Lactation During Bereavement with Victoria Fonville: A Research Review

In this episode of Behind the Latch, Margaret Salty interviews Victoria Fonville, MS, PhD candidate in Nutrition at UNC Greensboro, about her recent scoping review on lactation during perinatal bereavement.

Together, they explore what the research actually tells us about lactation after infant loss—from the lived experiences of bereaved families to the gaps in care from healthcare providers. Victoria shares the key findings from her paper, including the four major areas studied—producing milk, support, stopping lactation, and donating milk—and the six themes that emerged: hurting, lacking, valuing, succeeding, connecting, and redeeming.

They discuss how lactation can serve as a powerful source of connection and identity for grieving mothers, why suppression is often presented as the default (and why that’s problematic), and how milk donation can be experienced as a deeply meaningful and even healing process for families navigating loss.

This episode challenges the way we approach bereavement care and emphasizes the importance of presenting all options—so families can make informed decisions that align with their goals and their grief.

Key Takeaways for Clinicians

• Lactation after perinatal loss is common due to normal physiology, but remains poorly addressed in clinical care.
• Bereaved mothers often experience both physical pain and emotional distress related to lactation, requiring compassionate and informed support.
• “Lacking” was a dominant theme across studies, highlighting significant gaps in provider knowledge, training, and communication.
• Lactation suppression is frequently presented as the only option, but this does not reflect the full range of choices available.
• Producing milk can help maintain maternal identity and connection to the infant after loss.
• Milk donation is often experienced as “redeeming,” helping families create meaning and process grief.
• Healthcare providers should present all options—suppression, expression, donation, and keepsakes—without bias.
• There is an urgent need for quantitative research to better understand care practices, outcomes, and donation patterns.
• Compassion, presence, and individualized care are critical when supporting bereaved families.

Guest

Victoria Fonville, MS, PhD Candidate in Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Greensboro

Lactation During Perinatal Bereavement From the Perspective of Families and Support Providers: A Scoping Review

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Music by: The Magnifiers – My Time Traveling Machine