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GRIEF RESOURCES FOR THE MOTHER Labor & Delivery Saying Goodbye Maternity Leave w/no Baby Build a Network of Support Journal Music for Healing Embrace Your Inner Artist Get Active Remembering Your Baby Read About Grief & Healing Become a Support for Others Pregnancy After Loss FOR THE FATHER/PARTNER FOR THE SIBLING FOR THE GRANDPARENT FOR THE CAREGIVER HOW DO I SUPPORT A GRIEVING FRIEND? GALLERY: GRIEF IN IMAGES HOTLINE FOR GRIEF SUPPORT 1-800-221-7437 Offered 24/7 by First Candle |
Resources for the grieving MoTherPREGNANCY AFTER LOSS
You may find it difficult to be intimate with one another after losing a child. This intimacy can be a form of healing, however. Touch does not have to lead to sex and sex does not have to mean having a baby. Many couples find that they do wish to have another baby. The decision to try to get pregnant again can be a very scary one after experiencing a stillbirth. No pregnancy will ever replace your lost baby, but that loss does not have to end your desire to grow your family. It is important to talk to your spouse and make sure that you are both ready to support one another through this step. It is helpful if you have both had time to process your grief. Many doctors and counselors suggest giving yourself three to six months before trying to conceive again so that you can heal both physically and mentally, though there is no definitive rule. You may want to meet with a perinatologist (a high-risk specialist). They will be able to counsel you on the future pregnancy and assess your risk of another stillbirth or complication. Even if your risk for another stillbirth is low, you will likely be anxious about carrying a child again. Support Groups Pregnancy After a Loss is an online support group sponsored by Star Legacy Foundation. It meets every Monday at 8:30 pm eastern/7:30 pm central/6:30 pm mountain/5:30 pm pacific and is facilitated by Joann O’Leary, PhD. The group meets online via video conferencing. Registration is required for your first session, but they'll send you an email reminder for sessions afterwards. Pregnancy After Loss Support is a Facebook page group of loss-moms supporting one another through trying to conceive, pregnancy, and birth after a loss. Podcasts Pregnancy After a Loss (Joann O'Leary, PhD) Novels Expecting Sunshine by Alexis Marie Chute Joy at the End of the Rainbow: A Guide to Pregnancy After Loss by Amanda Ross-White |