
His Middle Name has naturally evolved from being a preemie support and education website to include support for women who have had pregnancy complications. That includes women who have suffered a miscarriage, women who have had an ectopic pregnancy, a still birth or those who have lost a child after giving birth, whether premature or full term.
Today, World Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, is so important to the His Middle Name cause because it is so closely linked to premature birth and other pregnancy complications. I also have several dear friends that have suffered a loss, and one of the only things I can do besides offering a sympathetic ear, is to raise awareness of such a sacred and necessary day. By increasing the awareness of this movement, support can be offered to the many women and parents that grieve the loss of a pregnancy or baby, and hopefully community efforts can be put in place to offer support groups and grief counseling.
Sadly, the statistics don't lie. The stark reality is that one in every three pregnancies end in loss. The prevalence of still birth is astounding - one in every 148 births, and the loss of an infant shortly after birth is three in 1,000. When I see these numbers, all I think about is how easily it could have been me, my child. I think of friends of mine that tell me their well-meaning loved ones often say, "Well, you can try again" or "At least you have one." I know those words sting - I've heard them myself.
Let's make today a celebration of life - remembering that even the tiniest and briefest of lives can make such an indelible impact in ones' heart. Allow your friends and family that have suffered a loss a chance to remember and grieve. Let them share how they are feeling and simply listen, and then listen some more. Tonight, no matter where you are in the world, you can light a candle of remembrance at 7pm. If there is a candle lit at 7pm across the world in every time zone, then there will be continuous light to offer reflection, hope and awareness and to honor the lives lost. To all of my dear friends that have suffered the loss of a child, my thoughts and prayers will be with you as I light my candle tonight.