Please realize that trying to “Be Strong” for your spouse, other kids, or other family members after your baby dies could be doing more harm than good. If you are a parent, please know that your pain may outweigh theirs. We drive away our genuine and honest emotions when we deny ourselves the ability to grieve. We are depriving ourselves of the ability to freely express our normal reaction to loss by burying our grief and storing our pain away. When someone close to us passes away, we expect to grieve; but, when a kid passes away, everything changes. There has never been more heartbreak for me than the loss of my daughter. I’ve never experienced such a severe bone soreness. The death of a kid is traumatic, regardless of the number of breaths that were or were not taken outside the womb. Clearly. Parents of preemies frequently go through a grief process as well. Most people find it terrifying to have a premature baby or a seriously ill infant in the NICU. Many of us experience grief without even realizing it. We are mourning the loss of a “normal pregnancy,” the customary birth narrative, and the cuddling, kisses, and hugs that follow the delivery of our child. During a season that should have been filled with unbridled happiness, we are lamenting the loss of the life we imagined for our families and children.
