Pregnancy Loss Awareness Week: October 9 – 15

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An estimated 500,000 pregnancies are lost every year in the developed world alone.  Half a million unlived lives and uncountable hearts broken.  1 in every 148 babies are stillborn and 3 in every 1000 babies die shortly after birth.  The rates of loss are higher in underdeveloped nations.  October 9-15 has been designated as pregnancy loss awareness week globally.  The week winds up with the “Wave of Light” on October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.  People light candles in memory of all lost babies to symbolize their love and caring for all bereaved families. Official observance and awareness in communities helps families overcome their grief while also raising awareness of the shocking commonness of this tragedy.  This awareness will hopefully encourage more research and raise the possibility of more lives of lost babies being saved.

A miscarriage affects the entire family from the mother, father, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins.  Unfortunately, the lack of social awareness has lead to many of those suffering their grief to do so in silence.  People tend not to talk about it for varied reasons.  They may not want to make anyone feel uncomfortable or sad.  They may not want to trigger their own grief and end up a sobbing mess.  They may not want to hear the lame cliches that everyone thinks of in these situations such as:  “You’re young, you can have another” or “Maybe it was meant to be”.  Or, worst of all, they may be afraid that others will think they caused their own baby’s death.

The family, particularly the parents, are constantly having their grief triggered.  Babies and pregnant women are everywhere you look from your neighbours to the mall to on television.  It can make you afraid to even leave the house sometimes!  Even when watching television, you can be triggered by a commercial when watching a “safe” babyfree show.  I know one time when my husband were watching t.v., we saw a commercial which instantly made me break down in tears.  It was for the E.R. season premiere.  A lady was having an ultrasound and was told there was no heartbeat.  We were watching Two and a Half Men specifically to avoid having grief triggered.  The commercial came so suddenly and unexpectedly that I didn’t turn the channel.  The situation on the commercial is exactly what happened to us and shocked me into intense grief for hours afterwards.  It seems like it’s the same sort of situation as when you buy a car.  When you buy a Honda Pilot or whatever, you suddenly see them everywhere you look.  When you lose a baby, they are everywhere you look as well.