Types of Loss
There are many different types of loss that you may be facing. These are examples of some, but for a full listing of losses, please visit StillBirthday.
Chemical Pregnancy (miscarriage prior to ultrasound) and Honoring Uncertainty - miscarriage prior to medically confirmed pregnancy.
Miscarriage – refers to a pregnancy loss prior to reaching 20 weeks gestation. It is not a medical word. It can imply that the mother did not carry her baby properly, but is intended to be less abrasive than the medical alternative.
Threatened Miscarriage- a possible future miscarriage. Remember A+B+C = abdominal pain, bleeding, cramping. These three together are signs of a probable miscarriage. Please call your midwife or OB/GYN if you suspect this.
Stillbirth – refers to a pregnancy loss after 19 weeks gestation. Issues arise with dates and ages; some consider stillbirth to refer to pregnancy loss after 23 weeks gestation. Those who experience pregnancy loss within this time frame, for example, at 19 weeks 5 days, may refer to their loss as a stillbirth simply because it denotes an older fetus, and therefore more socially worthy of grieving.
NICU Grief and Neonatal Death - when a baby dies in the first 28 days of life. Sometimes babies who die during the first hours of life are referred to as stillborn, although the distinction is important.
Chemical Pregnancy (miscarriage prior to ultrasound) and Honoring Uncertainty - miscarriage prior to medically confirmed pregnancy.
Miscarriage – refers to a pregnancy loss prior to reaching 20 weeks gestation. It is not a medical word. It can imply that the mother did not carry her baby properly, but is intended to be less abrasive than the medical alternative.
Threatened Miscarriage- a possible future miscarriage. Remember A+B+C = abdominal pain, bleeding, cramping. These three together are signs of a probable miscarriage. Please call your midwife or OB/GYN if you suspect this.
Stillbirth – refers to a pregnancy loss after 19 weeks gestation. Issues arise with dates and ages; some consider stillbirth to refer to pregnancy loss after 23 weeks gestation. Those who experience pregnancy loss within this time frame, for example, at 19 weeks 5 days, may refer to their loss as a stillbirth simply because it denotes an older fetus, and therefore more socially worthy of grieving.
NICU Grief and Neonatal Death - when a baby dies in the first 28 days of life. Sometimes babies who die during the first hours of life are referred to as stillborn, although the distinction is important.