Thursday, October 15, 2009

October 15th - Pregnancy & Miscarriage Loss Day

Here is an email I sent out to many co-workers, family and the women's ministry at church & now am sharing through this blog to many others ...

I wanted to bring awareness to today and the fact that it is the National Day of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day. October 15th is a day I never would have thought would have any significance to me, but this year it does. Peter and I lost our first child on Easter of this year. It hasn't been an easy road - financially it was just as costly in medical bills as if I had delivered a baby, physically it was painful, mentally it was exhausting thinking of all that could have been & was stripped away too soon, and spiritually I was left feeling so empty and turned away from God by the death of our child. Thankfully after many months on this healing journey, with much love & support & prayers I feeling back to "normal". You may never have experienced a miscarriage yourself, but you can still be of comfort today by saying a prayer for all those who have and if you are able to light a candle in rememberance of all the angel babies.


Blessings,
Megan
October 15, is the National Day of Remembrance for pregnancy and infant loss.

-According to emedicine, the overall miscarriage rate is 15-20%. Some physicians believe this percentage may even be higher, as miscarriage can often occur before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

- Approximately 25,000 babies are stillborn each year in the United States, and according to the March of Dimes, about 19,000 babies die within the first month of life (called neonatal death).

- SIDS claims the lives of over 7,000 babies each year nationally.


In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, it has been suggested that grieving parents, friends and family members light a candle at 7 p.m. in their respective time zones to create a wave of light around the world in memory of babies lost to pregnancy and infant loss.


An angel in the book of life wrote down a baby's birth,

Then whispered as she closed the book,

"Too beautiful for Earth"

-Unknown



Official October 15th website

October 15th Awareness video

What Makes a Mother video

From the Today show - Revealing the Raw Heatache of Miscarriage article & video

Ideas of how to support someone who has had a miscarriage

What to say & not say to someone who has had a miscarriage


So at 7pm I lit a candle and I cried while Peter held me, cried while I read through the cards people sent us and cried as I read back through my "I'll Hold You In Heaven" rememberance book/journal. I will never understand "Why?" but am reminded in my book that I don't need to. All I need to remember is God has a plan and He never makes a "knitting" mistake. Our baby was created with a purpose, even if she was on this earth for just a moment and we will hold her again in Heaven one day ... but for now she is safe in the arms of Jesus.



3 comments:

  1. (((hugs))) thanks for sharing Meg.

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  2. (((hugs))
    The picture and figurine are just beautiful

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  3. I'm remembering you and your little one tonight. ((hugs))

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