Project Poppyseed Healing Resources
Learn about the healing power of poetry with poet Dr. Kuroiwa-Lewis, who guides learners through poetry writing exercises. Regardless of one’s level of expertise in poetry, this workshop supplies practical examples for beginners and experts alike in using poetry to heal in grief.
Journaling can be a helpful tool in processing grief. This resource provides prompts and resources to use journaling as a way to explore feelings, emotions, and experiences along the journey of healing.
Perinatal loss doesn’t make sense. Many partents struggle to find meaning in their loss. In addition to the recourses below, learn more about your loss to try and understand what you’re expereincing.
Making Memories
Molly Bears design custom weighted teddy bear that help ’empty arms syndrome.’ Studies have shown that the deep-touch pressure of the teddy bears helps the body feel more relaxed and is comforting to those grieving the loss of a baby. Molly Bears will make a teddy bear of the exact weight requested and many families order a bear with the birth weight of their baby.
Vitrifiedstudio creates custom porcelain urns for infants and children.
Mamie’s Poppy Plates is a non-profit which offers beautifully hand-painted plates with hand and footprints of little ones no longer with us. Plates can be customized to include names, time of birth, and weight.
Forever Footprints strives to provide parents with the best support, comfort, and resources available following perinatal loss. Memory boxed for parents and siblings are both provided free of charge to grieving families.
This resource offers infant remembrance photography to parents, free of charge, through a national network of volunteers helping parents who are experiencing perinatal loss.
Support & Support Groups
The goal of this network is to support parents and families of children living with life–limiting illness with the tools they need as they adjust to the prognosis and then when they contemplate their child’s transition to end–of–life. This is accomplished through providing parents with coping resources around anticipatory grief, bereavement and all the living in-between. Parents share through video their experiences and feelings, speaking frankly about intimate challenges and moments in caring for their sick child including through the end–of–life.
Hope in Healing Bereavement Program
Hope in Healing provides compassionate grief support to families who have experienced perinatal loss. Offered through Riley Children’s Hospital, Hope in Healing offers easily accessible grief resources such as articles, podcasts, and videos free of charge. Hope in Healing also suggests therapeutic coping techniques such as journaling, honoring rituals, and memory keeping activities.
The MISS Foundation provides support and resources to families after the death of a child from any cause, participates in legislative and advocacy issues, community engagement and volunteerism, and culturally competent, multidisciplinary, education opportunities. It provides online support groups, listings of local in-person support opportunities, and a regular newsletter for parents. The Foundation commits itself to providing long-term support to families after a child’s death.
Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death offers in-person and virtual support groups, bi-monthly magazines, and social media support to those experiencing perinatal loss.
Men of M.E.N.D. is a support group for fathers who have experienced perinatal loss. The group meets every 3rd Monday via Zoom.
This free app offers support to parents who become pregnant after experiencing a perinatal loss. Resources include information on coping skills, forums, articles, and peer-to-peer support. The app also features journaling options, weekly Bump Blogging, and connection to a community experiencing the same joy, anxiety, and uncertainty of pregnancy after loss.
Share: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
This resource provides support and information for families who have experienced the death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or in the first few months of life.
The Star Legacy Foundation offers multiple resource, including counseling and support groups, to grieving families. Additional resources include lactations support, pregnancy after loss, supporting siblings, and supporting dads.
Sufficient Grace Ministries supports families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, or a life-limiting fetal diagnosis. This non-profit assist families with planning funerals, collecting memorial items (such as hand and foot prints), and connecting to support groups. Many families have found this resource to be instrumental in their journey towards healing.
Resources
Books & Resources
Still His Mama – Neuroscientist and medical writer Terrell Hatzilias shares her experience with stillbirth. Her book seeks to help others explore their loss experience and find healing in their grief.
Still Breathing – Authored by a mother who experienced stillbirth, Still Breathing is a story of loss, love, growth, and healing.
Blindsided – The Blindsided podcast features parents’ stories with perinatal loss. Parents may find healing in listening to the stories of others and in learing that they are not alone. Parents are also invited to contact the hosts and share their own stories.
Some parents wish to create a legacy for their baby through organ and tissue donation. Purposeful Gift is a foundation which provides parents with information regarding organ and tissue donation for transplantation and research.
Anencephaly.info provides information about anencephaly for parents, families and caregivers.
Emotional Healing After Miscarriage
George Town University School of Nursing provides information and resources for moms and dads who have experienced miscarriage. Acknowledging the long-lasting impact of miscarriage, this resource focuses on emotional healing.
Life Perspectives offers support to parents following miscarriage by providing an anonymous place to share your story, hear others’ stories, and participate in memorial rituals. Post your baby’s name and birthday on the Memorial Wall and know your little one has not been forgotten.
Life Perspectives offers parents a path towards healing following abortion.
Additional Resources
- Loss and Grief in Pregnancy and Postpartum
- AMEND: Aiding Mothers and Fathers Experiencing Neonatal Death
- CLIMB: Center for Loss in Multiple Birth
- Compassionate Passages – Provides advocacy, education, and research to assist families, health care providers, and the community in being supportive during and after the death of a child.
- Grief Watch – Grief Watch publishes and distributes a variety of written materials, which includes books for siblings, bereavement resources, memorial products, and educational tools.