July is annually recognized as Bereaved Parents Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the support necessary when one endures the loss of a child.
At Hand to Hold, we know that the grief after the loss of a baby does not go away. It’s something you learn to carry, often with waves of love, sadness, longing, and remembrance.
If you are a parent who has lost a baby, wherever you are in your grief, we want you to know that you are not alone. Hand to Hold has support resources to support you, whether it is today, a month from today, or a year from today.
Support for Bereaved Parents
Love & Loss Support Group for Bereaved Parents
A support group for families who have experienced a bereavement in the NICU or after a NICU stay. We also welcome parents whose baby has been referred to palliative and/or hospice care. Join to share or just listen. We’re here for you.
Free Counseling for Parents Who Have Endured a Loss
Bereaved parents in Texas and Florida are eligible for free counseling to help process and heal. Counseling sessions are virtual, confidential, and conducted with licensed clinicians.
→ Learn more about free counseling.
Request a Peer Mentor
Volunteer Peer Mentors are standing by to support you as you navigate this difficult time. When you request support from a peer mentor, we’ll work to match you with someone whose situation closely matches yours. Our peer mentors aren’t just volunteers. They’re also bereaved parents who want to give back by providing support to others.
Podcast: Conversations About Grief and Loss
Find episodes of the NICU Babies Parent Support Podcast offering support and insight for grief and loss.
Further Reading about Grief, Loss, and Bereavement
Read stories and experiences from families who have been through a loss.
How to Support a Bereaved Parent. Bereaved parent and Hand to Hold Family Support Specialist Christine shares the most meaningful ways friends and family can support a parent after a loss.
Christine’s Story of Loss, Healing and Giving Back. Christine shares her personal story of loss and how giving back as a peer mentor and now a Hand to Hold Family Support Specialist has helped her heal.
NICU Parent Perspective: Acknowledging the Loss of a Multiple in the NICU. Bereaved parents in the Hand to Hold community were kind enough to share their stories with us of losing one or more children in a multiple birth – stories of loss, of grief, of healing, and of hope.
Life After Loss: How to Start Your Grief Journey. Everyone’s grief journey is different. Guest blogger Brittany Clay shares how she was able to start healing after the loss of her son.
NICU Parent Perspective: We Have Hope in Whatever Lies Ahead. Nothing prepared Valerie for the surprise of being told she were having twins, or for the stress of experiencing complications at 22 weeks, or the pain of losing her precious baby A, Cristiano, just 22 minutes after his birth.
FREE COUNSELING FOR BEREAVED PARENTS (TX and FL)
Hand to Hold offers free counseling for parents in Texas and Florida navigating the loss of a baby. Learn more.