Spirituality when a newborn is unwell

Parents usually place high expectations on their pregnancy journey and having a successful birth. From the beginning of the desire to be parents, the idea of a ʼnormal’ and ‘healthy’ pregnancy starts arising in the thoughts, in the heart and in the soul of the parents. Sometimes this is not possible and the pregnancy comes to an end with an early delivery and the birth of an unwell baby who is different from the expected baby and is living with different conditions. In these situations parents may start a grieving journey involving deep and intimate feelings, based on denial or anger. Healthcare professionals are in a privileged position of proximity alongside parents coping with these circumstances and can help guarantee both human support and to promote resilience. In these suffering moments parents often turn to their belief systems seeking strength, conversely some religious (or otherwise) believers start questioning their faith. A child is often a significant part of the couple’s meaning and also part of the individual meaning in life. The whole process of having an unwell child can be a time of suffering and be lived as a profound spiritual experience which is frequently transformative in many aspects.