Unthinkable. Unbelievable. Heartbreaking.
Whatever words we choose, they all fall far short of the reality.
The loss of a child is a terrible thing.
How do we survive this? Can we?
Shattered: Surviving the Loss of a Child was written to help.
Bestselling author, hospice chaplain, and grief specialist Gary Roe uses his three decades of experience interacting with grieving parents to give us this heartfelt, easy-to-read, and intensely practical book.
Losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death, leaves so many parents lost in grief and full of unanswered questions.
Zoë Clark-Coates, and her husband Andy, have personally faced the loss of five babies. Out of their experiences came the charity The Mariposa Trust (more often known by its leading division Saying Goodbye), offering support to thousands of grieving parents and relatives around the world each week.
Now, Zoë writes a moving account of their experiences and how they found a way through to provide help and support for others. Alongside this are 90 days of daily support for those who are grieving, offering comfort and hope during the difficult days, weeks and months.
What are the first few months after a pregnancy loss like? What emotions does the woman feel? What experiences trigger her grief and is there anything that the persons and institutions around the grieving parents can do to help?
Lifting the Weight of Miscarriage is an emotional and raw recount of one woman’s journey in the six months following her second trimester miscarriage. By exploring her physical, emotional and spiritual experiences in that time, she offers insight into the often hidden world of pregnancy loss while providing suggestions to encourage healing that can be useful to other sufferers and the people in their lives.
In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides―as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner―Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it.
Empty Arms is written for Surviving the First Hours and Beyond
Revised and updated! This classic book is one of the first given to newly bereaved parents to offer guidance in decision-making after their baby's death and to assist caregivers as they support families. Empty Arms encourages families to meet their babies and say hello before rushing to say goodbye. With compassion that comes from Sherokee and David's experience of having lived through the death of their son Brennan, the book offers guidance and practical suggestions for the decision-making at the time (including why and how one might see, hold, and memorialize one's baby) and over time (such as how to handle such times as anniversaries, holidays and the birth of other babies in the parents' close circle.)
This comforting and healing book is a must--not only for women who have at one time experienced pregnancy loss but also for their parents, sisters, daughters, brothers, and friends. Kim Kluger-Bell's extensive fieldwork as a therapist specializing in the psychodynamics of reproductive crises strips away the shrouds of silence surrounding pregnancy losses and abortions, giving new voice to these "unspeakable losses."
Filled with in-depth stories of those who have experienced losses and solid, practical advice with mourning rituals and services, Unspeakable Losses is a necessary companion to all those who have experienced pregnancy loss and those who care about them.
This heartfelt manual is an indispensable and easily referenced resource for grieving grandparents, offering them a way forward after the death of a grandchild. Whether they were close to their grandchild and keenly feeling his or her absence, or even if they were not close to the child and are mourning the loss of a relationship they’ll never have, this book offers grandparents compassionate comfort and practical ideas for their journey through grief, addressing as well the unique pain of watching their children mourn the loss of their child. The ideas offered in the book clarify the basic principles of grief and mourning and offer immediate suggestions for things grandparents can do to embrace their grief, honor and remember their grandchild, and begin to heal.
Forgotten Tears is a unique and honest portrayal of a grandmother's grief journey following the stillbirth of her granddaughter. Our death fearing and death denying society perpetuates the sense of isolation felt by grandparents, who tend to be viewed primarily as a source of support to their bereaved child. A distinctive feature of this book is the validation of grandparents as mourners in their own right. Along with quotes from leading grief authorities, writer Nina Bennett, a bereaved grandmother and healthcare professional, offers an intimate perspective on the process of redefining normal in a life forever changed by the death of a grandchild.
Forgotten Tears reviews the traditional stages and theories of grief and also contains personal accounts from bereaved grandparents on various aspects of their grief journey. Although the main emphasis is on miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death, the exploration of the grief process is applicable to the death of a grandchild at any age. The focus of the book is on the depth and intensity of the grief experienced by grandparents. Forgotten Tears challenges the very concept of resolution and openly discusses the belief that grief is an ongoing, lifelong process.
A six-year journey: six losses and three beautiful angels. After losing her son Jude in August 2020, a spark was ignited in Carmen Grover as she read through every diary that she kept for each of her babies. Rather than have them remain stacked under her bed, Carmen decided that her journals would make a difference. The result has been an honest and poignant compilation of the ups and downs of Carmen’s experience with pregnancy loss, from rolling in the grass and convulsing on the kitchen floor in her cycle of grief, to seeing the strength she could gain in the signs and special moments all around her. A Diary to My Babies: Journeying Through Pregnancy Loss shines a light on the darkness of pregnancy loss, while also showing there is no right way to grieve. And through her incredible journey, Carmen hopes the story of her family and her babies just might help others to heal.
