Book List

Welcome to the Wanted Chosen Planned Booklist!

 

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A Bunch of Balloons: A Book – Workbook for Grieving Children – Dorothy Ferguson

A book to help grieving children acknowledge what they have lost and celebrate what they still have left when someone they love had died.

 

A Choice for Love– Susan E. Hodge

A journal after a genetic termination

 

A Different Kind Of Mother – Surviving the Loss of My Twins – Christine Howser

A must-read for bereaved parents, this is the author’s personal story of intense grief, depression and ultimate renewal of faith after losing her only children, twin infants, Steven and Timothy, within days of each other in October, 1999.

 

A Gift of Time – Continuing Your Pregnancy When Your Baby’s Life is Expected to Be Brief – Amy Kuebelbeck and Deborah Davis

A Gift of Time is a gentle and practical guide for parents who decide to continue their pregnancy knowing that their baby’s life will be brief. When prenatal testing reveals that an unborn child is expected to die before or shortly after birth, some parents will choose to proceed with the pregnancy and to welcome their child into the world. With compassion and support, A Gift of Time walks them step-by-step through this challenging and emotional experience—from the infant’s life-limiting prenatal diagnosis and the decision to have the baby to coping with the pregnancy and making plans for the baby’s birth and death.

 

A Grandparent’s Sorrow – Pat Schwiebert

A wonderfully sensitive and practical resource for those who are grieving. In A Grandparent’s Sorrow, Schweibert gently offers grieving grandparents support in their own sorrow while warmly suggesting ways they can help their children following the death their baby. A section for parents whose relationship with their children was already strained at the time of the loss is one of many unique perspectives she touches on

A Guide for Fathers: When a Baby Dies – Tim Nelson

The author of “A Father’s Story” and co-founder of A Place To Remember, Timothy Nelson, published this small pocket-sized guide. It lays out the basic information that a man needs to know when his child dies–and does so in no-nonsense, easy to read, non-flowery language. Includes chapters “The Early Hours”, “If You Have Other Children”, “The Arrangements”, “Going Home”, “Back to Work”, “Guilt/Blame”, “Anger”, “Going to a Support Group”, “Communicating In the Month Ahead”, “Future Pregnancy”, and “Life Goes On.”

 

A Piece of My Heart: Living through the grief of Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Infant Death                                – Molly Fumia

The death of a child is one of life’s most devastating experiences. Since it is contrary to the expected order of nature, most people remain confused about how to deal with their complex feelings. In A Piece of My Heart, author Molly Fumia chronicles the death of her infant son and her eventual recovery from it. Readers will empathize with the emotional journey that begins in denial and guilt, moves through remembrance and reconciliation, and ends in resolution and healing.

 

A Silent Love: Personal Stories of Coming to Terms with Miscarriage – Adrienne Ryan

Many people who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death have been made to feel they shouldn’t talk about it. As a result, their grief has often been compounded by guilt, shame, and sometimes anger. Now, with great sensitivity, Adrienne Ryan, who has herself suffered multiple miscarriages, explains why this grief is different than any other. This collection of more than fifty real-life stories–written by mothers as well as fathers and grandparents–give voice to that grief in all its emotional and psychic complexity. A Silent Love will offer support and hope to those who have lost a child, and will be an invaluable guide for friends and family.

 

A Silent Sorrow: Pregnancy Loss: Guidance and Support for You and Your Family                       by Ingrid Kohn, Perry-Lynn Moffitt & Isabelle A. Wilkins

A Silent Sorrow has long been considered the “bible” for families seeking emotional and practical support after a pregnancy loss. Well organized, easily accessible, and filled with practical suggestions for each topic it covers, A Silent Sorrowis a positive first step for bereaved parents and their families, providing support and guidance to help resolve the grief and enable them to look to the future with hope.

 

A Time To Decide, A Time To Heal – Molly A. Minnick, Kathleen J.  Delp, Mary C Ciotti

A book about the experience of parents making difficult decisions about babies they love, about taking control in a seemingly out of control situation, about hope for healing and about the experience of a subsequent pregnancy. It’s about how couples heal – together and apart, about continuing a pregnancy with known fetal anomalies, about selective fetal reduction, and the experience of D&E. It also includes touching poems, letters and memorials written by parents.

 

Abby: A mother’s Memoir of Losing One Daughter and Being Saved by Another                     – Lesa Kelley Stember

Carrying two miscarriages in five months, author Lesa Kelley Stember and her husband joyfully but anxiously learn they are again pregnant. Trepidation marks the first several months of the pregnancy, but the couple finally relaxes. Then, during an ordinary day in the sixth month, Lesa’s fears are realized-Abby stops moving. Trying to remain calm, she discusses the lack of movement with her midwife, Terry, the next afternoon. Terry is initially reassuring, but as she begins an ultrasound, her face immediately morphs. Silence fills the room and Lesa slowly understands its significance-no heartbeat can be heard. For unexplained reasons, Abby’s perfect little body has died, forcing Lesa and her husband, Jaime, to live through her tragic stillbirth. The experience does not end then, but becomes relentless torture over a period of weeks as the family suffers through Abby’s cremation, and the scattering of her ashes on a section of beach in Pebble Beach, California. Abby, an honest, introspective memoir of a stillbirth and its emotional aftermath, is also a celebration of Abby’s three-year-old sister, Peyton. Her small voice and tender heart pulled her family over incredible obstacles and gave them peace and hope during the darkest hours imaginable.

 

An Empty Cradle A Full Heart – Christine O’Keefe Lafser

Having twice lost children to death, the author offers grieving parents the empathy and courage that can come only from one who has shared the experience. Each reflection in this beautifully designed 249 page book is juxtaposed with a quote from Scripture

 

After Miscarriage – Medical Facts and Emotional Support for Pregnancy Loss – Krissi Danielsson

A simple unbiased collection of the known facts about miscarriage causes and treatments as well as a discussion of coping strategies that can be used as life moves on. Questions like, “What happened, and how can I find out why?” “What is my chance of ever carrying a baby to term?” and “What can I do to lessen my risk of another miscarriage?” are examined.

 

After the Loss of Your Baby: Couple Communication After a Baby Dies: Differing Perspectives – Sherokee Ilse and Tim Nelson

This book provides a unique approach to this difficult issue. Sherokee Ilse and Tim Nelson teamed up to offer not only their individual perspectives as a man and woman following the deaths of their children, but also to share how they and their spouses met the challenges many couples face during that stressful time. Addressing one topic at a time, they each share their thoughts and memories and then end the section with some suggestions for couples to consider. They have also incorporated insights from other couples who chose to share their experiences. Finally, in hopes of creating a meaningful dialogue, the book concludes with a mini-workbook where couples are posed questions on a variety of relevant issues.

 

All Angels Have Wings: One woman’s journey through grief to hope – Luleta Brown

In December 2003, Luleta Brown experienced one of life’s worst personal tragedies: her healthy unborn son died unexpectedly, four days before his official due date. She was told it was a “vague” mishap.

 

The arrival of Luleta’s son was to have been the miraculous fulfillment of a long-awaited dream. The grief was profound, unlike any other grieving over death that she had ever experienced (and she had grieved over death many times).

 

The subsequent days and weeks were a struggle; many times she questioned her proven resiliency and deep-rooted coping skills. As much as she tried, she could not seem to get to the point of total acceptance of this tragedy. She refused to accept that her life could be put through such upheaval for no reason; she did not believe fate had the right to do that.

 

After an arduous battle, Luleta made the choice to create a reason; she had what she can only refer to as an epiphany — the experience of an insight — to write this book. While doing so, she discovered that the process of writing the poems was helping her to confront emotions she had not yet confronted; it felt like a cleansing process. Luleta was seized in a writing frenzy; she wrote all the time, practically non-stop. Many times, she thought she had covered all the essential areas, but then an important scenario would present itself, out of the blue, to be included; for example, “The Most Natural Question in the World” and “Norman.” Some topics are approached in a direct and candid way.

 

The poems in All Angels Have Wings explore the gamut of emotions that Luleta experienced and struggled with. It was truly a journey through grief to hope and to finally embracing life again in a real way.

 

All That Is Seen and Unseen – Elizabeth Petrucelli

A book that takes you on a journey through the heart-wrenching experience of losing a child in the first trimester. This loss is typically brushed aside due to society’s opinion that a loss this early doesn’t matter. Women are often left to grieve in silence. The story is full of Elizabeth’s most private journal entries. You will walk alongside her as she introduces you to her life and learns of her pregnancy. Despite the years she suffered through infertility, her pregnancy was a complete surprise and Elizabeth was unhappy due to the timing. She quickly has a change of heart and began to love the new life growing inside her. . However, like many other women who endure pregnancy losses, she had a looming feeling she would lose her baby. Elizabeth takes you into the exam rooms with her as she watches her baby grow, only to discover that her feelings of loss were confirmed just eight weeks into her pregnancy. Elizabeth will walk you through her devastation, grief, and recovery. All That is Seen and Unseen comes to an end with resources and information regarding miscarriage including a common complication from a routine procedure that may interfere with a woman’s future fertility as well as what women can do to help honor the baby they lost.

 

An Exact Replica of a Figment of my Imagination: A Memoir – Elizabeth McCracken

“This is the happiest story in the world with the saddest ending,” writes Elizabeth McCracken in her powerful, inspiring memoir. A prize-winning, successful novelist in her 30s, McCracken was happy to be an itinerant writer and self-proclaimed spinster. But suddenly she fell in love, got married, and two years ago was living in a remote part of France, working on her novel, and waiting for the birth of her first child.

