![crying-statue[1]](http://3greenangels.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/crying-statue1-300x214.jpg "crying-statue[1]")
At this Wednesday’s #ecowed Twitter party on November 18, 2009, we will tackle a very difficult subject – losing a baby, whether by miscarriage or at full term. The holiday season can be exceptionally difficult for those that have lost a baby. And trying to reach out and comfort those friends or family members can feel awkward and uncomfortable.
What do you say to a woman who has lost a baby?
How do you offer comfort?
Our sponsor, Earth Mama Angel Baby, has a wonderful website to help answer those questions – Healing Hearts, Baby Loss Comfort. EMAB created Baby Loss Comfort to help provide real support as well as emotional comfort and resource information for women who have experienced baby loss from miscarriage to stillbirth.
Before I had my son, I suffered two miscarriages. The first was very early on – basically, right after I had a positive home pregnancy test kit result. But the second was at 10 and 1/2 weeks or so, after I had seen the heartbeat during my ultrasound exam. I was devastated. However, I really had a difficult time expressing the loss because nobody knew I was pregnant. I started bleeding at work, very early in the morning, and I couldn’t really tell people I was losing a baby that I didn’t have yet, if that makes sense. I had to grieve, but I really couldn’t.
EMAB’s Baby Loss Comfort site has tons of resources to help women and their partners that have lost a baby, as well as information for friends and family. There is also a remembrance page where people can post their memorials, and it is heart wrenching to read. But oddly comforting. And, finally, there are specially designed gifts to heal and help those that have lost a baby.
Unfortunately, sources vary, but many estimate that approximately 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage; and some estimates are as high as 1 in 3. If you include loss that occurs before a positive pregnancy test, some estimate that 40% of all conceptions result in loss.
Based primarily on information provided by the March of Dimes:
- There are about 4.4 million confirmed pregnancies in the U.S. every year;
- 900,000 to 1 million of those end in pregnancy losses EVERY year;
- More than 500,000 pregnancies each year end in miscarriage (occurring during the first 20 weeks);
- Approximately 26,000 end in stillbirth (considered stillbirth after 20 weeks);
- Approximately 19,000 end in infant death during the first month; and
- Approximately 39,000 end in infant death during the first year.
The statistics are a little scary, but they show that we all probably know somebody that has experienced baby loss. So, come help us talk about this difficult subject on November 18, 2009, at a sponsored #ecowed party from 10 to 11 pm Eastern. And yes, we will have prizes. Just RSVP below to be entered and join us during the party using the #ecowed hashtag.
FTC Disclosure: The November 18, 2009 #ecowed party is sponsored by Earth Mama Angel Baby.
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