerful personal narratives with exhaustive research, I’m Sorry for My Loss is a comprehensive examination on how pregnancy loss came to be so stigmatized and politicized, and why a system of more compassionate care is critical for everyone.
Primary Audience: Adult