This book is about what happened next. In her ninth month of pregnancy, she learned that her baby boy had died. How do you deal with and recover from this kind of loss? Of course you don’t–but you go on. And if you have ever experienced loss or love someone who has, the company of this remarkable book will help you go on.

With humor and warmth and unfailing generosity, McCracken considers the nature of love and grief. She opens her heart and leaves all of ours the richer for it.

 

Angel Baby: A journal of Healing after the Loss of an Unborn, Born Still, or Newborn Child –Carey Knifong

Angel Baby was written to give comfort to mothers who have tragically lost their babies to miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal death. It is an open-ended journal guiding the bereaved mother along the journey of healing. It includes information about the grief process, sentence starters to assist the grieving mother in writing her thoughts, and a dialogue sharing both the author’s thoughts and letters to her Angel Baby. The author offers these glimpses into her own experiences to help validate the grieving mother’s feelings and to help her understand the vast array of emotions she is feeling. In addition, topics such as keepsakes, dealing with others, returning to work, handling holidays, spirituality, the marital relationship, siblings’ grief, and the grandparents’ reaction are addressed. The journal concludes by encouraging the mother to recount her pregnancy memories and to record how she has integrated her experiences into her life.

 

Angel Chase and His Mommy’s Sign – Colleen Severance

Written by Colleen from a personal experience, this book is provided to bring some comfort to parents and can be used to explain the loss of a pregnancy or child to other young children.

 

Angels in My Heart – Kathleen Olowin

Every year in the United States alone one million women experience the heartache of miscarriage. These numbers are staggering, yet most of these families feel alone in their grief. Through the sharing of the author’s own journey of miscarriage and motherhood, Angels in My Heart reaches out to grieving parents offering a hand to hold on the journey of healing. Each person’s story is different; however there are feelings and experiences that are shared by all who have lost a baby. Why are people saying these hurtful things to me? Will I ever get off this emotional merry-go-round? When am I going to get over this? Based on conversations with other bereaved parents, Kathleen provides insight and practical support for common experiences.

 

 

 

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Baby Angels – Jane Cowen-Fletcher

With gentle rhymes and warm pastels, Jane Cowen-Fletcher’s fetching creation will soon have readers of all ages believing in baby angels.

 

Baby Dust – Deanna Roy

Based on the stories of dozens of real survivors, Baby Dust is a moving tribute to the strength of mothers who must endure this impossible loss

 

Beyond Tears: Living after Losing a Child – Ellen Mitchell

Meant to comfort and give direction to bereaved parents, Beyond Tears is written by nine mothers who have each lost a child.  This revised edition includes a new chapter written from the perspective of surviving siblings.

The death of a child is that unimaginable loss no parent ever expects to face. In Beyond Tears, nine mothers share their individual stories of how to survive in the darkest hour. They candidly share with other bereaved parents what to expect in the first year and long beyond:
*Harmonious relationships can become strained
*There is a new definition of what one considers “normal”
*The question “how many children do you have?” can be devastating
*Mothers and fathers mourn and cope differently

*Surviving siblings grieve and suffer as well

*There simply is no answer to the question “why?”
This sharing in itself is a catharsis and because each of these mothers lost her child at least seven years ago, she is in a unique position to provide perspective on what newly bereaved parents can expect to feel. The mothers of Beyond Tears offer reassurance that the clouds of grief do lessen with time and that grieving parents will find a way to live, and even laugh again.

 

Bittersweet…Hello goodbye: A Resource in Planning Farewell Rituals When a Baby Dies – Jane M Lamb

 

Born Sleeping. A Mother’s Diary of Stillbirth, Loss, Love and Healing –  Anna Gray

A personal diary through losing my first baby, Amy. This book begins with the pregnancy, about losing my daughter and then the healing process that began as I fell pregnant with my son, Sam. Written from the heart, I share my story to help any other women who experience the agonizing loss of a child through stillbirth.

 

By Grace of Mourning – Corry Roach

Although I’ve worked with the dying and their families as a nurse for nearly forty years now, each experience touches me. With both my parents deceased, as well as my only sister, who died far too soon from cancer, death has also touched my personal life. Over the years, friends have also died as a result of illness, suicide and accidents.

However, the experience with death that changed my life most profoundly was that of my beloved infant daughter Lindsay. I wrote my book, By Grace of Mourning, at the time of her death but only published it recently, since individuals who’d read the manuscript insisted it was very helpful to them in their mourning process.

 

 

 

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Coming to Term: A Father’s Story of Birth, Loss, and Survival – William H. Woodwell, Jr

Kim and William Woodwell’s story is every parent’s nightmare. Pregnant, Kim was rushed to the hospital with a severe case of pre-eclampsia, a condition that can be fatal to mother and baby. Doctors held off delivery as long as possible, but after only 24 weeks of gestation, Kim gave birth to twins. William, a freelance writer and editor, gives a riveting, poignant, often piercing account of these events, following the twins through birth, the death of the smaller one, Nina, and the survival and ultimate health of Josie. Woodwell gives power to his account with minute, seemingly inconsequential details such as how, on his way to the hospital where his wife has been taken by ambulance, he turned the radio on and off, “wanting but unable just to think.” The hospital scene is described in similarly vivid detail: the wires, tubes and monitoring machinery, and especially the “clop-CLOP clop-CLOP” of the babies’ heartbeats. “Their hearts beat on like nothing’s wrong. Kim says they sound like horses…. It’s hard enough coming into the world the way most of us do. For them, it will be that much more of a surprise, that much more of a shock. Fact is, we’re essentially powerless to help them now, except to keep them in there as long as we can.” Though the doctors in the neonatal intensive care unit did their best, tiny Nina’s organs begin to fail one at a time and she finally dies. Though she has mild cerebral palsy, Josie is now four years old and is progressing well. Woodwell’s honest account of the events and the emotions he and his wife shared will be felt by all readers.

 

Coming to Term: Uncovering The Truth About Miscarriage – Jon Cohen

After his wife lost four pregnancies, Jon Cohen set out to gather the most comprehensive and accurate information on miscarriage–a topic shrouded in myth, hype, and uncertainty. The result of his mission is a uniquely revealing and inspirational book for every woman who has lost at least one pregnancy–and for her partner, family, and close friends.

Approaching the topic from a reporter’s perspective, Cohen takes us on an intriguing journey into the laboratories and clinics of researchers at the front, weaving together their cutting-edge findings with intimate portraits of a dozen families who have had difficulty bringing a baby to term.

Couples who seek medical help for miscarriage often encounter conflicting information about the causes of pregnancy loss and ways to prevent it. Cohen’s investigation synthesizes the latest scientific findings and unearths some surprising facts. We learn, for example, that nearly seven out of ten women who have had three or more miscarriages can still carry a child to term without medical intervention. Cohen also scrutinizes the full array of treatments, showing readers how to distinguish promising new options from the useless or even dangerous ones.

Coming to Term is the first book to turn a journalistic spotlight on a subject that has remained largely in the shadows. With an unrelenting eye and the compassion that comes from personal experience, Jon Cohen offers a message that is both enlightening and unexpectedly hopeful.

 

Coping with Holidays and Celebrations – Sherokee Ilse

examines the difficulty one faces on holidays or at family gatherings after the loss of a child–it may be the anniversary of the baby’s birth and/or death, a family reunion, Mother’s/Father’s Day, or the normal family traditions of religious holidays. This booklet examines the feelings that one may have on these occasions and offers suggestions in dealing with relatives or friends who may force participation “for your own good.” It also contains dozens of positive and affirming suggestions for turning those difficult days toward inner reflection and even celebration of the baby.

 

Coping with Miscarriage – Othniel J. Seiden, MD, M.J. Timmons, RN

For couples who have experienced a miscarriage, this book provides practical information for coping with the emotional impact of loss as well as the physical effects.

 

Couple Communication After a Baby Dies: Differing Perspectives – Sherokee Ilse and Tim Nelson

A unique book that helps bereaved parents at the time of their loss and in the days and months ahead. It offers hope, encouragement, and promotes healthy communication between partners who have suffered the ultimate loss of a baby.

Such a loss can shake the very core of a relationship, changing parents forever. The long process of healing can be significantly enhanced if parents remember things such as: ‘Love and loss are a part of life, just as joy and sorrow are a part of the human experience. Don’t add to your pain by attempting to deny your loss…talk with each other; tell your partner what you are feeling and what you need. Don’t try to hide behind work or keeping busy or staying in bed.’ The authors also offer extensive advice on the importance of communication, some of which includes, ‘Communication is not only what you say, but how it is perceived by the person listening. Communication is also what you don’t say as you interact. Judging each other’s words and deeds by using your intuition or making guesses is dangerous. When you are in doubt, don’t assume, instead check it out – ask. Make communication a priority, even during difficult times. This could be the key to saving your marriage and strengthening your love for each other.’

 

 

 

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Dear Cheyenne, A Journey into Grief: A Collection of Angels & Miracles, A Celebration of Motherhood… – Joanne Cacciatore

The book contains poetry, material appropriate for memorial services, grief information and a self help section. Also a look at men and women’s different grieving styles.

 

Discovering Hope – Anna Sklar

Discovering Hope chronicles the first ten years on a journey of healing after stillbirth.
Anna’s middle son, Caleb Joshua Freedom Sklar, was stillborn on May 21, 2003.
Writing about the experience has been the best way for Anna to process the grief she felt over the unexpected loss of her baby. In this book she offers journal entries, blog posts, articles, poems, thoughts, and reflections for you to read.
During the last ten years, Anna has encouraged and supported countless people on a similar journey of grief. She found her greatest source of healing came through connecting with others and sharing their stories. Discovering Hope contains a handful of those stories, contributed by other women who have discovered some hope weaved in with the sadness and pain of their loss.
For Anna, there were no answers for the loss; there were no reasons why her tiny Caleb died so suddenly. She shares her struggle to sift through the confusion and the heavy sadness. She comes alongside you while you do the same, and offers to walk and talk with you on the journey of healing.
Faith was the greatest source of hope Anna discovered on the journey. Through praying, reading the Bible and talking with other Christians, Anna was able to find some peace about Caleb’s death. Some days she was shouting at God, some days she was weeping, and some days she was calm and peaceful. He took it all from her and comforted her like only a Heavenly Father could.
Anna has searched for ways to make Caleb’s tiny life meaningful. This book is one of those ways.
Proceeds from the book will be used for charity donations, free distribution of copies of the book, and family mission trips.

