National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month

In 1988 President Ronald Reagan declared October as National Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. "When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses his or her partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn't a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States & around the world. It is also meant to inform & provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, still birth, birth defects, SIDS & other causes."

If you've been reading our blog for long or know us, you know that Donna & lost our first babies/pregnancy. Five months prior to becoming pregnant with the boys, I got pregnant for the first time. We were expecting twins but found out at 6 weeks that one had no heartbeat. We had an 8 week ultrasound for our remaining baby which revealed a healthy heartbeat & normal growth. Our next ultrasound at 12 weeks revealed that she no longer had a heartbeat. Needless to say we were crushed!!! We both had a hard time handling the loss. I hid out in the house waiting to miscarry naturally & avoiding the world while Donna put on a brave face & went back to work. I ended up in therapy which was great for me & we conceived the boys just 2 months after the miscarriage.

Even though we went on to have beautiful, healthy children, losing a pregnancy stays with you forever. I think of them every year on their due date (valentines day) & also on the day we found out the last baby had passed (August 1st.) We don't dwell in the sadness but we do allow ourselves to remember.

The statistics for miscarriage are a bit unnerving to me, I had no idea that depending on age 10-35% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. My heart aches every time I learn of a friend or family member or anyone really, that experiences a miscarriage. I cannot even fathom losing a child during or after birth!

So this month, remember your friends, family members & all of the families that have experienced pregnancy or infant loss & their precious babies.