October
is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month
So again it is Awareness Month for so many organizations. And for us the mission is to raise knowledge about the prevalence of child death that is happening, not only in the third world countries, but in the first world, right here, in our own front yards.
This article is being compiled to encourage you to get your pink, blue, and yellow ribbon and wear it. Your ribbon and angel pin and wear it. When someone asks you what it means, TELL THEM. Share your child's life and death with them. Let them know that there is a lot of work to do to make a difference in this world for other children, for the bereaved parents who have lost children. Tell them about MISS Foundation. Share the story of Mrs. Duck and The Woman with them. Do whatever you can and want to honor your children this month.
And here are a few other sources for more ideas and support this important month:
From Jen Mountney
Just wanted to remind everyone that October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This is a great opportunity for us to take the initiative and raise awareness in our communities. You can do something as simple as...
- Giving brochures on a perinatal bereavement support group or organization in your area to your local doctors' offices and hospitals.
- Making and donating pregnancy and infant loss ribbons to doctors' offices and hospitals in your area.
- Giving out information on perinatal loss and grief to healthcare providers in your area as well as hospitals and funeral directors.
- Sending a card to parents whose baby has died letting them know that you remember their baby and are thinking of them.
Jen also has a great resource compiled at Amazon for finding books to
support bereaved parents. These books might make good remembrance gifts
or holiday gifts as we move toward the gift giving time of year. The list
is titled: When A Baby Dies - A list of books for bereaved parents and
is available at:
www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/listmania/list-browse/-/I8MSY56O30LE
We also got email from Lisa Brown, a colleague of Robyn Bear's, informing us that the KotaPress site had old links to information about Lisa & Robyn's founding work to officially create Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month. We want to profusely thank Lisa for getting the new information to us, and officially announce the correction here:
www.pregnancyandinfantloss.com
Not only do Lisa & Robyn offer information about the beginnings of this Awareness Month, but they also have many wonderful ideas on the site as well. Check out the Remembrance Stickers, how to become a State Leader, or look at the calendar of Remembrance Events. Also, check out their wonderful ideas page at:
www.pregnancyandinfantloss.com/ideas.html
And we'd like to mention that the new MISS WA site now houses a calendar page for any and all child death support events happening in the Pacific NW area. We have several listings there now, but it is not nearly as comprehensive as I'd like it to be. Check it out to see if we have a memorial event listed that might help you to mark this month. And feel free to also be in touch with us about listing any other event you might know of in the NW.
www.missfoundation.org/seattle
And if you have any ideas or articles about how bereaved parents might get thru the holidays over these next few months, please be in touch with us. We're most interested in posting helpful information for parents to access as they encounter holiday challenges. Email us at editor@kotapress.com with ideas. Thanks
Biography
Kara lives on Vashon Island which is a much more awesome place than she
ever imagined it would be. She is a poet, bookmaker, wife, teacher, bereaved
mom, facilitator, receptionist, founder, struggling p.t.barnum, turtle
faithful, editor, artist, and a million other things that will prevent
you from putting her in any one particular label box! Kara teaches through
local art centers, artists in the schools programs, KotaPress and independently.
To find out more about her, see:
