Grieving Moms Share What Helped After Stillbirth, Early Infant Death
- geraldinedonaher
- Apr 6
- 2 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
The hours following a baby's death is profoundly traumatic. Grieving mothers shared what provided the most comfort while they were in the hospital. I compiled the most commonly agreed-upon suggestions to support moms the hours after a stillbirth or early infant death. You can view text below the download button.
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Moms To Mom
No one is prepared when a baby dies.
Moms share what helped during their hospital stay:
"I was scared at first, but I held my baby and called him by name. It felt right to have him close to me."
" I allowed the hospital to take pictures of my baby. I couldn't look at the pictures for two weeks. When I did, it validated her existence. She was real."
"I took the clothes my baby wore home with me. I placed them in a plastic bag. The smell brings him close and comforts me on the really sad days."
"I asked a lot of questions but couldn't always remember the answers. I wrote my questions and the answers from the doctor and nurses in a journal."
"I had an autopsy done. The information helped me understand what happened. If you don't want an autopsy, that's okay. There's no right or wrong."
"When my milk came in, I tried not to be angry with my body. It was grieving, too."
"I didn't feel normal and that scared me. I talked to the nurse about my scary feelings and she reminded me that it's not normal for a baby to die and that my feelings actually made sense. I'm glad I talked to her."
"Grief-bursts felt like my heart was splitting. I started to think of them as love connections with my baby and then they didn't hurt so much."
"I didn't know how to choose between a cremation or burial. The Funeral Director explained everything and was very kind. I chose cremation because I wanted to keep my baby close. Choose what is best for you. There is no wrong answer."
"Leaving the hospital without my baby was painful. I put mementos, pictures, clothes, fingerprints, and footprints in a beautiful box and held it in my arms. I asked the nurse for an escort and she helped us leave quietly, gently."
