Have experienced a reproductive crisis?

• Pregnancy and Infant Loss
• Difficult/Traumatic Birthing Experience
• Miscarriage
• Abortion
• Infertility

You may be feeling a wide range of emotions:

• emotional numbness or extreme emotionality
• sadness or some degree of depression
• fear, anxiety, and sense of vulnerability
• misdirected anger at family, doctors or even your own body
• feelings of guilt and shame

It may seem that everyone around you has forgotten about what happened.  Some may seem to minimize the loss  saying, “you are young and you can get pregnant again.” After a while you may stop sharing your feelings or assume that something must be wrong with you since you still can’t get over it.

You are not alone and you do not have to perpetuate the “conspiracy of silence.” There is support for you during this difficult season.  If you are among the many who have experienced a loss of this kind:

1. Acknowledge your feelings.
Do not minimize your loss or feelings.
2. Seek support.
There are many groups, resources and counselors that are dedicated to supporting individuals through traumatic pregnancy and birth experiences. Please check out the Pregnancy and Infant Loss list on below or the group therapy page for groups to support you during this time.
3. Allow yourself to grieve.

Advice for family and friends of those who experienced a reproductive crisis:

1. Don’t rush them.
2. Don’t withdraw.
3. Don’t perpetuate the silence.

Instead:

1. Give them time: feelings come and go there is no right way to go through it.
2. Stay emotionally available: be there for them. If you can’t, admit it. Don’t rationalize.
3. Be open to talk about the loss: saying “the wrong thing” is better then saying nothing. Don’t take their anger personally.
4. Listen.

For more information or to set up a free consultation for individual counseling, please contact Magda Wroblewska. You may also conduct a self-assessment with the perinatal transition scale survey.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Web Resources

Below are a list of web sites and organizations to provide you with more information and resources for you or your loved one(s).

HAND: helping after neonatal death
HAND is a volunteer group of parents who have experienced the loss of a baby before, during or after birth. Their experience has established a desire to offer support to parents, their relatives and friends during the normal mourning following miscarriage, interruption of a wanted pregnancy, stillbirth or newborn death of their babies. HAND volunteers are not professional psychotherapists, however they may make referrals to professional counselors.

M.I.S.S. Foundation
The MISS Foundation is a volunteer based organization committed to providing crisis support and long term aid to families after the death of a child from any cause.

BABI: Bay Area Birth Information
Bay Area Birth Information provides education, support and resources for mothers during pregnancy and birth, and care during the postpartum period and the transition to parenting undefined as well as professional connections for providers serving the childbearing year.

Share: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
The mission of Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support, Inc. is to serve those
whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss,
stillbirth, or in the first few months of life.

Facts about Miscarriage
This site contains topics ranging from causes of miscarriage, to prevention, to when to try again for a new pregnancy.

The Red Tent

the place for women to gather, support each other, learn, discuss relevant topics.

Chef Lauren Hoover
Resource for healthy nutrition