Journal
Speak your deepest truths as a stream of conscious. Be sad, be angry, question, ponder. Don't worry if the words that you write are eloquent, just write from the heart. Here are a few prompts to get you started:
- Tell your baby's story from the start. When did you know that you were pregnant? What do you remember about the pregnancy? What did you do to prepare for her? How did you learn that she had passed? Tell as many details as you can remember and take the time to grieve each.
- How did you choose your baby's name? What made it special, unique or connected to something important? What other names did you consider? How did you make up your mind?
- Write a letter to your baby. What would you like to tell her? This entry turned into a journal of its own for me. I carry it in my purse or backpack most places that I go and write her letters periodically. I tell her what she has missed or moments that I thought about who she might have been.
- List the emotions you are feeling about her death. Take the time to explain each emotion in detail. Why do you feel that way?
- Write about how you feel about the support that you are (or are not) receiving from loved ones. Are you full of gratitude for the overwhelming outpouring of love? Are there needs that aren't being met? What do you wish someone would do to support you?
- Tell about the funeral, memorial, or event that you planned in her honor. What did you choose to do to remember her? How did you feel to honor her in this way? What do you hope to do in the future to keep her memory alive?