October 15 is observed as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. It is a day of remembrance for pregnancy loss and infant death, which includes, but is not limited to, miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, prematurity, termination for medical reasons, neonatal and postnatal death.
This day serves to promote awareness, honor our loved and longed-for babies, and support the bereaved individuals and families.
The reality is that one in four women will experience the loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy. And just like motherhood, it’s something that you don’t quite grasp or understand until you experience it firsthand.
And I’ll be honest, I didn’t know about Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day until I experienced the loss of a pregnancy for myself. It’s a club that none of us want to be in. But it’s a club that many of us are in.
Tonight at 7:00 p.m. I invite you to take part in a global “Wave of Light” by lighting a candle in memory of your little one.
If everyone leaves their candle illuminated for one hour, the result is a continuous chain of light that spans and illuminates the globe for 24 hours in remembrance of our loved and longed-for babies.
Today, we honor the babies born sleeping, the babies we carried but never held, the babies we held but could not take home, and the babies who came home but could not stay.
If you are looking to connect with other grieving parents or searching for individual support, check out the Connecticut-based organization Hope After Loss. Their annual “Footprints on our Hearts Walk & 5K” will be held on Sunday, October 19, at Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT.