 

 

 

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Embracing Laura: The grief and healing following the death of an infant twin – Martha Wegner-Hay

In Embracing Laura, Martha Wegner-Hay tells her story of grief and joy after discovering she was pregnant with twins, that one twin would not survive, and giving birth to her healthy son, David. After being told that one of her twins had almost no chance of survival and that the sick baby could affect the chance of survival of the healthy twin, Wegner-Hay and her family made the difficult choice of selective reduction. Embracing Laura tells of the wrenching collision of sadness at Laura’s death, and the joyous experience of David’s healthy birth.

 

Empty Arms – Sherokee Ilse

Empty Arms: Coping with miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death, one of the classics that began the movement to understand the grief that comes with infant death, it is still one of the best resources to help grieving parents. Author Sherokee Ilse covers the feelings, fears, fantasies and options that families face. It offers suggestions and support for the decision-making at the time of loss and in the days and months that follow.

 

Empty Arms – Hope and Support for those who have suffered a miscarriage, stillbirth or tubal pregnancy – Pam Vredevelt

Christian-based emotional support from the “Shocking News” through “Grief” and on to the “Challenge of a Postpartum Body” and “Eating for Health”. There is also a chapter “The Bible Offers Hope & Comfort.”

 

Empty Cradle Broken Heart – Deborah L. Davis, PhD

Empty Cradle, Broken Heart: Surviving the Death of Your Baby by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D., convincingly relays the message “You are not alone and you can survive.” It is one of the best written, best organized and most comprehensive books on the grief suffered after the death of a child. The “Points To Remember” at the end of every chapter help you decide what to read the first time, or are a wonderful way of re-finding something later to reaffirm the healing process. Includes a comprehensive index.

 

Ethan’s Butterflies – Christine Jonas-Simpson

A heartwarming story of the continuing relationship our children have with their brothers or sisters they have lost. A gentle tale to help parents open the first words of precious and healing dialogue.

 

Expecting Sunshine: A Journey of Grief, Healing and Pregnancy After Loss – Alexis Marie Chute

After her son, Zachary, dies in her arms at birth, visual artist and author Alexis Marie Chute disappears into her “Year of Distraction.” She cannot paint or write or tap into the heart of who she used to be, mourning not only for Zachary, but also for the future they might have had together. It is only when Chute learns she is pregnant again that she sets out to find healing and rediscover her identity―just in time, she hopes, to welcome her next child.

In the forty weeks of her pregnancy, Chute grapples with her strained marriage, shaken faith, and medical diagnosis, with profound results. Glowing with riveting and gorgeous prose, Expecting Sunshine chronicles the anticipation and anxiety of expecting a baby while still grieving for the child that came before―enveloping readers with insightful observations on grief and healing, life and death, and the incredible power of a mother’s love.

 

Expecting with Hope: Claiming Joy When Expecting A Baby After A Loss – Teske Drake

‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.’ -Isaiah 26:3

When 31 percent of pregnancies end in loss, it is no surprise that miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss brings great grief, nor is there a shortage of books addressing how to move through and past that sorrow. What is seldom considered, however, is that 85 percent of those women go on to become pregnant again-yet the complexity of emotions triggered by a pregnancy following a loss is rarely addressed. With this book, Teske Drake challenges women to claim joy in the midst of grief when newly expecting, and shows them just how to accomplish that. Centered on biblical promises like the one above, and focused specifically around promises of ‘peace,’ this book is a practical guide written by a mother who’s been there. Drake acknowledges the torrent of anxiety that replaces the natural joy pregnancy can bring. She avoids painful clichés and works instead to unearth deeper truths. Her tone is gentle, caring, and compassionate, drawing women back to a place of peace and joy, both with God and with their current pregnancy. This ten-chapter book includes accompanying devotions, ‘Pregnancy Prayers,’ personal anecdotes from other mothers who’ve experienced similar loss, and ‘Pen the Promise’ journaling prompts to encourage personal application of the promises Drake reveals. She constantly drives the reader back to Scripture, sharing not only promises given, but promises fulfilled. Women are offered practical information, as well as encouragement and inspiration. With Expecting with Hope, Drake provides a deeply needed space for expectant mothers to rediscover the joy and peace of pregnancy.

 

 

 

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Fathers Feel Too: A Book For Men on Coping the Death Of A Baby – Andrew Don

Fathers Feel Too has created such a stir it was publicized in The Times and Home and Family magazine even before publication. It is a new book available from the Stillbirth and Neonatal Death Society written by veteran journalist and poet Andrew Don whose baby Lara Jean died during the fifth month in the womb. For generations, men have been expected to keep a stiff upper lip and to hold it together for wives and partners. Now for the first time, men speak openly about the pain of losing a baby and describe how, several years down the line, they have worked through their grief and found new joy in their lives .Essential reading for medical professionals, support service providers, men and all those who love them. Fathers Feel too is disturbing; it is heart-wrenching and an education.
But above all it is a book of hope – a must-read.

For Bereaved Grandparents – Margaret Gerner Written for grandparents following the death of any age grandchild, For Bereaved Grandparents is filled with lots of comforting words and useful suggestions. Margaret Gerner offers many insights for grandparents as they deal with their own initial grief following the death and takes a gentle look at the long road of sadness that lies ahead. This book is gentle, practical and sure to be helpful

 

For Better or Worse – Maribeth Wilder Doerr

For strengthening marriages after a child dies. Looks at gender grief, building your relationship after your child dies, how to help each other heal; includes a grief chat. “While it’s important to respect your spouse’s needs, it’s also wise to respect your own. You must take care of yourself both physically and emotionally. . .”

 

 Footprints on My Heart: A Memoir of Miscarriage & Pregnancy After Loss- Molly Remer

Footprints on My Heart is a personal memoir of a childbirth educator’s experiences with miscarriage and then pregnancy after loss. The author experienced a second trimester miscarriage in 2009, followed by an early miscarriage in 2010. While initially exploring the many complex reactions and feelings towards miscarriage, including the acknowledgement of miscarriage as a *birth event,* the memoir then explores the complicated emotional terrain of pregnancy after loss as the author finally experiences another successful full-term pregnancy. Includes an appendix with material and information about physically coping with miscarriage, planning for a home miscarriage, and recommended reading.

 

Forever our Angels – Hannah Stone

 

No one knows the devastation and heartache of losing a baby more than a father or mother, yet rarely is the topic discussed. Parents are told to move on with their lives and forge ahead, even though the pain remains. Forever Our Angels is a collection of personal stories told by the men and women who were dealt the blow of miscarriage.

 

Forever Silent, Forever Changed: the Loss of a Baby in Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Early Infancy – A Mother’s Experience and Your Personal Journal – Kellie Davis

Forever Silent, Forever Changed was written for Kellie’s son, Kyle, born still on November 10, 1998 and for families and friends of those who have experienced losses similar to hers. In this book, you will find Kellie’s journey through loss, grief and acceptance. Also, she has included pages the reader can use as a journal to help guide her on her own healing path. A must read for parents, family, friends and health care providers.

 

Forgotten Tears: A Grandmother’s Journey through Grief – Nina Bennett

Written by a bereaved grandmother, portrays the unique grief journey of grandparents. It reviews the traditional stages and theories of grief, and contains quotes from leading grief authorities as well as personal accounts from bereaved grandparents.

 

 

 

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Gentle Willow: A Story for Children About Dying – J.C. Mills

Explains the dying process, how the living can comfort the dying, and how we cherish memories of them after death. Can prepare a sibling for the impending death of a baby.

Spiritual without being religious, it describes death as change of form rather than an ending.

 

Ghostbelly – Elizabeth Heineman

This is a personal account of a home birth that goes tragically wrong—ending in a stillbirth—and the harrowing process of grief and questioning that follows. It’s also Heineman’s unexpected tale of the loss of a newborn: before burial, she brings the baby home for overnight stays.
Does this sound unsettling? Of course. We’re not supposed to hold and caress dead bodies. But then again, babies aren’t supposed to die.
In this courageous and deeply intimate memoir, Heineman examines the home-birth and maternal health-care industry, the isolation of midwives, and the scripting of her own grief. With no resolution to sadness, Heineman and her partner learn to live in a new world: a world in which they face each day with the understanding of the fragility of the present.

 

Goodbye My Child – Margaret M. Pike

This book covers death of all ages of children, and a range of topics from the question of organ donation and autopsy, to the planning of a funeral. It summarizes the five phases of mourning, and gives an overview of the healing journey. It deals with the grief experienced by grandparents, siblings, and friends. This is a great book for summarizing a lot of information into its most basic form. Nice pencil sketches add warmth.

