October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Early Pregnancy Loss. Stillbirth. Infant Loss. Sadly, these are deeply painful experiences that many families face daily, but they receive little attention. It may be hard to talk about, but the more open we are, the better we can
serve bereaved parents. Early pregnancy loss is the most common type of loss. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), studies reveal that anywhere from 10-25% of all clinically recognized pregnancies will end in early pregnancy loss. When fetal death occurs after 20 weeks of pregnancy, it is called stillbirth. These tragic deaths occur in about 1 in 160 pregnancies. Millions of mothers and fathers do not know where to turn for grieving support after losing a child. Bereaved families long for ways to honor their deceased babies and October is nationally-recognized as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. While child loss may be a more common occurrence than people think, there are still far too many families that face the devastating moments alone, desperate for support before, during or after the loss of a baby. Who is there to help? Who is there to offer support?
Here are some L.A. support groups:
- Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA Comforting Hearts Family Bereavement Group: (310) 825-0731 | uclahealth.org/cccp
- Little Angels of White Memorial Support Group: (562) 682-9631
- Los Angeles County Grief Healing Peer-Parent Support Group: Christina Thiele: (707) 849-5347 | christina23thiele@gmail.com and Myia Slaughter: (323) 965-7053 | myslaughter84@gmail.com
- Hospice of the Conejo: (805) 495-2145
