Bereavement Support for Perinatal and Infant Loss

Honoring the lives of babies gone to heaven during pregnancy, birth, and as precious infants
​
Validating the grief of the loved ones still here

You're not alone

1 in 4 women will suffer miscarriage in their lifetime.  
10 to 20% of confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage.  
Every 20 minutes a baby is stillborn. In the U.S. there are approximately 24,000 babies stillborn each year. 
The infant mortality rate in America is 5.9 deaths per every 1,000 live births. 

... Birth and bereavement go hand in hand far more than we care to admit ...


Blogs with printable PDF handouts

All handouts are now in blogs. They are located at the top of the blog.

Handouts are in PDF format. They can be downloaded and saved for easy referencing on cell phones, tablets, and computers. They can also be printed. All are on standard size paper and easily print in black and white. No billing information is needed for free handouts. Your digital download will be emailed to you as soon as it is purchased.
Miscarriage - bonding, keepsakes, mementos, and legacy

Stillbirth - bonding, keepsakes, mementos, and legacy

Neonatal death - bonding, keepsakes, mementos, and legacy

Grief

There are 7 stages of grief.
  1. Shock and disbelief
  2. Denial
  3. Guilt
  4. Anger and bargaining
  5. Depression, loneliness, and reflection
  6. Reconstruction and working through
  7. Acceptance
 
Everyone grieves differently. It is their own journey to walk. The loss of a baby is not something people ever “get over”. It is something people survive. You will survive too, even if there are days it doesn’t feel like it. Your loss is valid, and your grief is too.
 
There are 7 stages of grief. Not everyone goes through all of these stages. It’s a fluid process. One may bounce between these steps or skip over or go back to. The amount of time spent working through the early days of grief is entirely individual.
 
Use this list to self-reflect on your grief. Perhaps, journal about your grief. Come back to this and check in with where you’re at in your grief. Know that this is a normal process. Grief often feels overwhelming. A variety of emotions are experienced in perinatal and infant loss. Seek support.
Deep grief
can only come from
a place of deep love.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, 
for they will be comforted.


Bereavement work is sacred grounds

Let this be a place of healing waters. Let this be a place of love, of validation, of acceptance, of grief, of gratitude, of support, of connection, and of freedom to feel. When you are ready, let this be a place that you dig up the dust, reach into the darkness, and plants seeds. Flowers can grow in the desert.  May the words written here and the information/resources you find here be a salve to your deepest wounds. 

If you are looking for bereavement doula services, I serve Dayton, Ohio and surrounding areas.
Click here for more information and local resources in the Dayton area.