 

Grieving the Child I Never Knew – Kathe Wunnenberg

When the anticipation of your child’s birth turns into the grief of miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, stillbirth, or early infant death, no words on earth can ease your loss. But there is strength and encouragement in the wisdom of others who have been there and found that God’s comfort is real. Having experienced three miscarriages and the death of an infant son, Kathe Wunnenberg knows the deep anguish of losing a child. Grieving the Child I Never Knew was born from her personal journey through sorrow. It is a wise and tender companion for mothers whose hearts have been broken–mothers like you whose dreams have been shattered and who wonder how to go on. This devotional collection will help you grieve honestly and well. With seasoned insights and gentle questions, it invites you to present your hurts before God, and to receive over time the healing that He alone can–and will–provide. Each devotion includes: * Scripture passage and prayer * ‘Steps Toward Healing’ questions * Space for journaling Readings for holidays and special occasions also included

 

 

 

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Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart– Alan Wolfelt, PhD

This book is for families, friends and caregivers who want practical, day-to-day “how-tos” for helping the grieving children they love. Some of the ideas teach about children’s unique mourning styles and needs. Others suggest simple activities and “companioning” tips. A compassionate, easy-to-read resource for parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, teachers, volunteers — and a great refresher for professional caregivers.

 

Healing a Grandparent’s Grieving Heart – Alan Wolfelt, PhD

The death of a young person is never easy. But when a grandchild dies, grandparents grief doubly. They grieve for the loss of their grandchild, and they grieve for their own child, who is now a bereaved parent.

 

Healing Relationships with Miscarried, Aborted and Stillborn Babies – Sheila Fabricant, Matthew Linn, Dennis Linn, S.J

The loss of a child through miscarriage, abortion, or stillbirth is a deep hurt. Healing happens as parents share their grief with Jesus and experience how they can continue to give and receive love and forgiveness with their child in prayer through Jesus.

 

Healing Together: For Couples Grieving the Death of Their Baby – Marcie Lister & Sandra Lovell

This compact booklet, Healing Together, covers ideas from the memorial service to talking together, information on how men and women grieve differently, and how to strengthen your relationship after the loss of your baby. Each section is concise and to the point–sections include “Saying God-bye Together,” “Remembering Your Baby,” “Your Emotional Pain,” “Getting Ready for Parenthood,” “Mother-to-be,” “Father-to-be,” “Grieving Differently,” “Facing Feelings Together,” “Expressing Feelings,” “Other Children” and “Letting Grief Strengthen Your Relationship.”

 

Healing Your Grieving Heart After Miscarriage – Dr Alan Wolfelt

Miscarriage is a significant loss experienced by millions of women and couples each year. Yet because it is so common, and also because it is invisible to others, grieving parents often suffer in silence, without acknowledgement or support.

Miscarriage grief is real and justified. Love plus loss equals grief. If you wanted and loved a baby who was miscarried, of course you grieve. And now you must mourn. The purpose of this book is to help you mourn and heal.

 

Healing Your Grieving Heart After Stillbirth – Alan Wolfelt, Raelynn Maloney

Dr. Alan Wolfelt compassionately explores the common feelings of shock, anger, guilt, and sadness that accompany a stillborn child, offering suggestions for expressing feelings, remembering the child, and healing as a family. Ideas to help each unique person—mother, father, grandparent, sibling, friend—are included, as are thoughts from families who experienced a stillbirth. This new addition to Dr. Wolfelt’s popular series is a healing companion to families when they need it most.

 

Healing Your Grieving Heart for Kids: 100 Practical Ideas – Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD

With sensitivity and insight, this series offers suggestions for healing activities that can help survivors learn to express their grief and mourn naturally. Acknowledging that death is a painful, ongoing part of life, they explain how people need to slow down, turn inward, embrace their feelings of loss, and seek and accept support when a loved one dies. Each book, geared for mourning adults, teens, or children, provides ideas and action-oriented tips that teach the basic principles of grief and healing. These ideas and activities are aimed at reducing the confusion, anxiety, and huge personal void so that the living can begin their lives again. Included in the books for teens and kids are age-appropriate activities that teach younger people that their thoughts are not only normal but necessary.

 

Heart Works: A Father’s Grief – Jerre Peterson

This is a book for everyone who has ever loved. This is a book about the beauty of life.
Across the pages of this book, a father makes a courageous effort to put into print his deepest feelings regarding life. Heart Works explores the paralyzing depths of grief, the awesome power of love and the incredible light of hope.
The newly bereaved, unable to concentrate, can pick this book up, read a page or simply gaze at the photographs and feel a connection with their own emotions.
People who have swallowed their grief for years can use this book as a tool to open themselves up and allow the grief to start lifting.
Those who have not yet experienced a death, yet have sadness due to a divorce, relationship breakup, or loss of a job will find solace by the words in Hearts Works.
All who read this book will be reminded of the fragility of life, and be encouraged to love more, show more patience, and slow down to enjoy the beauty of this world.

 

Heaven Is For Real – Todd Burpo

When Colton Burpo made it through an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his miraculous survival. What they weren’t expecting, though, was the story that emerged in the months that followed—a story as beautiful as it was extraordinary, detailing their little boy’s trip to heaven and back.

Colton, not yet four years old, told his parents he left his body during the surgery–and authenticated that claim by describing exactly what his parents were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on. He talked of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He also astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, though he had not yet learned to read.

With disarming innocence and the plainspoken boldness of a child, Colton tells of meeting long-departed family members. He describes Jesus, the angels, how “really, really big” God is, and how much God loves us. Retold by his father, but using Colton’s uniquely simple words, Heaven Is for Real  offers a glimpse of the world that awaits us, where as Colton says, “Nobody is old and nobody wears glasses.”

Heaven Is for Real will forever change the way you think of eternity, offering the chance to see, and believe, like a child.

 

Help, Comfort & Hope – Hannah Lothrop

Help, Comfort & Hope after Losing Your Baby in Pregnancy or the First Year, is warmly written for those who have lost a child through miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death, SIDS or termination of pregnancy. In the first part of the book, Hannah Lothrop offers practical coping suggestions for families and gently suggests what has helped other parents survive the crisis of losing a child. In the second part of the book, she provides specific information for caregivers — hospital staff, ministers, funeral directors, support group leaders — who work with grieving families. An extensive resource section helps identify additional sources of support.

 

Holding on to Faith – Audrey McDonald Careny.

Audrey McDonald Careny lives in the town of Shepherdsville, KY. She is a licensed professional counselor who earned her master’s degree in mental health counseling from Indiana University Southeast. Upon building her dream of having children, she encountered an emotional turmoil she never expected to experience. Over a seven-year period, from 1998-2004, she and her husband experienced a total of five pregnancies. Of the five, they experienced the loss of two babies by miscarriage, the loss of one by a tubal pregnancy, and through faith, they gave birth to two precious babies. This is a story of her personal experience while trying to conceive. It is the sharing of a story while trying to fulfill the dream of motherhood. Holding On To Faith is a story for those who have experienced the loss of their unborn child. It is a journey that offers hope and faith for a future conception.

 

How to Survive the loss of a Child: Filling the emptiness and Rebuilding Your Life– Catherine M. Sanders, PhD

It is only through experiencing grief that bereaved parents ultimately heal. Moving through the phases of grief, the bereaved person works toward restoration. Understanding these phases, knowing what to expect, and learning what they can do to help themselves give parents greater assurance and comfort.

Dr. Sanders, a bereaved parent herself, offers grieving parents practical help and emotional support. This book also helps family members, friends, and caregivers relate to grieving parents and aids them, too, in understanding the process of healing through grief.

 

How to Expect What You’re Not Expecting – Jessica Hiemsta and Lisa Martin-Demoor

One size fits all does not apply to pregnancy and childbirth. Each one is different, unique, and comes with its share of pleasure and pain. But how does one prepare for an unexpected loss of a pregnancy or hoped-for baby? In How to Expect What You’re Not Expecting, writers share their true stories of miscarriage, stillbirth, infertility, and other, related losses. This literary anthology picks up where some pregnancy books end and offers diverse, honest, and moving essays that can prepare and guide women and their families for when the unforeseen happens.

 

How to Prevent Miscarriage and Other Crisis of Pregnancy – Stefan Semchyshyn MD

If you have: Miscarried, given birth prematurely, experienced a still birth or would like to avoid these tragedies in the first place, you need to read How to Prevent Miscarriage and Other Crises of Pregnancy by Dr. Stefan Semchyshyn and Carol Colman. Dr. Semchyshyn is one of the only four hundred doctors in the United States certified in maternal-fetal medicine and has a remarkable 97.5 percent success rate for bringing healthy babies to term in his high-risk-pregnancy practice. In How to Prevent Miscarriage and Other Crises of Pregnancy, Dr. Semchyshyn looks at the causes of miscarriage and premature labor, and offers sound, state-of-the-art advice on treatment and prevention. He details how to monitor your pregnancy from conception to birth and outlines a homecare program and emergency procedures designed to prevent a small problem in your pregnancy from becoming a crisis. Dr. Semchyshyn also discusses exercise, nutrition, coping with a difficult pregnancy, and much more. This is an essential book for every woman who wants to have a healthy baby.

 

 

 

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I Didn’t Miscarry Her….She Died – Michelle Myers-Walters

A vivid and creative expression of what it’s like to lose an unborn child and heal from such a loss. Through a combination of real life stories, poetry, song lyrics, letters, quotes, and personal observations, author Michelle Myers-Walters meets every experience with refreshing honesty and comfort for the hurting mother. It’s ok to be scared, to have your faith shaken, to be upset at insensitive doctors or ignorant friends, and to rely on the warm arms of family support. You did not mis-carry your baby, and the situation is not your fault. You are still mourning a loved one, regardless of how small they may have been.

