Pregnancy After Loss Clinic helps moms who’ve experienced a stillbirth plan for another child – Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Pregnancy After Loss Clinic helps moms who’ve experienced a stillbirth plan for another child – Maternal-Fetal Medicine

June 10, 2026 discoverhiddenusacom Health

UCLA Health has launched the Pregnancy After Loss (PAL) Clinic to provide multidisciplinary, trauma-informed medical and emotional support for women who have experienced stillbirth or neonatal loss. Led by Dr. Carla Janzen, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, the clinic is among the first in the U.S. to join the US Pregnancy After Loss Network to improve mental health and birth outcomes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 175 pregnancies in the U.S. end in stillbirth. Dr. Janzen states that women who have experienced a stillbirth face a higher risk of recurrence, as well as other complications like preeclampsia, placental insufficiency, or having a low-birth-weight baby.

Did You Know? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 175 pregnancies in the United States end in stillbirth.

Why is specialized care needed for pregnancy after loss?

Women experiencing pregnancy after a loss often suffer from panic attacks, nightmares, guilt, and high adrenaline, according to Dr. Janzen. Many patients believe they caused the loss, even when the pregnancy appeared “textbook perfect.”

Why is specialized care needed for pregnancy after loss?

Dr. Janzen notes that in more than half of the cases, there is no explanation for why a live fetus’s heart stops at seven or eight months. This lack of answers makes subsequent pregnancies emotionally difficult for patients.

Standard care systems may retraumatize patients by requiring them to repeat their loss story to multiple different providers. The PAL Clinic aims to eliminate this gap by coordinating care through a single, informed team.

Expert Insight: Samantha Carter suggests that the significance of this model lies in the transition from purely clinical monitoring to a psychosocial approach. By integrating peer support and trauma-informed staff, the clinic addresses the psychological triggers—such as the anxiety surrounding ultrasounds—that can compromise a patient’s mental well-being during high-risk pregnancies.

How does the PAL Clinic’s multidisciplinary model work?

The clinic’s approach is based on the work of Professor Alex Heazell, director of the Rainbow Clinics in the United Kingdom. It combines medical and psychosocial care using a team of maternal fetal medicine specialists, psychiatrists, therapists, social workers, and peer support counselors.

How does the PAL Clinic's multidisciplinary model work?

Patients receive personalized visits and frequent ultrasounds to provide reassurance regarding placental health and fetal well-being. Dr. Janzen emphasizes the importance of “slowing down” the clinical process.

Staff members, including front desk personnel and sonographers, are trained to understand how triggering ultrasounds can be for these women. This ensures the environment is compassionate and empathetic from the moment a patient enters the clinic.

How does patient advocacy influence clinical training?

Lauren Rose, who lost her son Austin to stillbirth at 38 weeks on March 3, 2023, contributed directly to the clinic’s operational guidelines. After experiencing a lack of bereavement support and subsequent miscarriages, Rose used her professional skills as an event planner to document how hospitals could improve care for loss parents.

A Virginia Beach mom’s nonprofit helps families through pregnancy loss after her own stillbirth

Dr. Janzen used Rose’s document to train staff on how to handle sensitive communications. The list helped providers understand the failures of social workers or pathologists who did not know how to properly explain autopsy processes to grieving parents.

Rose eventually utilized the PAL Clinic for her fourth pregnancy. She gave birth to a healthy son, Noah, on September 8, 2025.

What may happen next for loss care in the U.S.?

The PAL Clinic may serve as a blueprint for other hospitals joining the US Pregnancy After Loss Network. As more institutions adopt this multidisciplinary model, patient experiences and mental health outcomes could improve nationwide.

What may happen next for loss care in the U.S.?

Lauren Rose may become one of the clinic’s first peer supporters. This role could provide future patients with direct access to individuals who have navigated similar medical and emotional challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the goal of the US Pregnancy After Loss Network?
The network aims to improve care for women who have experienced loss, specifically focusing on birth outcomes, mental health outcomes, and the overall patient experience.

Who makes up the multidisciplinary team at the PAL Clinic?
The team includes maternal fetal medicine specialists, therapists, psychiatrists, social workers, and peer support counselors.

What medical risks are associated with a prior stillbirth?
According to Dr. Janzen, women who have had a stillbirth are at a higher risk of experiencing another stillbirth, as well as preeclampsia, placental insufficiency, or delivering a low-birth-weight baby.

How can healthcare systems better integrate emotional support into high-risk maternity care?