For many, pregnancy is a special time culminating in the birth of a healthy baby to hold, cuddle and bond with for years to come. Those first days of life are usually spent at the hospital with mom and baby recovering from the rigors of labor and delivery.

Sadly, for some mothers this is not the case. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports miscarriage occurs in about 10 to 20% of pregnancies and stillbirth occurs in about one in 100 births each year.

Miscarriage occurs before the 20th week of pregnancy and stillbirth is the death or loss of a baby after the 20th week of pregnancy before or during delivery. At 20 weeks of pregnancy, a mother may feel her baby moving in the womb. She may already know if it’s a boy or a girl and given the baby a name.

Pregnancy and infant loss is a devastating experience to endure, as was the case for Jane and Martin Wiegand, who lost their baby girl, Frances Marie, during the 32nd week of pregnancy.

“It was our first pregnancy. We had no issues during our pregnancy. We had a normal 20-week check-up. The baby’s development looked great. No signs of stress in utero, no abnormal growth or physical deformities,” said Jane, who was treated by a Nashville-based obstetrician.

Wiegand saw her provider at regular intervals and said she felt like her pregnancy was going well. Then when she and her husband went to her 32-week appointment, they received news that would forever change life as they knew it.

“At my 32-week appointment, I found out there was no heartbeat. They confirmed, no heartbeat, which was absolutely a shock. Even if something is wrong, you don’t expect THAT. It was a complete blow to us,” she said.

After tests confirmed no signs of life coming from her baby, the Wiegand’s doctor gave the couple the option to induce labor and deliver that evening or the following morning. Natural deterioration begins once a baby dies in the womb. Over time that may interfere with determining what caused the death and in some cases put the mother’s health at risk. The Wiegands chose to go home for the night and come back the next morning.

“I didn’t have a hospital bag packed. It wasn’t what we were expecting. Our families don’t live in Nashville, so we wanted for them to travel in and try to prepare as much as possible,” she said.

When they arrived at the hospital the next morning to induce labor, the medical staff already understood why they were there and went to great lengths to spare them any additional pain. Child birth is usually a happy and exciting time, but that wouldn’t be the case for the Wiegands and their baby girl. The hospital prepared a special room where medical staff who would be caring for Mrs. Wiegand knew this delivery would not have the outcome of the family’s desire. Instead they received a different, yet compassionate birth experience. The Wiegands were introduced to resources and support in the community with others who understood the heartbreaking experience they had suddenly and unexpectedly found themselves in. The chaplain visited them and shared words of comfort.