Honoring Loss: Inside Our Pregnancy Loss Support Box

October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, and to honor this time, I wanted to share a closer look at our pregnancy loss support box. 

This was a very emotional and challenging box to create. Every time we receive an order for this box, our hearts sink and go out to the recipient. At the same time, we are honored to hold space for those grieving a loss.

We believe that everyone who gives birth or experiences a loss is considered postpartum. And with one in four experiencing a loss during their pregnancy, it's so important that we honor and support the lost parent during this time.

The idea for this box started when I was thinking about all the different areas of motherhood and parenthood that are overlooked. 

If you do a quick Google search online, you’ll see there are not many boxes that are both physically and emotionally supportive available for those experiencing a loss.

The idea that we would make this box happen—as emotional as it might be—was solidified in my mind when a friend of mine reached out and shared that she had experienced a loss and couldn't find anything to help her feel supported and validated in her journey. 

So, that was my intention when creating this box.

Whether you're gifting it to a friend who's just experienced a loss themselves or using it for yourself, this box is filled with items that can help soothe you both physically and emotionally and offer that support that's often overlooked during this time.

Again, with October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share a closer look at what's inside. If you have someone in your life navigating this unspeakable loss, this gift will be at the top of your mind so that you can show them the support and comfort that they really deserve.

So, every box we send out is mailed with this message: “This box won't fill the space in your heart, but we hope it helps you feel less alone on your journey” as a reminder that your experience is valid, that we're here for you, and that we honor what you're going through.

We, of course, also have an option to provide an additional handwritten card, too. We also offer a few different loss support cards in our Postpartum Shop. 

Also, it's worth noting that the packages are closed with plain kraft packing tape vs. our typical packing tape, so just be as delicate and sensitive during this time. 

We felt that our typical postpartum packaging really wasn't the most supportive for this box. So we've made some changes to our packaging specifically to make that as supportive as possible.

Okay, let's look inside what's in this box. As I've mentioned, I wanted to curate this box to feel physically and emotionally supportive of the recipient during this time. 

There's a mixture of products that support both the physical experience of a loss, which includes bleeding, and the emotional transformation.

So, first and foremost, we have some Cozy Cloud Socks in here, just as a symbol of comfort, something to curl up on the couch and take a moment to breathe and keep yourself feeling loved and supported. These are super soft and stretchy, and one size fits most.

We also have this adjustable Angel Wing Bracelet. It's adjustable and has a sweet message to help honor the baby's loss. Wear it on your wrist to remember them.

The Miscarriage Journal is one of my favorite items in this box. It is designed to guide you through the first eight weeks of mourning after your loss, which I think is so important and powerful because a pregnancy or an infant loss is not something that we ever quickly get over, and it's important to honor that time.

This journal was written in collaboration with licensed therapists, so the prompts are powerful. They help provide support and provoke emotions and thoughtfulness around this time to help encourage healing.

We also have a Forget-Me-Not flower sticker. This is a hand-drawn forget-me-not flower with the message "Always in My Heart" because it is so important to remember and honor the baby that has been lost. 

I thought that this is a really special way to put this, you know, where you need to see this reminder.

We also have a Rainbow Baby Affirmation Card set. These are all hand-drawn and hand-picked by the founder of Seasons of Mama. They are validating, supportive, uplifting, and honestly, just real and raw, which I think is important when processing many emotions and heaviness.

Here, you can see an example. It says, “Like the moon, we must go through phases of emptiness to feel full again.”

Moving into the more physical aspects of a miscarriage or pregnancy loss. You know, there will be bleeding, so it's nice to have a variety of pads on hand. 

Not all miscarriages will experience bleeding, but for those that do, these Overnight Bamboo Pads are excellent to have at home and just a reminder like to the recipient that this is a physical process.

Many of the miscarriage and pregnancy loss boxes on the market, actually none that I've seen offer or include some more physical self-care items. So this was really important for me to include in here.

Lastly, we have our Iron-Boosting Tea. When bleeding, it's important to consider replenishing minerals, nutrients, and iron levels. This really mild tea is a lovely blend of nettle and rose hip and a great way to support that process.

Ultimately, when we created this box, you know, we wanted to create something supportive. I can tell you that it was very emotional to create and launch, but ultimately, the need for a product like this outweighed its emotional aspect, and we knew that we had to make this happen.

For those experiencing a loss again, one in four will experience a loss and it's important to talk about it, right? It's not a taboo topic. It's something that needs to be honored, and cherished. 

We hope that this box can bring awareness to the experience many are going through after a loss, especially in October, which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. So while it's never our favorite box to send, we are honored to be able to do that as needed.