October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. This is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart and always will be. I personally know how devastating losing a baby can be. Grief has no timeline and a loss is felt deeply no matter how many weeks along you were in your pregnancy.

This month is all about honoring the precious little babies that now reside in heaven, along with their families who continue to grieve here on earth.

Below are 5 ways to honor families and their angel babies all month long:

1-Participate in the Global Wave of Light by lighting a candle on October 15^th at 7:00pm  To learn more about this day, click here.

2-Donate to an organization that helps grieving families.
There are many online support groups, nonprofits, & businesses that have made it their mission to help loss families.

A few examples include;

• Cohen Veterans Network-offers grief counseling for veterans and family members of active duty United States service members.
• Grieve Out Loud-online support group
• Pregnancy After Loss Support-online support group
• Go Pink and Blue-International campaign and cause to bring more awareness to pregnancy and infant loss.
• The TEARS Foundation-Nonprofit that assists families with financial assistance with the final arrangements for the death of their child.
• STAR Legacy Foundation-Nonprofit that supports, educates, and advocates for pregnancy and infant loss.

*For a more extensive list of support organizations, click here.

3-Honor someone’s baby by speaking their name.
It’s uncomfortable for many people to say the name of a baby no longer living, but it isn’t uncomfortable for the loss family. Hearing their baby’s name lets grieving parents know that the baby’s life mattered to someone other than them. It’s comforting to know that your child is not forgotten.

4-Become an advocate for families that have lost a baby.

• Make the topic less taboo by advocating for resources and support.
• Create a memorial event for families.
• Share resources and information on social media.

5-Say a prayer.

Prayer is extremely powerful and does not cost anything except your time. God hears every single request and loss families need as many prayers as they can get. No one can touch the pain left by pregnancy and infant loss except God. He is the ultimate healer.

However you decide to honor a loss family this month, please know that your efforts are appreciated. Whether you light a candle on October 15^th, make a donation to honor an angel baby, become a PAIL awareness advocate, speak the name of an angel baby, or say a prayer, you are making a positive difference.

© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2019.