 

I Never Held You – Ellen M. Dubois

A book that speaks to the heart of women, their families and friends who have either lived through the pain & grief after miscarriage, or who want to better support someone who has. Author Ellen M. DuBois shares her own painful journey after miscarriage taking you from her darkest moments of grief, despair, isolation, anxiety, fear and depression to the steps she took towards healing and recovery. Her suggestions prove to be helpful in balancing the emotional peaks and valleys after suffering such a heartbreaking loss. I Never Held You validates your grief after losing a baby to miscarriage, and assures you that you’re not alone in your struggle. With the help of contributing author Dr. Linda Backman, Ed.D., licensed grief counselor, psychologist and author, you’ll come to better understand grief- and why it’s so important to allow yourself the time necessary to heal. If you’re looking for help and support after miscarriage, or want to help someone how has miscarried, this is the book for you.

 

Isabelle’s Dream: A Story and Activity Book for a Child’s Grief Journey – Betsy Bottino Arenella

 

Based on the true story of two sisters, Isabelle’s Dream takes the reader on a heartwarming journey from grief to hope.

 

 

 

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Journeys: Stories of Pregnancy After Loss – Amy L. Abbey, Editor

Not all pregnancies end with a healthy child going home from the hospital in the arms of its happy parents. There is a little recognized reality that many pregnancies end in pre-delivery death in utero. There are numerous reasons for such tragedies, but often the loss is unexplainable. Amy L. Abbey as author and editor, has gathered the stories of almost a dozen families, and shares how the families coped with loss and went on to have successful pregnancies.

 

 

 

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Knocked Up, Knocked Down – Monica Murphy Le-Moine

Monica Murphy LeMoine is used to writing postcards from strange, faraway places. After years of traveling around the world with her Peace Corps sweetheart-turned-husband, she finds herself on a blissfully ignorant journey toward new parenthood. But when the pregnancy ends before it’s supposed to, Monica is abruptly launched into a different kind of world that nothing in life has prepared her for. It is up to Monica to navigate this strange land of almost-parenthood, make sense of her own confusing grief for real and imagined lives lost, and-ultimately-learn to move forward without someone she loves. A memoir told in postcards, Knocked up, Knocked Down is about finding solace in the most surprising places when life knocks you to the ground. And if you have ever lost a loved one, this uplifting story will help you move upward, too. “Monica Murphy LeMoine worked all over the world with the Peace Corps and grew up in a family that never had time to ‘sit around and wallow.’ She never comes close to that in this deeply and darkly funny, anti-trauma memoir. Refusing to accept the grief package defined by well-meaning counselors who said she’d never recover, this book calmly and firmly replies, ‘bull#@%&!”

 

 

 

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Letters to My Unborn Children: Meditations on the Silent Grief of Miscarriage – Shawn T Collins

This book contains author Shawn T. Collins reflections on the silent grief of miscarriage, and encouragement to those who grieve that you are not alone. Miscarriage is a silent grief. It is unexpected before it happens, frequently unexplainable when it occurs, and rarely discussed afterwards. Parents grieve in different ways and at different times from each other. That can complicate and exacerbate their grief. Shawn and Kristine Collins experienced this when three of their pregnancies ended in first trimester miscarriages. Letters to My Unborn Children discusses the tension between cautious excitement and hope for new life with each pregnancy, and the raw grief, vanished dreams and cynicism that accompanied each loss. Recognizing other forms of silent grief helped Shawn and Kristine begin to grieve and heal together. The gentle honesty with which Shawn integrates the miscarriages into his identity invites you into universal experiences of fear, hope, grief, and transformation.

 

Lifetimes: The Beautiful Way to Explain Death to Children – Bryan Mellonie

When the death of a relative, a friend, or a pet happens or is about to happen . . . how can we help a child to understand?

Lifetimes is a moving book for children of all ages, even parents too. It lets us explain life and death in a sensitive, caring, beautiful way. Lifetimes tells us about beginnings. And about endings. And about living in between. With large, wonderful illustrations, it tells about plants. About animals. About people. It tells that dying is as much a part of living as being born. It helps us to remember. It helps us to understand.

 

Losing Emily: A Journey through Stillbirth to Finding Peace and Embracing New Hope                               – Tammy Anderson

A powerful and moving must read story based on the author’s own heartfelt, painful journey of surviving the stillbirth of her daughter Emily at 37.5 weeks of pregnancy. Losing Emily reaches out to help grieving parents as they embark on their journey of healing by offering words of comfort and peace, a much needed connection to someone who has been there and understands the struggle and true depth of the unimaginable pain of losing a baby. Whether your loss be from a miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death; there is no greater heartbreak than losing your much loved and wanted child. Through Emily’s tragic death, her legacy lives on by sharing a message of new hope to help bereaved parents as they move through the difficult process of healing while finding new strength and courage to carry on without your child.

 

Losing Malcolm: A Mother’s Journey through Grief – Carol Henderson

 

One autumn morning Carol Henderson was a new mother recovering in the hospital and cradling a baby the doctor declared perfect. Within days of delivery, the new mother’s peaceful world disintegrated into a nightmare of hospitals, tubes, EKG’s, and operations. Her baby had a serious heart murmur. Losing Malcolm is a frank and compelling narrative about a naive mother whose carefully constructed life unravels when her infant son dies. Before her son’s devastating illness, the author had little experience with the realities of disease and death. After dealing with doctors and living around the clock in the hospital, Henderson, a hypochondriac who feared all things medical, becomes an informed and tenacious advocate for her child. After a free-fall plunge to the depths of her grief, she resurfaces with a newfound sense of self, a deep empathy for others, and a poignant awareness that enduring grief eventually takes its place in the broader tapestry of life. Interweaving dreams and journal entries, this highly original memoir offers an evocative chronicle of emotional devastation and recovery. Henderson’s account also reveals the differing ways in which she and her husband responded to their child’s death and the ways in which loss transformed them. With wit and caring, she also deals with the taboos that exist in the way society-grandparents, friends, and neighbors-deal with death. This spare, honest narrative resonates with universal themes. It will appeal to those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, those who know someone who is suffering, and those who are interested in reading about the tragedies and triumphs of others. Praise for Losing Malcolm: “A spell-binding, uplifting story that reads like a novel. I couldn’t put it down.”- Lee Smith, author of Fair and Tender Ladies “In this powerful and moving memoir, Carol Henderson grows from innocence, through harrowing grief, to the deep knowledge that darkness is crucial to a sense of the fullness of life.”- Annie Dillard, author of Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. Carol Henderson has been a freelance journalist since 1985. Her work has been published in such periodicals as Utne Reader, The Oxford American, Woman’s Day, The Chapel Hill News, Attache, and Kidsville. She lives in Chapel Hill, N.C.

 

Losing You Too Soon: Finding Hope After Miscarriage of the Loss of a Baby – Bernadette Keaggy

The Keaggys’ experience mirrors that of many who have experience stillbirth or miscarriage and don’t know where to turn for hope and healing.

In Losing You too Soon Bernadette writes with candor about the hurt and confusion that shook her, Phil, and their marriage as they dealt with the eventual loss of five babies. Her story does not offer simple solutions, but an example of finding the strength and courage to go on. Interspersed with the Keaggys’ story is practical advice for dealing with and recovering from loss. Poignant letters from other couples reveal different facets of grief and coping.

Many people who have experienced such a loss know how hard it is to find someone can truly understand what they are going through. For such readers, or those who seek to comfort them, Losing You to Soon is a source of profound encouragement and a reminder that God promises grace and hope in the midst of even the deepest pain.

 

Love From a Star – Katherine Cutchin Gazetta

Sometimes you just need to know that you are loved. That is what this little gift book is all about. With a stowaway frog hidden throughout the pages, Love from a Star brings a message that you are loved and never alone. Wherever you are, whatever you face, God is there. Just look for His star. Painted with watercolors for a whimsical effect, this book includes glow-in-the-dark stars, a gift from Bear and Rabbit

 

Love Letters to Miscarried Moms – Samantha Evans

Love Letters to Miscarried Moms is the story of one woman’s journey, the same journey that each mother who miscarries begrudgingly embarks on–the excitement of pregnancy, the overwhelming, unfathomable devastation and loss, the grotesque details that no one speaks of, the uphill road toward hope and freedom–and the Savior who walks beside her every step of the way. “Though she stumbles, she will not fall, for the Lord upholds her with His right hand” (Psalm 37:24).

 

Love You Forever – Robert Muncsh

Love You Forever started as a song.

 “I’ll love you forever,
I’ll like you for always,
as long as I’m living
my baby you’ll be.”

I made that up after my wife and I had two babies born dead. The song was my song to my dead babies. For a long time I had it in my head and I couldn’t even sing it because every time I tried to sing it I cried. It was very strange having a song in my head that I couldn’t sing.

 

Loving and Letting Go – Deborah L. Davis PhD

Deborah Davis has written, Loving and Letting Go, for those parents who decide not to seek aggressive medical intervention for their critically ill newborn. The book guides parents as they try to sort through the medical information that is being presented them and balancing that with the many emotions and quality of life issues that parents in this situation must weigh. Davis also helps parents anticipate some of the reactions others may have to their decision and offers possible responses. A much needed and well done resource.

 

Loving Your Baby – Shari Morash

A gentle and practical guide to parenting through miscarriage, stillbirth and infant death. Designed to help parents and professionals navigate the first moments surrounding a child’s death.

 

 

 

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Miscarriage: A Book for Parents Experiencing Fetal Death – Joy and Marvin Johnson with Chaplains James Cunningham and Sarah Ewing and RN’s Dale Hatcher and Carol Dannen talks about the many issues families face when miscarriage occurs. Offers insights into the feelings of anger, guilt and hurt, as well as relationship issues that can come up following a loss

 

Miscarriage: A Man’s Book – Rick Wheat

Written by a Marriage and Family Therapist who has experienced the difficulties of miscarriage first-hand. The first page is devoted to “an emergency page nine items a man should know right away when his wife has just had a miscarriage, including “recognize the importance of this event. This may well be the worst thing that has ever happened to your wife and maybe to you, too.” He talks about things that will be difficult and discusses the stages of grief and some of the responses that may result such as guilt, depression or withdrawal. He also gives some practical tips on how to keep the marital relationship strong after such a devastating event.

