October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. This encourages us to set time aside to remember and support families who have experienced the pain and grief of
miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss due to SIDS and other causes.
This is a time to remember the loss that took a gift and treasure, far too soon. A time to remember the hopes, dreams, and future that will not look the same. Unfortunately, this is often a time that remembering becomes a lonely journey and people are left to endure a hidden grief. Many do not know how to understand the grief and therefore feel uncomfortable with knowing how to support grieving families. There often is a stigma around the loss of someone the community never got to know and those who have suffered such a great loss may feel that they don’t have a right to grieve.
October 15 th encourages us to become aware of those who grieve and seek to understand the impact of such a loss for parents, siblings, families, and friends.
For you the parents, we honour you as you remember the anticipation of being a parent to now having empty arms. This has become the beginning of an emotional roller coaster that may find you experiencing anger, fear, guilt, blame, depression, and anxiety among other emotions. You have experienced one of life’s greatest losses and you are allowed to share your grief withothers and break away from a hidden or lonely experience. Your grief will take time to work through and it is a journey you can navigate by considering some of the following:
Take care of yourself: Eat well and get plenty of rest so you can continue to heal
emotionally.
Express yourself in a way that fits who you are: Find a safe person to talk about your
feelings, fears, and your grief. Journal or find a special project that has meaning for you.
This can be a release for the bottled feelings inside.
Explore available resources: There are books, articles, poems, music, and support
groups available.
Build your support network: It may be family and friends or a faith community. You may
want to contact a support group for parents who have had similar loss to be able to
share your story and learn from others about their coping skills.
Try to be understanding of your partners’ needs: There may be times it is difficult to
comfort each other. Be sensitive to their needs and find others you can lean on in
difficult times helps.
On October 15th , light a candle in remembrance of so many who have lost so much. There is something special about light. It can help us see past darkness and can give hope in that
darkness that there is a future.
Submitted by: Walking Through Grief Society
Funded by FCSS; City of Lloydminster, Towns of Vermilion and Wainwright, Villages of Kitscoty and Marwayne and County of Vermilion River.
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