What not to say to a parent who has lost a baby….

“If someone you know is going through this now and you don’t know what to say, just say that. Tell them you don’t know the right words to express how you’re feeling, but you love them and you’re thinking of them.”

Are you wondering what to say to the loved one in your life who has recently lost a baby? Nina Young explains here what not to say to a parent who has lost a little one – nothing at all. Let your loved one know that they’re in your thoughts, and that they’re not alone.

Raising awareness of diagnosable conditions

Rachael and Jonny Casella lost their seven-month-old daughter Mackenzie last year after a diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy type 1. Rachael and Jonny are raising awareness of the importance of testing for diagnosable conditions, and increased access to testing. Read more about their story here. Our hearts go out to Rachael and Jonny, and all of our followers who have gone through a similar experience.

Don’t forget that we also have a support forum here on the website that you can register for, if you feel it could be helpful. This is somewhere where you can connect with others who have been through, or who are going through, similar experiences.

The story of Zena and Troy’s baby, Chloe.

Zena and Troy received a diagnosis of had spina bifida, hydrocephalus and arnold chiari malformation for their baby Chloe during pregnancy. They made the difficult decision to end the pregnancy. Read more about Zena and Troy’s brave story here.

Remember that we offer a support forum for women and couples who have terminated pregnancy due to fetal abnormality. If you feel that this is something that might be helpful for you, you can register here.

Four ways to begin to exit the loop of grief

“Grief crowds the heart, eats up all your energy and chronically imposes upon your peace.  But grief isn’t some evil force that’s only there to cause pain, grief is escorting up an even deeper feeling, a truth about your life, what you value and what you need.  Perhaps how much you wanted something, how deeply you care about someone, how far you’ve come from where you were.”

It’s important to remember that grief doesn’t follow a timeline. It doesn’t fit neatly into other peoples expectations of how quickly you should recover. Everyone’s grief is individual – it feels different and takes differing amounts of time for each person. You may notice differences between your process of grieving and say, your partner’s. This is ok. However, if you feel that you may be stuck on a loop of grief, this article may illustrate four ways you can begin to exit that loop. If you feel that you may need professional help, you can visit your GP, or refer to our list of resources.

 

 

A guide to supporting someone who is bereaved

Are you finding it difficult to know how to help someone who is grieving? Are you grieving yourself, and wish you could explain to your loved ones and friends what it is you need? This video could help to explain how people can help those who are grieving.

There are also pages on this website you could refer to, or share with your loved ones. Don’t forget that we also have a support forum here on the website that you can register for if you feel it could be helpful. This is somewhere where you can connect with others who have been through, or who are going through, similar experiences.

 

How you can hold space for someone who is grieving….

We all want to help those we care about when they experience something difficult. Holding space for someone is one way you can do this. Heather Plett gives a lovely description of holding space for someone:

“It means that we are willing to walk alongside another person in whatever journey they’re on without judging them, making them feel inadequate, trying to fix them, or trying to impact the outcome. When we hold space for other people, we open our hearts, offer unconditional support, and let go of judgement and control.”

You can read more about how you can hold space for someone who is having a difficult time here.

 

 

 

Gary’s story

Did you read about Gary Rohan’s story in the Brisbane times a few weeks ago? We thank Gary and Amie for being brave enough to share their story, and for shedding light on the experience many of you have gone through. Gary and Amie recently received a diagnosis of anencephaly for one of their twins in their current pregnancy. Our thoughts are with them both.

You can read more about Gary and Amie’s story here.

Gina’s story

Women may terminate a pregnancy for many reasons. One of those reasons may be because they receive a diagnosis of genetic abnormalities. Read Gina’s story here: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/another-baby-would-break-us-the-mothers-who-choose-to-terminate-a-pregnancy-20170914-gyhdip.html

Remember that we offer a support forum for women and couples who have terminated pregnancy due to fetal abnormality. If you feel that this is something that might be helpful for you, you can register here.