 

Miscarriage: A Shattered Dream – Sherokee Ilse, Linda Hammer Burns

This book offers a comprehensive and insightful perspective on possible causes, medical terminology, choices and decisions, for families experiencing a miscarriage. It also examines the emotional aspects of miscarriage, offers coping suggestions, and discusses choices for the future. It includes resources and a bibliography. The main message of Miscarriage: A Shattered Dream is to be kind to yourself.

 

Miscarriage: Women Sharing from the Heart – Marie Allen and Shelly Marks

Compassion and support from 100 women “Women who miscarry must not and need not be left in emotional isolation. I am pleased that this timely and sensitive reflection on miscarriage is now available to grieving women and to those who are involved in their lives.” –from the Foreword by Richard F. Jones III, MD, FACOG President, The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Based on the authors’ own experiences as well as the shared experiences of women from across the country, Miscarriage: Women Sharing From the Heart is more than a helpful resource. This candid and poignant book helps you understand and work through your deepest feelings and concerns and, most importantly, reassures you that you aren’t alone. The authors offer:                                                                         * Support, empathy, and a clear path towards healing
* The personal stories of 100 women talking about their miscarriage experiences
* Interviews with fathers on how they have been affected
* Helpful advice for partners, family members, and health care professionals

 

Motherhood after Miscarriage- Dr. Kathleen Diamond       

It is estimated that approximately one-half of all pregnancies result in miscarriage (although many of these occur so early in term that the woman is not aware of what has happened). Why is miscarriage still widely seen as an “unnatural” event, a disease or failure on the part of the prospective mother? Dr. Kathleen Diamond, an expert in genetic research, explains in simple, easy-to-understand language the physical process of early pregnancy. Dr. Diamond is also a mother of two who has herself experienced four miscarriages. Motherhood After Miscarriage is a compelling, understandable explanation of a sensitive issue that has been ignored for too long. “What happened-and why? Should I try again-and if so, how can I maximize the chances for a safe birth?” This book has the answers and also explores: Myths and realities associated with miscarriage
Summaries of the known and suspected causes of single and recurrent miscarriage
The pros and cons of hormone treatments and in vitro fertilization
Miscarriage risks for prospective mothers over 35

                                

My Baby Big Sister– Cathy Blanford

“My Baby Big Sister” was written for children who were born subsequent to a pregnancy loss or infant death. This book will help with the confusion these children often experience when they learn about the baby who died before they were born.

 

Mommy Please Don’t Cry, There are No Tears in Heaven – Linda DeYmaz

This is a book of love and comfort for mothers who have experienced the deep sorrow of losing a child. Each page is like opening a gift…bright, beautiful, joyful illustrations and gentle, poignant words describe heaven from a child’s eyes. It is a message of hope and healing

 

My Baby Big Sister – Cathy Blanford

“My Baby Big Sister” was written for children who were born subsequent to a pregnancy loss or infant death. This book will help with the confusion these children often experience when they learn about the baby who died before they were born.

 

 

 

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Naming the Child: Hope-filled reflections on Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death – Jenny Schroedel

Hope and healing for those who suddenly find themselves in the most terrible sort of grief.

For those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of a child within the first year, this gentle resource offers:

• stories of hope and wisdom;
• practical advice and guidance, based on the experience of many;
• Comfort and ways to honor and remember.

Naming the Child creates a community of love and support for bereaving parents and siblings, written with a light touch and sensitive spirit.

 

Newborn Death: for parents experiencing the death of a very small infant – Joy and Marvin Johnson with Chaplains James Cunningham and Sarah Ewing and RN’s Dale Hatcher and Carol Dannen

This book is for you if you’ve experienced a miscarriage, a stillbirth or had a baby who died shortly after birth. It’s hard to say “death” when you’ve scarcely had time to say “birth”.

 

No New Baby – Marilyn Gryte

No New Baby is an excellent little book for youngsters whose mommy miscarries. A neat Grandma explains that you are not to blame, we don’t always have answers, and that it is OK to ask questions. It also affirms the normalcy of play during times of crisis or sadness

 

 

 

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Our Stories of Miscarriage, Healing with words – R Fradet and K Fitton

Fifty contributors (including 4 men) share vivid accounts of how miscarriage has affected their lives. By articulating often unspoken feelings and experiences, each provides needed emotional support and comfort to others.

 

 

 

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Parenting Through Crisis: Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief and Change – Barbara Coloroso

In this companion to her bestselling Kids are Worth It!, parenting educator Barbara Coloroso shows how parents can help children find a way through grief and sorrow during the difficult times of death, illness, divorce, and other upheavals. She offers concrete, compassionate ideas for supporting children as they navigate the emotional ups and downs that accompany loss, assisting them in developing their own constructive ways of responding to what life hands them.

 

Peace & Remembrance – Maureen Shea, ACSW

A guide for parents whose baby dies in a newborn intensive care unit.

A lovingly written book that begins with the decisions to be made at the hospital, contacting the funeral home, telling your other children, family and friends, grieving, the loss of more than one baby, and concerns.

 

Precious Lives Painful Choices: A Prenatal Decision-Making Guide – Sherokee Ilse

This sensitive book offers a comprehensive discussion of the options available to prospective parents after hearing bad results from prenatal testing. The pros and cons of both termination and continuing the pregnancy are presented in a non-judgmental way, offering families information and reassurance that they must do what is right for themselves. Quotes and stories from people who have both continued and ended the pregnancy are included, clearly showing that neither choice is easy and neither one offers a short cut. Both are painful and life altering. Too often family, friends and even medical caregivers may put on pressure about what they think would be best. The big question is, ‘Which decision is the one that you can live with for the rest of your life.’ Excellent resource list and bibliography are included. Families are encouraged to read this guide at the time of their decision-making, before they make a permanent choice.

 

Pregnancy after a Loss – Carol Cirulli Lanham

For a woman who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth, or the death of an infant, conceiving another child can be fraught with mixed emotions. This guide, filled with up-to-date medical information and written by a woman who herself experienced a successful pregnancy after the loss of her first baby, can help women cope with their anxiety. It offers guidance for women asking such questions as:

Why did it happen—and how can I make sure it doesn’t happen again?

Will my next pregnancy be considered high-risk?

How long should I wait before getting pregnant again?

What can I expect at prenatal exams?

Will I ever be able to love another baby as much as I love the one I lost?

Pregnancy after a loss can be a time of great emotional upheaval—but also, a time of healing and hope. With this sensible, sensitive guide, women can put their minds at ease—and learn to look forward to the future as they make peace with the past.

 

 

 

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Rainbow After a Storm – Susan Erling Martinez

Rainbow After A Storm is a compilation of poetry by Susan Erling Martinez. The collected works span from when she first learns she is pregnant, through the stillbirth of her son, Jesse, and on to the subsequent birth of her twins. It follows the joy of discovery, the pain of loss, and the joy mixed with foreboding during a subsequent pregnancy. It contains 20 poems, including “The Birth/Death,” “A Letter to My Unborn Babies,” and “Rainbows.”

 

 

Remembering Our Angels: Personal Stories of Healing from a Pregnancy Loss                                       – Hannah Stone

No one knows the devastation and heartache of losing a baby more than a father or mother. Grieving parents often do not know where to turn and what to do with their grief in the aftermath of a pregnancy loss. In “Remembering Our Angels,” Hannah Stone has collected essays and stories from pregnancy loss awareness activists, doctors, grief counselors and grieving parents in the hope of offering a resource to parents in mourning.

 

 

 

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Shadow Child: An Apprenticeship in Love and Loss – Beth Powning   

     Like many young women, Beth Powning faced decisions of whether and when to start a family. Ambivalence gave way to dreams for a baby, and at age twenty-four she became pregnant. But eleven days past her due date, she delivered a perfect, stillborn son. In this beautifully wrought exploration of motherhood and loss, the acclaimed New Brunswick writer takes us on a powerful journey into the heart of grief and renewal.

 

She Was Born She Died– Marion Cohen

A book of tremendously powerful by well-known poet, Marion Cohen. Expresses grief, anguish and anger extremely well.

 

Sibling Grief – Sherokee Ilse, Linda Hammer Burns, Susan Erling Martinez

A practical guide that helps parents understand the needs of their surviving children following the death of a sibling. Whether the death is due to miscarriage, infant death or the death of an older child, Sibling Grief assists families and care providers as they teach and support the surviving brothers and sisters.
Sections include:
Your beloved child has died
How do you tell your children that their sibling has died?
How much do children really understand about death?
How do children of different ages understand death?
Is there something you can do to help your children through this difficult time?
Ways to help children express their feelings
How to tell the children about siblings who came before them

 

Single Parent Grief -Sherokee Ilse

Whether a teen or more mature parent, the pain and anguish of having a child die is overwhelming. The experience of grieving can be complicated and lonely for single parents who have no partner to be there for them. Single Parent Grief is a gentle and empowering guide that reaches out to parents who may need extra care and support in their bereavement. Practical suggestions and information offer hope and help. A good resource section is included. Author Sherokee Ilse shares her insights after working for many years as a bereavement speaker and trainer.

