FERTILITY LOSS,
PREGNANCY & INFANT LOSS,
BEREAVEMENT
Fertility Loss, Pregnancy Loss, & Early Infant Loss are unique experiences of grief and require a personal and tailored approach. ​
As you have clicked on this page, in particular, I want to acknowledge your courage and vulnerability in reaching out, and to offer my condolences and an invitation to connect.
There is a place here for you to share the complex feelings involved in this experience. ​​​​
Pregnancy & Early Infant Loss
Pregnancy loss and early infant loss can have a profound impact on mental health, deeply affecting one's self-concept. Many individuals experience intense grief, guilt, and feelings of inadequacy, questioning their bodies and self-worth.
The sudden loss of a hoped-for future with the baby often leads to deep sadness, which may evolve into anxiety or depression. Traumatic stress, especially in cases of recurrent loss, can make daily life challenging, triggering flashbacks or heightened emotional responses to reminders of the pregnancy.
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​Relationships with others may also become strained. Many who experience this loss feel isolated or misunderstood by family, friends, and coworkers, who, despite their best intentions, may not fully comprehend the emotional depth of the experience any may avoid or poorly respond to the issue, sometimes to the relief of the individual and other times in a way that minimize the pain, leaving the individual feeling unseen. In the workplace or social settings, there may be pressure to move on quickly, causing those affected to feel they must suppress their emotions.
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Social norms around pregnancy loss further complicate the healing process. Society often avoids discussing miscarriage or infant loss openly, creating a culture of silence that makes it hard for individuals to express their grief. This lack of validation from loved ones and society can hinder recovery and make it even more difficult to find comfort and acceptance during such a vulnerable time. This disconnect between inner turmoil and the outside world can compound feelings of loneliness, making it difficult to seek support.
Fertility Loss
Experiencing fertility loss and realizing the likelihood of being unable to conceive in an expected way can profoundly affect an individual's sense of self. This kind of grief is deeply personal and often leads to feelings of inadequacy, failure, and a loss of identity, and the loss of dreams and expectations, creating a void in one's life plan.
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Making decisions around alternative paths like IVF, adoption, fostering, or the choice to stop trying to conceive can feel overwhelming especially while trying to maintain work, relationships, and day-to-day responsibilities. The sense of isolation can be particularly heavy as others may not fully grasp the depth of the emotional rollercoaster.
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IVF and fertility treatments also require an immense amount of time and resources, further compounding stress. The costs, both financial and emotional, weigh heavily on couples. The vacillation between hope, anxiety, and grief as they undergo treatment, alongside envy and guilt while seeing other couples conceive, can be difficult to manage especially as many individuals are still engaging in the regular demands of life — often without visible acknowledgment of the immense inner turmoil they are facing.​
Emotional distancing and feelings of isolation are common leading to exhaustion and a fractured sense of self, while navigating the uncertainty of what the future holds in terms of family.
Additional Resources that may be helpful:
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a support group of parents helping parents who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or early infant death up to 28 days.
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Perinatal Bereavement Program:
Provides support for families that have experienced the loss of a pregnancy/baby through miscarriage, ectopic, medical induction, stillbirth or newborn death.
This service offers:
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inpatient support
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outpatient one to one support
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coordination of Hospital Burial Program
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coordination of Annual May Memorial
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Virtual Support Groups
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