Peaks in our lives can be beautiful; but valleys exist as well.
Unfortunately, even when it seems we have done everything “right” loss is still a reality in this world. Many couples experience neonatal loss which is extremely painful, often leaving them stunned and confused about what to do during that period of time. Let me help you find resources that can set you on a path toward new hope.
If you are here because you have experienced a loss, I am so sorry. Please know you are not alone, and that there are many resources that I hope to share with you. Above all, please remember this: regardless of what anyone has told you, your baby and your grief matters. The following resources can vary from state to state. Please check out what is applicable to your area. Many of the resources below are specifically for New Jersey and New York.
Funeral & Burial Services
In several states, some churches will not allow you to bury your baby if the loss happened before 20 weeks of gestation. Please call your local parish and ask them if they will provide this for you, and if not, if they can point you to a parish that will.
Infant Caskets
If you’ve lost a child, they deserve a dignified final resting place. Heaven’s Gain Ministries offers caskets or urns for stillborn or miscarried children at any age. Heaven’s Gain also offers counseling at different stages of grief.
Funeral Home
Many funeral homes accommodate neonatal losses and often have resources such as the “Tears Foundation” that helps to cover funeral expenses. Van Tassel Funeral Home in Bloomfield, New Jersey is one that accommodates neonatal losses no matter the gestational age, and even arranges to pick up the baby’s remains in hospital settings. They also sell grave markers.
Picture Memories
“Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep” provides families with beautiful portraits of their babies and the last moments spent with them.
Comfort Care Program
Some babies are prenatally diagnosed with life-limiting conditions; when parents choose not to have an abortion, they are often left in the dark about what to do next. The Comfort Care Program at Columbia University/New York Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital in New York City provides a comfortable environment that upholds your child’s dignity at their birth. They walk with parents through diagnosis, birth, postpartum, and bereavement counseling afterwards.