 

Something Happened – Cathy Blanford

Something Happened is a book for children whose parents have experienced pregnancy loss. The author uses a direct, yet easily understood, approach to infant death. One of the things that make the book unique is the small box on each spread that contains helpful information for parents–ranging from explanations of what a child might be thinking to explain why particular illustrations or words were chosen to explain the topic being addressed

 

Someone Came Before You – Pat Schwiebert

In Someone Came Before You, a young couple explains to their child how they had to heal after the death of their first baby in order to find room in their hearts for another. Appealing, colorful illustrations help draw children in to the story. This is a good read-aloud book for families to share.

Still to be Born – Pat Schwiebert, RN, Paul Kirk, MD

A well-written and informative book on what happens next. It truly is “A Guide For Bereaved Parents Who Are Making Decisions About Their Future.” Still to be Born talks openly about whether or not to get pregnant again, and factors that should be considered before that decision is made. It also discusses medical considerations, other options, and warns about confusing grief with an attempt for a “replacement child.” This book is vital for anyone who is contemplating pregnancy after the pain of miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death.

 

Stillbirth: Yet Still Born – by Deborah L. Davis, PhD

When your baby dies before birth, you experience an extraordinary grief. You never get to hear your baby’s voice nor see life in your baby’s eyes. Still, your baby lived. Your baby came into this world. Your baby’s existence is important and real.

This small book offers tailored information and support for parents experiencing the early hours, days, and weeks that follow the death and birth of their beloved baby. Stillbirth is always a devastating shock, a heartbreaking collision of birth and death that leaves parents helpless. In this accessible book, you will find comfort and ideas for affirming and honouring your precious baby’s life.

 

Stillborn: The Invisible Death – John DeFrain

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 33,000 babies are stillborn each year. For the parents who experience this traumatic event, and for families, friends, and professionals, this book offers understanding, hope, and comfort. Drawing on the moving and eloquent testimony of 350 parents of stillborn babies, it explores such topics as blame, shock, and guilt; seeing, holding, and remembering the baby; the autopsy and funeral; effects on family relationships, including moving and divorce; thoughts of suicide; increased substance abuse; surviving children and subsequent pregnancies; returning to normal; and reaching out to others.

 

Strong and Tender -Pat Schwiebert, RN

Strong and Tender: a guide for the father whose baby has died is filled with helpful suggestions and tender stories from grieving fathers. It gives dads permission to feel their pain and help them understand some of the responses they’re having to the death of their child

 

Surviving Miscarriage: You’re Not Alone – Stacey Mclaughlin

My intent in writing this guide is to give others, like you, the benefit of my own experience and to make sure that the pain is not compounded by uncertainty, unawareness, ignorance or lack of information. Yes, this is a tragic event, one that none of us would wish on our worst enemies. Yet, if anything can help make it a little better, it is the certainty of knowing exactly what we are going through, the knowledge of what to expect and the tools to teach us how to cope. For those who have suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage, Surviving Miscarriage helps you find the compassionate support you so desperately need. Florida psychologist Stacey McLaughlin survived two miscarriages in one year-and thankfully discovered the powerful secret to lasting inner healing. McLaughlin addresses the variety of emotions a woman experiences after a miscarriage and focuses on how to mend your soul. With her unique and simple thirty-day plan, you’ll be gently guided through meaningful steps to help you banish undeserved shame, embrace comforting emotional recovery, and move forward with confident hope for your future.

 

Surviving the Loss of a Child: Support for Grieving Parents– Elizabeth B Brown

Nothing can steal peace and joy and undermine the very foundation of someone’s life like losing a child. It is devastating on a level that most of us can’t imagine. Written after the loss of the author’s own child, Surviving the Loss of a Child offers encouragement and hope to those who may think they will never be able to live fully after such tragedy. Bereaved parents, as well as friends, counselors, pastors, and caregivers, will find this book a source of comfort and discover coping mechanisms as they move through their grief. Revised and updated, it has short chapters that are easy to take in, perfect for people going through this difficult time.

 

 

 

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The Fall of Freddie the Leaf: A Story of Life For All Ages – Leo Buscaglia

Originally published in the fall of 1982, the wonderfully wise and strikingly simple story of a leaf named Freddie has become one of the most popular books of our times. How Freddie and his companion leaves change with the passing seasons, finally falling to the ground with a winter’s snow, is an inspiring allegory illustrating the delicate balance between life and death.

 

The Heart and the Bottle – Olliver Jeffers

Once there was a girl whose life was filled with wonder at the world around her…Then one day something happened that made the girl take her heart and put it in a safe place. However, after that it seemed that the world was emptier than before. But would she know how to get her heart back? In this deeply moving story, Oliver Jeffers deals with the weighty themes of love and loss with an extraordinary lightness of touch and shows us, ultimately, that there is always hope.

The Invisible Pregnancy – Heidi Faith, CCBE, CCLD, SBD

So much more occurs during the experience known as “pregnancy loss”. So much feels stripped away, physically and spiritually leaving a mother feeling barren and raw. The Invisible Pregnancy challenges the way we care for mothers, the way we validate mothers and serves to explore the possibility that through pregnancy and infant loss, a grief pregnancy is gestated. It is when we identify this grief pregnancy, this invisible pregnancy that we learn to nurture and discipline the space we are left with, and we begin to labor toward finding our healing. Complete with journal space, The Invisible Pregnancy is a thoughtful gift to present to any mother who has ever experienced pregnancy and infant loss. The invisible pregnancy in your life is an undeserved gift. It is an invocation to explore the physical and the spiritual potential in grief. In the book The Invisible Pregnancy, Heidi shares the most intimate aspects of her sacred space while pregnant with grief, and dares you to explore the tools around you to help you cultivate the richest, most abundant garden of your soul. With a forward by Toni from One World Birth, this is the book every midwife, doula, nurse and obstetrician should have available to guide mothers who are led from being pregnant with child, to becoming pregnant with grief.

 

The Invisible String – Patrice Karst

A steady best-seller and The Strings are still reaching all over the World! “That’s impossible”, said twins Jeremy & Liza after their Mom told them they’re all connected by this thing called an Invisible String. “What kind of string”? They asked with a puzzled look to which Mom replied, “An Invisible String made of love.” That’s where the story begins. A story that teaches of the tie that really binds. The Invisible String reaches from heart to heart. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach, anyway? Does it ever go away? Read all about it! THE INVISIBLE STRING is a very simple approach to overcoming the fear of loneliness or separation with an imaginative flair that children can easily identify with and remember. Here is a warm and delightful lesson teaching young and old that we aren’t ever really alone and reminding children (and adults!) that when we are loved beyond anything we can imagine. “People who love each other are always connected by a very special String, made of love. Even though you can’t see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love.” Thus begins this heart-warming and reassuring story that addresses the issue of “separation anxiety” (otherwise known as the sense of existential ‘aloneness’) to children of all ages. Specifically written to address children’s fear of being apart from the ones they love, The Invisible String delivers a particularly compelling message in today’s uncertain times that though we may be separated from the ones we care for, whether through anger, or distance or even death, love is the unending connection that binds us all, and, by extension, ultimately binds every person on the planet to everyone else. Parents and children everywhere who are looking for reassurance and reaffirmation of the transcendent power of love, to bind, connect and comfort us through those inevitable times when life challenges us! Let’s tell the whole world know that we are all connected by Invisible Strings! Adopted by Military Library Services & Foster Care Agencies Recommended by Bereavement Support Groups and Hospice Centers

 

There was Supposed to be a Baby: A Guide to Healing After Pregnancy Loss                                                                     -Catherine Keating

After a pregnancy no longer carries life, the loneliness can be overwhelming. You may search for answers. You may feel as if you’ll never be whole again. This eBook is here to help. This eBooks is here to give you: permission not to ignore your sadness, simple ways to comfort and care for yourself now, and wise words from other women who also lost a baby. Go ahead- it’s for you.

 

This Little While – Joy and Dr S M Johnson

Full of information beginning with hearing the bad news, This Little While is full of information parents want and need to know. Includes lots of gentle suggestions on things that should be considered for remembrances and encouragement to not miss opportunities that cannot be replaced later.

The Secret of the Dragonfly, a story of hope and promise – Gayle Shaw Cramer

Using the dragonfly’s secret, a grandmother helps her grandson understand how they will always be together. A touching and universal story that speaks to all ages and every member of the family.

 

The Shadow of an Angel: A Diary of a Subsequent Pregnancy Following Neo-Natal Loss –Marion Deutsche Cohen

A diary of a Subsequent Pregnancy following a Neo-Natal Loss

The Story of Baby Rabbit: A Resource to Help You Talk to Young Children About Miscarriage or Stillbirth – Graeme Smith, Sian Phillips, Jerri Oehler

Graeme Smith, MD, PhD is a Professor and Head of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Queen’s University. He works with many families who have suffered a miscarriage or stillbirth. He has developed a website (www.themothersprogram.ca) as a resource for women during pregnancy and after delivery. Sian Phillips, PhD is a Child Psychologist who is an adjunct professor at Queen’s University who specializes in working with interpersonal trauma and attachment issues. Jerri Oehler, PhD is a pediatric nurse/psychologist at the Carteret Clinic for Adolescents and Children affiliated with Duke University. She has a long history of working with families who have had a loss during pregnancy or postpartum.

They Were Still Born – Janel C Atlas

Stillbirth, defined as the death of an infant between 20 weeks’ gestation and birth, is a tragedy repeated thirty thousand times every year in the United States. That means more than eighty mothers a day feel their babies slip silently from their bodies, the only sound in the delivery room their own sobs. Eighty stillborn babies a day means heartbroken families mourn the death of children who will never breathe, gurgle, learn to walk, or go to school.

