One in every four pregnancies end in loss. And this loss, occurring before 20 weeks gestation (in the USA) is termed miscarriage. I have lost two children. One to miscarriage and one to stillbirth. Each was a very different experience from one another. After my stillbirth, people grieved with me. They acknowledged my daughter as real ~ as a baby that died. With my miscarriage, I got almost no support and many implied that it was just ‘not meant to be’. My baby, this person who should have been a part of my family, just didn’t rate in most people’s eyes.
I searched for validation that I be allowed to mourn and grieve this baby ~ my early pregnancy loss. I honestly didn’t find much more than horrifying statistics that made my loss feel even less significant, because it happens to so many women. I was shocked at this kind of ‘move on and get over it’ mentality that I found almost everywhere.
So, I chose to create a journal that would not only acknowledge my early loss as a baby, but celebrate her as well. Alice will now live on in not only my heart, but in the concrete and beautiful pages that I so lovingly made for her.
And because I know that I am not alone, I am creating these journals for anyone who would like them. You can find them for purchase in my shop and see more of a peek of the inside pages below.
This journal “Gone Too Soon” was created to honor that life that didn’t get to stay. My daughter’s life was brief, but no less precious than any other living baby’s story. So, I decided to create a journal that was special enough for her.
Ordering Details can be found in the SHOP: Gone Too Soon ~ A journal especially designed for Mothers who have lost a baby in early pregnancy”
This is a guided journal with space for writing, scrap-booking and storage. Here is a peek at just some of the 113 pages that make up this unique and wonderful journal.
Hi this is beautiful. I guess for me in the UK my loss is different, my twin daughters were lost at 21 weeks but by UK definitions this is still a miscarriage – regardless of the fact I gave birth to them. For us, a loss is not still birth until 24 weeks.
I think what you have created is a beautiful tribute.
Bethany, I still struggle with the medical definitions that are placed upon our children. Regardless, they lived and died and we mourn them. I am so very sorry for your losses.
[…] I want to change that by creating a special journal that pays attention to the LIFE that existed. I wanted pages that spell out the details, that allow me to name my baby, to perform a memorial ceremony, and to record my feelings. Most importantly, I want to give my child a concrete place outside of my heart and memory to exist. If you would like to see more about this journal, you can find it in the shop. You can also take a detailed peek at the pages inside in this post. […]