One of a series of leaflets published by The Compassionate Friends The death of our baby “Every flutter in my belly was a promise that soon I’d meet our baby and we would begin our life together. That he did not live longer than a few months has been a crushing disappointment. I will always cherish the memories of his short time and mourn for what could have been.” Our bond of love with our child started when we knew we were pregnant. That their life was so short does not detract from that love. Our heart is broken. We are bereaved. The loss of our baby may have been completely unexpected. However, we may have known even during pregnancy that the Grieving for our baby When we realise that we are to be parents, we are touched by wonder. A new life is being created, and that life that is unique to us. As expectant mothers, we feel and see the changes in our bodies, and technology even lets us see our baby in the womb. There is so much to look forward to. Sadly, for some of us this dream of parenthood is shattered by the early death of our baby. We are devastated and in shock. We may experience a sense of despair and isolation as we struggle to comprehend the depth of our loss. We suffer the extreme emotions of grief – intense sadness, shock, numbness, memory loss, anger, and low self-confidence. We may feel as if we have somehow failed in our parental role. How can we cope with such heartbreak? This is the topic of this leaflet. Note: This leaflet discusses the death of a baby after one month of age. For support following stillbirth or neonatal death, please contact SANDS, the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Charity: sands.org.uk
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