Sources of Support

Every individual has unique inner resources that help them to deal with tragedy. We have found it is often helpful and soothing to share your feelings with others. Both friends and professionals can sometimes help you find your own inner resources at a time when grief seems incapacitating.

Supportive People and Groups

• Family and friends
• Religious support
• Your obstetrician
• Your pediatrician
• Your neonatologist or attending physician in the NICU
• Area mental health or a psychiatrist of your choice
• Parentcare and other parent support groups
• Hospital staff

Remember You are Human

Admit when you feel lonely or in pain. Allow yourself to ask for help, and accept it. Eat a balanced diet that includes milk, protein, vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Avoid junk food and fast food. Drink eight glasses of liquids per day. Avoid caffeine or alcohol. Do something active (exercise) every day — even a walk around the block can be useful. Maintain stable rest patterns, even if you’re unable to sleep. Seek spiritual bonds, whether by renewing ties with clergy or setting aside quiet time for reflection. Refer to books, articles and poems that provide comfort, understanding and the sense that you are not alone. Write letters, notes or poems to or about your baby. Record your thoughts in a diary or journal.