Pregnancy loss can be a devastating experience for a woman. In order to cope with the emotional trauma of such an occurrence one needs to understand the grieving process. It is natural to feel both despair and anger when pregnancy loss occurs.


Allow yourself time to mourn the loss and to accept what has happened. The grieving process takes place in stages. It is possible that you may pass through some of the stages quickly, while lingering at some of the other stages.


The stages of grief include denial wherein you may experience disbelief about the loss and are unable to grasp what has happened. Then anger develops either at yourself or your partner. This is followed by guilt wherein you feel you could have averted the pregnancy loss if you had been more careful. Depression then sets in, and if these feelings persist, it may be necessary to seek professional help. As these stages take place, one moves towards acceptance which alleviates the sorrow and pain considerably. It is natural to experience a recurrence of feelings of anger and pain when certain triggers are encountered such as seeing a newborn baby. It is better to avoid these situations until you feel ready to face them.

There are certain ways to make the process of healing slightly easier. In many cases, loved ones or well wishers may suggest that you clear away all baby and maternity items to make the process easier. However, you need to make your own decisions and if you are not ready to clear out the reminders, you should do so only when you feel it is right. Creating memories of your baby is also helpful. It is sometimes comforting to create some kind of memorial for your baby. You can even keep an ultrasound picture of the baby. It is important to take things slow and focus on dealing with this one day at a time. It is also essential to take good care of yourself and to eat healthy, as well as get enough rest. Seek an outlet for your sorrow by keeping a journal of your thoughts. Sharing your feelings with your family and close friends also helps to ease pent-up feelings.

Once the grief of pregnancy loss subsides, you can think about attempting another pregnancy. Most women have successful pregnancies following pregnancy loss and talking about the future is a good way to move forward.