In 2006, Janel Atlas became one of those mothers who left the hospital with empty arms; her second daughter, Beatrice Dianne, was stillborn at 36 weeks. Reaching out for comfort, she realized a dire need shared by so many others like her, and so was born a collection of new essays by writers each sharing their firsthand experiences with stillbirth. Atlas includes selections not only from mothers but also fathers and grandparents, all of whom have intimate stories to share with readers. In addition, there are selections that answer many of the medical questions families have in the wake of a stillbirth and that offer the latest research on this devastating loss and how it might be prevented. Grieving parents will find in these pages the comfort of knowing they are not alone on this painful path, validation of their babies’ lives, and guidance from those who have suffered this tragedy. In addition, They Were Still Born both inspires and shows readers how to honor and remember their own babies and stories of loss.

 

Three Minus One: Parents’ Stories of Love and Loss – (edited by Sean Hanish & Brooke Warner)

This book is a collection of intimate, soul-baring stories and artwork by parents who have lost a child to stillbirth, miscarriage, or neonatal death. Inspired by the film Return to Zero.

 

Thumpy’s Story – A Story of Love and Grief Shared – Nancy C. Dodge

Thumpy’s Story – A Story of Love and Grief Shared, is a respected resource from Share. After Thumpy’s sister dies, he must deal with the grief and many other emotions that occur when someone close dies. This book provides both adults and children with the opportunity to discuss their own feelings of love and hope following a death.

 

Threads of Hope, Pieces of Joy – Teale Fackler and Gwen Kik

This pregnancy loss Bible study entitled, Threads of Hope, Pieces of Joy, ministers to individuals and small groups who have experienced a loss through miscarriage, stillbirth or any form of early infant death. Some of the questions discussed during the 9-week study include: “where do I go from here?” “where is my child now?” “can I ever understand why?” and “how can God help me deal with losing my baby?” A wonderful resource for those seeking strength and comfort through a better understanding of Biblical readings.

 

To Full Term: A Mother’s Triumph Over Miscarriage – Darci Kliein

A powerful and empowering memoir of a woman’s fight to bring her fifth pregnancy to full term after years of heartbreak and horrific loss. To Full Term is the gripping memoir of Darci Klein’s pregnancy with her son Sam, and the story of one woman’s struggle to give her baby a fighting chance. From refusing to accept outmoded obstetric guidelines to going head-to-head with stubborn medical professionals, to overcoming her own paralyzing fears, Darci faced each challenge to achieve her goal. What she learned on her journey about defending her own reproductive health and coping with the emotional strain of high-risk pregnancy will empower any woman who wants to do all she can to have a full-term, healthy baby.

 

Too Soon a Memory: A Guide for parents suffering a miscarriage – Pat Schwiebertthis sensitive booklet gives practical information for a couple facing grief following a miscarriage. This booklet will validate those who will be deeply affected by the loss, as well as those who will move quickly through their grief. Helpful medical information and grieving tips are included.

 

Trying Again – Ann Douglas and John R. Sussman, MD

A book devoted to understanding pregnancy, loss and new hope written by Ann Douglas and John R. Sussman, MD. Issues covered include recent research into causes of pregnancy loss and infant death, resources for helping couples decide when they are physically and emotionally ready for a subsequent pregnancy, anxiety that another pregnancy often brings and coping skills for the emotional highs and lows during the postpartum period.

 

 

 

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Unsupported Losses: Ectopic and Molar Pregnancy and Blighted Ovum – Sherokee Ilse

Blighted ovum, ectopic and molar pregnancies are often misunderstood. They are shocking, unexpected and medically complicated. They signal the end of the pregnancy and the death of many hopes and dreams. Unsupported Losses: Ectopic Pregnancy, Molar Pregnancy, and Blighted Ovum is a short, informative resource that explains what happens during these pregnancies and examines a family’s emotional responses.

 

Unspeakable Losses: Understanding the Experience of Pregnancy Loss, Miscarriage, and Abortion- Kim Kluger-Bell

 

 

 

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Waiting: A Diary of Loss and Hope in Pregnancy – Ellen J Reich

Waiting is an honest, in-depth account of one woman’s experiences of pregnancy and miscarriage. Author Ellen Judith Reich’s journal, kept through her third pregnancy, reflects upon two previous miscarriages. She explores not only the terror that can accompany the prospect of becoming a mother, but the loss of innocence and fear of future loss that haunt any woman who has miscarried. Reich focuses on grief and hope and on learning to cope with change and loss of control. She has recorded her thoughts and expectations about motherhood, children, being in control, and being betrayed by her body. She reveals much by examining the vivid dreams she had during pregnancy and recounting conversations with family, friends, health care professionals, and other grieving parents. This poignant and personal book should be read by every woman contemplating motherhood, particularly career women who, having postponed childbearing to establish their careers, face a greater likelihood of miscarriage and/or infertility. And any woman who has already experienced miscarriage will come away from Waiting with a sense of renewed optimism and a feeling of not being so alone with her pain. This insightful book should also be required reading for obstetricians and family practitioners and their staffs and medical students who can glean an enormous amount of information about the emotional aspects of miscarriage and help them to better understand their patients’ needs and concerns. Counselors and therapists will also benefit from reading this valuable book.

 

Waiting with Gabriel – Amy Kuebelbeck

(When Amy Kuebelbeck was five-and-a-half months pregnant, she was told that the child she was carrying had a fatal heart condition. She and her husband were then faced with an impossible decision: give their baby a chance at life–and with it, enormous pain and suffering–or let their baby die naturally, shortly after birth)

 

We Lost Our Baby – Siobhan O’Neill White and David White

A frank, touching joint memoir. Twelve weeks and three days into a second pregnancy, the Irish authors were faced with the brutal finality of miscarriage. This slim yet illuminating volume records their struggle to cope with it. . . Along with its openness, this account excels in providing the perspectives of both partners. Each, at times, serves as witness to and participant in the other’s grief, and their separate recollections of the same event underscore both the magnitude of its effect on their relationship and the vital importance of communication when coping with loss. A balm for any whose lives have been touched by miscarriage.

 

We Were Gonna Have a Baby, but We Had an Angel Instead – Pat Schwiebert, RN

This children’s book for age level 2 and up, expresses the excitement and anticipation children have at waiting for their new sibling to arrive, and the sudden, life-changing nature of an unexpected loss. The book includes a section of helpful information on how to help grieving children.

What Does That Mean? – Harold Smith and Joy Johnson

A dictionary of death, dying and grief terms for grieving children and those who love them.

 

What Does Dead Mean? – Caroline Jay, Jennie Thomas

“What Does Dead Mean?” is a beautifully illustrated book that guides children gently through 17 of the ‘big’ questions they often ask about death and dying. Questions such as ‘Is being dead like sleeping?’, ‘Why do people have to die?’ and ‘Where do dead people go?’ are answered simply, truthfully and clearly to help adults explain to children what happens when someone dies. Prompts encourage children to explore the concepts by talking about, drawing or painting what they think or feel about the questions and answers. Suitable for children aged 4+, this is an ideal book for parents and care givers to read with their children, as well as teachers, therapists and counselors working with young children.

 

When A Baby Dies: The Experience of Late Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Neonatal Death                        – Alix Henley & Nancy Kohner

Every year in the UK over 10,000 babies die before birth or shortly afterwards. For the parents, the grief is hard to bear. In this book, parents who have lost a baby tell their stories. They speak about what happened, how they felt, how they have been helped by others and how they helped themselves. Using letters from and interviews with many bereaved parents, Nancy Kohner and Alix Henley have written a book which offers understanding of what it means to lose a baby and the grief that follows. When a Baby Dies also contains valuable information about why a baby dies, hospital practices, the process of grieving, sources of support, and the care parents need in future pregnancies.

 

When a Grandchild Dies – Nadine Galinsky

This book takes a very comprehensive look at a grandparent’s grief. In its 130 pages, the book talks about issues ranging from planning the memorial service to relationship issues with in-laws. While the age range of the grandchild is wide, author Nadine Galinsky found that many of the issues faced by grandparents are the same

When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death – Laurie Krasny Brown and Marc Brown

The authors explain in simple language the feelings people may have regarding the death of a loved one and the ways to honor the memory of someone who has died.

 

When Hello Means Goodbye- Pat Schwiebert, RN & Paul Kirk, MD

A guide for parents whose child dies before birth, at birth or shortly after birth. This sensitive booklet is a help to families during the early days of their grief. It helps answer questions and prepare parents for the days ahead. It can be given to parents at the first acknowledgment of their baby s death to help them best use the short time they’ll have with their little one. Among topics covered are: collecting keepsakes; ways to celebrate the birth and death of a baby; reasons for seeing, holding and naming a dead baby; emotions common to bereaved parents; information about autopsies; where to find help; and the unique situations of fathers, siblings, and grandparents. Contains beautiful poetry.

 

When Pregnancy Follows a Loss: Preparing for the Birth of Your New Baby – Joann O’Leary & Claire Thorwick

The loss of a baby during pregnancy or in the newborn period is the most devastating event parents can undergo. Our children are not supposed to die before us. Few people understand the conflicting emotions that surface during a subsequent pregnancy nor that these feelings are normal, given your life experience. Embracing the life of a new baby can be daunting when others may not understand you are still a parent of a baby who died. But that baby is part of your family forever. While each family has their own story, there are also many commonalities. This booklet is a compilation of families’ experiences. It is the hope that the voices of other parents will help you find a new way of being and coping.

 

 

 

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Yours, Mine and Our Children’s Grief – Elva Mertick MSW, RSW

A wonderful explanation of how grieving a loss impacts us. Outlines how pre-school, older children and adolescents grieve and how we can recognize and assist them through the process. A valuable book for everyone, whether suffering the loss of a pet, a parent, a grandparent or any other significant loss.

 

 

 

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If you have a book you would like to add to this list, please email Info@alexismariechute.com