10/01/2025
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Sadly, 1 in 4 individuals or families will experience the loss of a child during pregnancy, birth, or infancy. For Black women, the risk of pregnancy loss is even higher.
There are no instructions for grieving a loss of this magnitude. Even the most well-known grief models can’t capture the depth of what it feels like.
If you’ve recently experienced pregnancy or infant loss, I am so deeply sorry. Finding connection with others who understand this kind of grief can make a difference. The strength of bereaved parents runs deep, and we are here to hold space with you.
We’ve been there.
We are surviving.
And we can show you that life, though changed, is still possible further along.
I remember in the early days of grief, I couldn’t imagine reaching 10 years post-loss. Ten days felt impossible. Each day was unbearably heavy and cloudy. Yet step by step, I learned how to carry my grief with me, even when it felt like it might swallow me whole.
To my fellow bereaved parents: our grief extends far beyond this month, but this is a month to raise awareness for our struggle and hold space for each other.
I also realize that October can feel especially tender, with angelversaries approaching for many of us. So please take gentle care of yourself in the weeks ahead.
For those who have been walking this path for a while, what words of support or pieces of wisdom would you offer to parents who are newly bereaved? Please share in the comments. 💙💗
