Grief and Loss in Perinatal Care

Pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period can bring experiences of grief and loss that are complex, unexpected, and sometimes hard to recognize. This webinar will explore how loss, uncertainty, and changing expectations can affect parents and families, along with ways healthcare professionals can respond to grief and offer meaningful support during difficult or uncertain experiences.

Presented by: 

Celeste Poe, Ph.D., PMH-C 

Clinical Assistant Professor and Pediatric and Perinatal Psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine

Dr. Celeste Poe is a licensed clinical psychologist with a certification in perinatal mental health. She completed her residency and fellowship training at the Yale Child Study Center. She received her Ph.D. from Palo Alto University, her master’s degree from Pepperdine University and she is a proud HBCU alumni of Xavier University of Louisiana where she received her bachelor’s degree.

Dr. Poe is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Attending NICU and Perinatal Psychologist at Stanford University School of Medicine. She is the program director of the maternal & infant critical care mental health services at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital where she provides psychological consultation and psychotherapy to parents requiring hospitalization due to high risk pregnancies and parents of infants hospitalized in the NICU. Dr. Poe’s clinical specialties include perinatal and infant mental health as well as maternal-infant critical care with a focus on child and caregiver trauma, grief, and bereavement. Her research focuses on Black perinatal mental health and mental health equity, infant and parent mental health in medical settings, and intergenerational trauma. Dr. Poe was a Zero to Three Fellow and currently serves as Co-Chair of the National Network of NICU Psychologists. In 2026 she was appointed to the American Psychological Association's committee on Children Youth and families.

Dr. Poe also holds a community faculty appointment as an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Yale Child Study Center where she works on the Grief-Sensitive Healthcare Project which aims to enhance healthcare providers’ capacities to meet the needs of grieving families.