Pregnancy Loss Support

About This Program

At Franciscan Health, we've created caring, understanding, free support groups with the vision of providing parents a safe and sacred place to share the stories of their precious babies. These groups are not therapy groups; parents may choose to participate or just listen with no pressure to share. A professional who is trained in helping grieving parents can help families cope with their loss.

Our support groups typically meet monthly and are open at any time - no matter when their loss was experienced.

Coping with a pregnancy loss

Stillbirth (the loss of a child during the last 20 weeks of pregnancy), miscarriage (the loss of a child during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy) and neonatal death are tragic events for a family. The grief of a pregnancy loss can also raise the risk of postpartum depression in the mother.

While mourning, it's helpful for parents to:

• Pay attention to their health; eat and sleep well so your body stays strong.
• Find ways to express their feelings. Joining a support group, talking to family and friends, and keeping a journal are ways to express grief.
• Educate themselves. Learning about the problem, what they might be able to do, and how other people have coped can help.
• Talk about the baby and those feelings with a partner, family and friends. It may sound trite, but this is an excellent outlet for releasing bottled-up emotions.
• Admit that help is needed. This can lessen the pain and loneliness.
• Attend a support group. Couples who have "been there" can give support, help and hope.
• Read books, articles and poems that provide understanding and comfort, to feel less alone. Avoid "scare" literature and technical medical publications.
• Allow family and friends to share the grief and let them offer their support.
• Take time to heal. Grieving is a process. Accept that it will take time to feel better.