Cow Patties Cloth Diapers: Loss is not a four letter word

This is a very special week for Cow Patties Cloth Diapers. October 15 is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

In addition to being cloth diaper addicts and having toddlers about the same age, Megan and I have something else in common. We have both lost babies. I won't go into detail about Megan's loss but I would like to share my loss with you soon and Megan will share hers in her own time.

We both have our own reasoning and feelings for doing what we're doing this week but both of us agree that many people view the loss of a baby-whether miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS or something else- as taboo. People on both sides wonder how they're suppose to feel or act. People are unsure how to talk about or bring up pregnancy loss, people don't know how to provide support and comfort to the people that have experienced the loss-especially the Mother and often times the family suffers in silence unaware of support or resources available to them. Well meaning people end up doing more harm than good because they say insensitive things or do not mention the Baby's name for fear it will hurt the parents more. The parents, especially the Mother, feel isolated and alone unsure about how to cope as she bleeds alone at home knowing her pregnancy is over or leaves the hospital with empty arms after handing her sweet stillborn baby over to a doctor or nurse. They both wonder why and how they're going to survive the next hour without their baby let along the rest of their lives. They struggle to cope, struggle to reach out, struggle with a million questions they'll never have answers to, they think they are alone.

The truth of the matter is:

-10%-25% of ALL CLINICALLY RECOGNIZED PREGNANCY WILL END IN MISCARRIAGE. Chemical pregnancies (I hate that term-it sounds so clinical), like mine, account for 50%-75% of all miscarriages.(1)

-STILLBIRTH OCCURS IN 1 OF 160 PREGNANCIES(2)

Pregnancy loss does not discriminate.

You could have done everything right before conceiving and during the pregnancy, be in best life circumstance possible, of any ethnicity, any age, and still experience loss. Chances are if you haven't experienced loss your mother, sister, best friend, sister-in-law, mom behind your favorite WAHM business, or Barista at your favorite coffee shop HAS.

That is why Cow Patties is taking time to week to help bring to light Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant loss. In addition to blog posts this week discussing loss Megan has been working her heart out to create diapers for a very special auction this week. In-lieu of her normal stocking she is going to auction off her products and donate the proceeds to Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope. These are just two of the most amazing resources for people that have experienced loss and I urge you to check them out along with the link to October15th.com. I will be profiling Kristin of Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope later today as well-very personal and very informative piece so be sure to check it out.

Even if you haven't experienced loss please read the "Helping the Bereaved" section on Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep and the "Friends and Family" section on Faces of Loss Faces of Hope. Your support and your shoulder will mean more to the Bereaved than you will ever realize.

If you have experienced loss YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It is not a path you have to walk alone. We hope that we are able to provide you with resources and information that will help you heal. I am also available by email if you need someone to talk to or need help finding a specific resource or information.

Broken-by Lifehouse