If this blog post is finding you today, you may be navigating grief of your own loss or looking for resources for someone you love. Either way, we hope that there is something in the words below that connects with your needs and current situation. Grief is difficult to navigate, but we want you to know that you do not have to walk through it alone. Our office is open 9-6 Monday-Thursday and we have space available to listen to your sorrows, provide resources for processing through your grief, and would love to connect you to additional help in our community.
As you may be mourning the loss of your baby in this season, we want you to know that our doors are open to you as a space of refuge and safety in your grief. The heartache that accompanies the loss of one’s own child can feel overwhelming and isolating, but our hope for you is to have access to a village of support as you navigate the seasons ahead. Grief is not an itemized checklist to work through, but can rather feel as though waves are crashing over us in one moment and then the next there may be a sea of still waters. The loss of your child during a miscarriage or in infancy was likely not something you knew to, or ever hoped to, prepare for as you stepped into the role of being a mother. Your title in motherhood is just as relevant now as it was the day you found out you were pregnant. In efforts to meet you where you are, we have provided you with a list of resources below that may be helpful in your journey with grief or may serve as a reservoir to pull from for someone in your life who is navigating grief of their own.
Book Resources:
-Gospel Hope in Pregnancy and Infant Loss, The Daily Grace Co.
-Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss, Rachel Lewis
-Longing for Motherhood: Holding onto hope in the midst of childlessness, Chelsea Patterson Sobolik
-It’s Not Supposed to be this Way, Lisa Terkheurst
-Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss, Adriel Booker
-Held: Biblical Reflections on God’s Comfort and Care in the Sorrow of Miscarraige, Abbey Wedgeworth
-Ours: Biblical Comfort for Men Grieving Miscarraige, Eric Schumacher, Paul David Tripp (for men)
-Men and Miscarriage: A Dad’s Guide to Grief, Relationships, and Healing after Loss: Aaron & MJ Gouveia (for men)
–Uncommon Trust: Learning to Trust God When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, Erik Reed (for men)
– My Sibling Still, Megan Lacourrege (for children processing the loss of a sibling)
-Mommy Lost a Baby: Emma’s Hope in Grief (for talking with young children about loss through a miscarriage)
Online Resources:
Founder, Ashlee Proffitt, provides a sense of inclusion and belonging to those grieving loss through pregnancy and infancy. Available through the website are bundles to download for specific circumstances of grief, podcast episodes, blog posts, and connection opportunities to others who are also navigating grief.
–https://www.themorning.com/listen
–https://www.facebook.com/groups/bravemamas/
Brave Mamas facebook support group. Organized by Rachel Lewis, author of the book “Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss,” this online support group serves as a connection for women who are navigating challenges of motherhood. Topics could include pregnancy and infant loss, bereavement, infertility, foster care, and more.
–https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3S2MAYPn53X4YGqRZBI7Ix?si=64c3e62a581141af
Choices Spotify Playlist: For the Mourning
Need immediate help?
If you are navigating overwhelming emotions through your grief or are finding yourself thinking of suicide and need immediate support here are a few recommendations we would like to make:
-Call your healthcare provider. Ask if they have any professional resources available.
-Call 911 for emergency services or go to the nearest emergency room.
-Call the toll-free National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). This is a 24-hour hotline number that you can call to be connected to someone who will listen and talk to you during a crisis.
Seeking help is a sign of strength. Your struggles are not burdensome to others. Your grief is not an inconvenience. These are all things that we believe to be true and would love to remind you of if you find yourself feeling isolated and unsure of where to turn in navigating grief and loss. Your story of mourning will have many chapters that you may or may not have already begun to fill the pages of your book. When you are ready to share the stories of those chapters or identify the contents of what will one day fill the pages, we encourage you to reach out either to our office or to a trusted resource in your community. We are here to listen, to respond, and hope to lead in love with our interactions.
