Our Only Time

"""Our Only Time is a love letter to health professionals who work with parents whose babies have died. Written and edited by a mother who herself received quality bereavement care, this book doesn't tell caregivers what to do, but rather, provides insight and modeling largely in the form of powerful narratives written by bereaved parents who were deeply touched by the kind words, small gestures, and caring intentions of their caregivers. Each story imparts a lesson on what grieving parents find comforting, meaningful, and beneficial. For midwives, nurses, physicians, technicians, counselors, therapists, chaplains, and social workers, this heartfelt book offers clarity and inspiration for offering the care that parents crave; care that fosters their coping, adjustment, and transformational healing."" --DEBORAH L. DAVIS, PhD Developmental Psychologist & Writer Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Surviving the Death of Your Baby www.psychologytoday.com/blog/laugh-cry-live ""Patient and family narratives are powerful teaching tools, and in her book, Our Only Time, Amie Lands provides us with an invaluable resource. In this collection of narratives and guidance for medical caregivers, she teaches us how to be better for our patients. Through their own words, we gain an extraordinary view into patients' lives and experiences. The honesty of these families and their willingness to share the most intimate, raw, painful, joyful, and sacred moments of their lives is humbling, and it is important that we honor them and hear them. As medical providers, realizing the impact that we have on families can be an immense burden, and recognizing this, Amie Lands uses her experience and the knowledge and experience of others to provide us with guidance. Our Only Time is a gift for medical caregivers and their patients."" --CHRISTINE E BISHOP, MD, MA Neonatologist, Medical Director of Neonatal/Perinatal Palliative Care Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Brenner Children's Hospital ""Our Only Time is a powerful and important book that resonates with the voices of women for women and their families, voices spoken in requests to their health care providers. Amie Lands' work continues to contribute to our understanding of pregnancy and infant loss, and to assist caring others help us integrate our losses into our lives in meaningful ways."" --DEBORAH DAVIDSON, PhD, Associate Professor, editor and contributing author of The Tattoo Project: Commemorative Tattoos, Visual Culture, and the Digital Archive"