Beyond Goodbye guides you through your darkest days of suffering and offers hope for your future... Grief can leave us feeling alone and lost in the world, not knowing where to turn for help. And yet grief is one of the few certainties in life - it is impossible to experience love without suffering loss.
Leading grief expert Zoë Clark-Coates examines the different losses we may endure in our lives, and provides the much-needed support that helps you navigate your own path through loss. From losing loved ones - parents, partners, children, siblings, family members and friends - to answering the most common questions that are asked in this time of mourning and beyond, Zoe tackles topics that are rarely discussed but essential to address.
Beyond Goodbye balances practical advice with personal stories and emotional support. It explores common myths around loss, and offers advice for those supporting the bereaved. Zoe's caring and compassionate guide includes a unique 60 day support plan to guide you on your way.
Losing a child is among the most tragic experiences one can face. The crushing grief puts immense strain on the marriage, family relationships, and friendships that few can understand. That’s why this book was written. In it Candy McVicar, a grieving mom who leads a ministry for grieving parents, and Dr. Gary Chapman, relationship expert and author of The 5 Love Languages®, team up to help couples who are facing the unimaginable.
They’ll teach you how to:
Cope with the complex feelings that come with the grief process
Understand your spouse’s unique grieving needs and support him/her
Use the five love languages through grief
There is nothing that can make the pain of losing a child go away, but healing is possible with intentional hearts and the right resources.
A guide to hope and healing after the death of a child, from a grief counselor and psychotherapist who has been there.
Nisha Zenoff lost her son in a tragic accident when he was just seventeen years old. Now, with decades of experience as a grief counselor and psychotherapist, she offers support and guidance from her own journey and from others who have experienced the death of a child. The Unspeakable Loss helps those who mourn to face the urgent questions that accompany loss: "Will my tears ever stop?" "Who am I now without my child?" "How can I help my other children cope?" "I lost my only child, how do I live?" "Will my marriage survive?" "Will life ever feel worth living again?"
What God Is Honored Here? is the first book of its kind—and urgently necessary. This is a literary collection of voices of Indigenous women and women of color who have undergone miscarriage and infant loss, experiences that disproportionately affect women who have often been cast toward the margins in the United States of America.
From the story of dashed cultural expectations in an interracial marriage to poems that speak of loss across generations, from harrowing accounts of misdiagnoses, ectopic pregnancies, and late-term stillbirths to the poignant chronicles of miscarriages and mysterious infant deaths, What God Is Honored Here? brings women together to speak to one another about the traumas and tragedies of womanhood. In its heartbreaking beauty, this book offers an integral perspective on how culture and religion, spirit and body, unite in the reproductive lives of women of color and Indigenous women as they bear witness to loss, search for what is not there, and claim for themselves and others their fundamental humanity. Powerfully and with brutal honesty, they write about what it means to reclaim life in the face of death.
With an estimated 8,000 deaths per year in the United States from complications of UCA, an initial goal of 50% reduction of loss is possible. To achieve this goal requires the recognition by the obstetrical community of the issue. Recent research into circadian rhythms may help explain why UCA stillbirth is an event between 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m…
Angels in the Sky invites young readers to honor the memories of the lives of those no longer with us. Follow four families as they celebrate life’s moments big and small– from welcoming a new baby to enjoying the first day of spring in their backyard. No matter the occasion, each family is joined by signs from their loved ones in this hopeful and moving story about life after loss.
*If you are making a purchase for Littlest Loves' Library or Ryleigh's Resources in Connecticut, please leave a note at checkout, and we will ship direct to their team.
"There is no way to begin without telling you the saddest part of the story. It’s a love story, and it begins with a positive pregnancy test. But, it doesn’t end with a baby." After 34 weeks of a textbook, uneventful pregnancy, Brooke and her husband David were shocked when she went into labor weeks before her due date—and then absolutely blindsided when they arrived at the hospital only to be told that their beloved “Baby Duck” no longer had a heartbeat.
This book tells the story of what came next: learning to live with a broken heart that keeps on beating, picking up the pieces amidst the devastation of earth-shattering grief, and finding a way to love life again—even when it looks nothing like they had imagined. This is the story of surviving the death of a child, navigating the complexities of life after pregnancy loss, and discovering that grief can somehow become a part of our life without overtaking it completely. Unimaginable: Life after baby loss examines what it means to be a parent bereaved through stillbirth, and traces one mother's path back to a hopeful life.
In 2006, Janel Atlas became one of those mothers who left the hospital with empty arms; her second daughter, Beatrice Dianne, was stillborn at 36 weeks. Reaching out for comfort, she realized a dire need shared by so many others like her, and so was born a collection of new essays by writers each sharing their firsthand experiences with stillbirth.
