How to Use the Directory

Welcome to the Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss Directory. This blog is maintained by volunteers to act like a "telephone book" for blogs dealing with the loss of a baby. It is open to anyone who has ever lost a baby in any way - we do not discriminate by age of your baby or circumstance of your loss. If you think you belong here, then we think you belong here.

When you submit your blog, it is manually added to the list, so it may take some time for it to appear on the list. When you submit your information as requested below, it is easier to spot those emails that have been redirected into the spam mail.

Blogs are listed by category of loss. This is to help you find blogs that deal with circumstances that may be similar to yours. That being said, it can be a moving and healing experience to read the blogs of people who's loss is not similar to yours. You are welcome to read any of the blogs listed here.

Though there could be literally thousands of categories of loss, we have created 4 broad categories: before 20 weeks, after 20 weeks, after birth, and medical termination. Please note that most blogs dealing with extreme prematurity are listed in the "after birth" category even though the gestational age might suggest a different category.

As a warning to those feeling particularly fragile, many of the blogs listed here discuss living children or subsequent pregnancies. In the sidebar links, those blogs are usually marked with an asterisk(*). However, the circumstances of individual bloggers will change, and sometimes the listings do not get updated. It is possible to encounter pictures of living children or pregnant bellies on the blogs listed here.

We also have a list of resources (books), online links, and online publications that you may find useful. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the page to see the full listing of links.

We are so sorry the loss of a beloved child has brought you here. We hope that you will find some solace within the community that has gathered.
Please help us set up this resource for grieving families by:

Welcome

A. Submitting your blog information
(Email Subject: Please Add My Blog)
  • The link to your blog
  • The title of your blog
  • The topic of your blog (see sidebar - Personal Blogs)
  • If your blog discusses living children or subsequent pregnancy after loss

B. Submitting links to helpful web resources
(Email Subject: Please Add This Link)

C. Submitting titles of helpful reading materials or videos/films
(Email Subject: Please Add This Resource)

D. Adding a link to this site from your blog

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Monday, May 28, 2007

Globe and Mail: Burying the unborn

CAROLYN ABRAHAM
From Saturday's Globe and Mail
May 26, 2007 at 2:24 AM EDT



On the afternoon of Feb. 3, 25 people gathered in the chapel of Smiths Funeral Home in Sarnia, Ont., to honour the passing of Angel Lynzey Burden.

The community sent flowers and cards of condolence. Angel's ashes sat on a table up front, in a decorative urn half the size of a coffee cup. (continue)



Note: This article will only be available online for a few more days, possibly a week. If you are not able to access it via the link provided, please contact us so we can email electronic copy to you.

6 comments:

delphi said...

Bravo, friend, for writing such a wonderful article. It truly respects the desire for many families to have recognition for their children, no matter what gestational age. It is so important for families to make choices that suit them. I do think that it is right for funeral homes to be able to play a role in helping families grieve their losses. I hope that this article gives Canadians something positive to think about.

niobe said...

Thanks for posting this important article.

msfitzita said...

This is FANTASTIC. Utterly and completely wonderful for a million and one important reasons.

Thank you.

Unknown said...

I sure wish I had something like that for my daughter's little twin. Instead I heard the same, "We'll take care of it..." and I often wonder what "take care of it" meant.

kate said...

This is a wonderful article! It is so true that parents need to *know* that there are options available to them after a miscarriage....i am glad this issue is getting more widespread attention.

In the US there is also a movement for this -- i believe there is a bill in the legislature in Mississippi??? Not sure of the state, but the substance of the bill is that the parents should be told of their options. I will look for the link.

Anonymous said...

A wonderful and comprehensive article. In Australia, we are lucky to have some excellent social workers and counsellors in this area. Hospital and funeral practices are improving and respectful of the grieving. The main issue seems to me to be getting the information - that grieving families have some element of choice in how to deal with their baby's death - to the bereaved.
Only one problem, that we will see more of as this issue gains momentum. Mourning a lost baby is NOT a pro-life/pro-choice issue ... the two really need to be separated before the ratbags get in and hijack the wonderful progress that is being made in this area ...
But a truly great and sensitive article, which covers all of the main issues ... Thank you
Baby Xavier's mum