RESOURCES FOR PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSS
If you have suffered the loss of a pregnancy, stillbirth, or infant, please be mindful that this post may be difficult for you to read. There is nothing to be said that can come close to making those losses any better, so this post is mostly focused on providing resources for your process. Proceed if resources feel helpful to you at this time. If this topic is activating, please stop reading and take good care of yourself today!
Perhaps you or a loved one has suffered loss and you are looking for a lifeline. You’re reaching for something to hold onto that makes you feel like maybe you can survive the next few hours of excruciating pain. It probably feels like you are the only person who is suffering to this extent and in the particular way that you are. In some ways, you are the only one. You are the only person with your unique set of circumstances. You are the only mother to the baby you lost. You are the only person grieving the specific bond you had already formed with your child. Your pain is unique and it’s all your own.
But you aren’t totally alone. There are other women who have suffered very similar losses and understand the darkness you are sitting in. And when you are ready, it’s important to find connection and healing in community. It’s important to have spaces to hurt as deep as you need to but to be in the presence of another human who can hold you tight and walk beside you, whether that’s a partner, a friend, a therapist, or a support group. It’s important to choose not to remain completely alone through this extraordinary loss. Your body and mind can’t bear this alone. So, here are some helpful resources that serve as a starting point for finding the support you need.
RESOURCES FOR A VARIETY OF PREGNANCY AND INFANT LOSSES
March of Dimes - Research, Advocacy, & Support to improve health outcomes for mom.
Postpartum Support International - Pregnancy loss support groups.
International Stillbirth Alliance - Stillbirth bereavement resources.
Star Foundation - Family support for stillbirth and perinatal loss.
Empty Arms Bereavement - Termination for Medical Reasons, Infant Loss, Single Mother
The MISS Foundation - Support for Bereaved and Grieving Parents
The Compassionate Friends - Grief Support for death of a child.
M.E.N.D - Neonatal death support.
First Candle - SIDS, Maternal Health, and Bereavement.
Share - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support.
Hopefully there is at least one resource here that is helpful for you as you take the next brave step in seeking connection and healing in your process. You aren’t alone and it is very much possible to find yourself thriving again in the future. Hang on to that hope, go slow, and give yourself the space you need to grieve. One step at a time, one breath at a time.
If you would like individual counseling support, please reach out to schedule a consult call. I’d be honored to partner with you in your healing process. In the meantime, I wish you comfort and peace.