Atlas includes selections not only from mothers but also fathers and grandparents, all of whom have intimate stories to share with readers. In addition, there are selections that answer many of the medical questions families have in the wake of a stillbirth and that offer the latest research on this devastating loss and how it might be prevented.
Grieving parents will find in these pages the comfort of knowing they are not alone on this painful path, validation of their babies' lives, and guidance from those who have suffered this tragedy. In addition, They Were Still Born both inspires and shows readers how to honor and remember their own babies and stories of loss.
Roughly 25 percent of fetuses do not survive the nine months of pregnancy, resulting in thousands of miscarriages each year. Though these mothers didn't get to hold their babies in their arms, these children live on in their hearts forever.
Practical supportive advice for bereaved parents and the professionals who work with them, based on the experiences of psychiatric and religious counselors.
If you or someone you care about has suffered a miscarriage then this is the book to read. Walter Williamson explores the fact that miscarriage happens to so many people (one pregnancy in five), and that no one seems to know how to handle it very well. He is candid, frank, and acute, while also being tender, compassionate, and fair. The mix is designed to let people know that they are not alone, that no one has perfected an easy way out, and that the pain does ease, eventually.
When Colin Campbell’s two teenage children were killed by a drunk driver, Campbell was thrown headlong into a grief so deep he felt he might lose his mind. He found much of the common wisdom about coping with loss—including the ideas that grieving is a private and mysterious process and that the pain is so great that “there are no words”—to be unhelpful. Drawing on what he learned from his own journey, Campbell offers an alternative path for processing pain that is active and vocal and truly honors loved ones lost.
Full of practical advice on how to survive in the aftermath of loss, Finding the Words teaches readers how to actively reach out to their community, perform mourning rituals, and find ways to express their grief, so they can live more fully while also holding their loved ones close. Campbell shines a light on a path forward through the darkness of grief.
A narrative of one family’s experience of pregnancy and still-birth showing how the death of a child affect a woman, a marriage, a family, and a community. Included is a resource guide for finding online and off line support during the grieving and healing process.
In the style of a quote-a-day collection, this book from Wisdom’s bestselling author Joanne Cacciatore distills down the award-winning book Bearing the Unbearable into easy-to-access small chunks, and includes much brand-new material, including new prose and poems from Dr. Jo and other sources as well.
If you’ve experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, termination of pregnancy due to health risk or abnormality, or death in the first year of your baby’s life, you’re not alone. Life after these losses can be heartbreaking, confusing, and lonely. Family, friends, and medical professionals may minimize your loss or say “You can always try again.”
Written by a psychologist who experienced two pregnancy losses herself, At a Loss offers thirty essays on the thoughts, feelings, and struggles that come along with losing a pregnancy or baby. Whether you are early in a crisis of grief or exploring the loss years afterward, you will find self-compassion, healing, and new ways to make meaning of your loss.Donna Rothert, PhD, is a clinical psychologist who specializes in perinatal issues, including pregnancy and infant loss.
“Love is the reason we grieve and love is what will bring you back.” - Just Be
Heartbreak from the loss of a loved one or from loss of innocence traumatizes the soul, but what if the loss of your baby who was born still could lead you to forgive someone who brutally harmed you and nearly left you for dead?
Laboring with a baby that had died in her womb was met with overwhelming grief …a grief that beckoned her to make a choice…to choose life, and surrender her silence and suffering. Only then could the light of hope – filter into the broken shards of her heart and let love begin to mend the pieces back together. She finally knew what the dreams and messages were telling her and what unconditional love was asking her to do… to forgive the man who took her life so that she could take it back again.
The classic guide for dealing with grief and loss
For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, here are thoughtful words to strengthen, inspire and comfort.
In How to Survive the Loss of a Child, Dr. Sanders, a bereaved parent herself, offers grieving parents practical help and emotional support. This book also helps family members, friends, and caregivers relate to grieving parents and aids them, too, in understanding the process of healing through grief.
For those of us working through the heartbreak of grief, author Bozarth offers wise and comforting advice.
The death of a child is like no other loss. The Worst Loss will help families who have experienced this to know what they are facing, understand what they are feeling, and appreciate their own needs and timetables.
A guide for parents whose child dies before birth, at birth or shortly after birth. This sensitive booklet is a help to families during the early days of their grief. It helps answer questions and prepare parents for the days ahead. It can be given to parents at the first acknowledgment of their baby s death to help them best use the short time they ll have with their little one. Among topics covered are: collecting keepsakes; ways to celebrate the birth and death of a baby; reasons for seeing, holding and naming a dead baby; emotions common to bereaved parents; information about autopsies; where to find help; and the unique situations of fathers, siblings, and grandparents. Contains beautiful poetry.