Grieving Your Baby

 

 

Grieving the death of your baby is a very difficult and painful process.  There is no right or wrong was to feel and there are no time limits to your grief.  Allow yourself to grieve at your own pace and in your own way.

 

Although not everyone grieves in the same way, there are some common feelings bereaved parents may experience along their journey through grieving the death of their baby.  Following the death of your baby you may initially experience numbness, shock, distress, fear, denial of the death, difficulty concentrating and you may struggle with day to day tasks.

 

You may begin to experience a wide range of feelings and emotions including guilt, anger, emptiness, intense sadness, loneliness, tearful episodes and hopelessness.  You may find that your thoughts are preoccupied with the death of your baby and you may also find yourself yearning for your baby.

 

It takes time to accept the permanency of the death of your baby.  You may become restless, irritable, introverted and withdrawn.  You may also find yourself experiencing anxiety, choking sensations, aching arms, and increase or decrease in appetite, difficulty sleeping and exhaustion.  It is not uncommon to see the world as empty and meaningless without your baby.  These feelings are difficult to experience buy they are normal and to be expected.

 

In time the intensity of your grief reactions will begin to recede allowing you to set new goals in your life and begin planning for the future again.  You will begin to participate in activities, experience renewed energy, and be able to once again experience joy and happiness.

 

The death of your baby is not something that you will get over.  The loss you are experiencing is incredibly painful - your heart is broken.  Life as you know it has changed.  As painful as the loss of your baby is, it is important to allow yourself to experience your grief, to feel and to express your pain.

 

In time you can learn to move forward in your grief.  You will never forget your baby, rather carry them in your heart always.