agent007
You're in! See your latest actions or visit profile and dashboard
Account Information
Dashboard
March for Babies Dashboard
  • agent007
  • Preferences
  • Messages
  • Favorites
Home > Loss and Grief > Dealing with grief > Dealing with the unexpected

Dealing with grief

  • Everyone grieves in his own way. It’s OK to feel like you do.
  • Your grief may feel overwhelming. Ask for help if you need it.
  • Take as much time as you need to grieve.
share | e-mail | print |save |rate

E-mail to a friend

We will never share or sell your
e-mail.

Your information:




Your recipient's information:

You can send to a max of 5 people.
Separate addresses with commas.

Your message:


Privacy Policy    

Thank you!

Your e-mail was sent.

Save to my dashboard

Sign in or Sign up to save this page.  

Saving

Just a moment, please.

You've saved this page

It's been added to your dashboard.

Rate this page

Sign in or Sign up to rate this page.  

How helpful is this?

Thank you!

Sorry!

Click on the stars below. Thank you for taking the time to rate this page. You can only rate this page once in a 24 hour period.
  • 1 *1*
  • 2 *2*
  • 3 *3*
  • 4 *4*
  • 5 *5*

[submit]

Dealing with the unexpected

The death of a baby is one of the most painful things that can happen to a family. It's so unfair. Babies aren't supposed to die. They are the beginning of life, not the end.

Parents who have lost a baby may feel sad, angry, confused or alone. They may want to shout or scream or cry. They may want to blame someone. Or they may want to hide under the covers and never come out. At times, their feelings may seem more than they can handle.

You may have had a miscarriage or a stillbirth during pregnancy. Or your baby may have died at birth or after birth.

Regardless of how you lost your baby, you may be overwhelmed by feelings of loss and grief. Also, you and your partner may be grieving in different ways. You're trying to deal with the loss, but it's hard.

Learn how to deal with your grief, how to cope with family and friends as you grieve and what you can do to remember your baby.

Order bereavement materials

You can also order our resources for grieving families, including the booklet From Hurt to Healing.

See also: miscarriage, stillbirth, deal with your grief, cope with family and friends as you grieve, remember your baby

Most common questions

How do you know if you’re clinically depressed?

Some grieving parents may show signs of depression. This is a medical condition in which a person has strong feelings of sadness that last for a long time. If you’re depressed, you may need special treatment from a health care provider.

Some signs that you may be depressed include:

  • Having little interest in usual activities or hobbies
  • Feeling tired all the time
  • Gaining or losing weight
  • Having trouble sleeping or sleeping too much
  • Having trouble concentrating or making decisions
  • Thinking about suicide or death

If you think you may have depression, talk to your health care provider. Your provider can help treat your depression.

How long does grief last?

There’s no right amount of time to grieve. It takes as long as it takes. You may feel better in a few weeks or months. Or it may take longer. If you feel like your grief is lasting longer than it should, talk to your health care provider.

Related articles

NICU Family Support®

Your gift helps provide comfort and support to families with a baby in the NICU.

Donation amount:

Stay informed

Get the newsletter and find out how you're helping babies.