Pregnancy and Infant Loss FAQ
Angel Babies Matter Network FAQ
Because 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage with an over-representation of African Americans and other minorities losing at 1.5 times the rate as other groups, Angel Babies Matter Network will provide peer support through information, connection, and giving. We are moms of Angels! You too can become a part of a community of moms who want to heal and grow together.
What is the difference between miscarriage and stillbirth or as Angel Babies Matter Network refers to Angel Birth?
Miscarriage is loss occurring before 20 weeks. A stillbirth is the loss of a baby at or after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Stillbirth is further classified as either early, late, or term.
An early stillbirth is a fetal death occurring between 20 and 27 completed weeks of pregnancy.
A late stillbirth occurs between 28 and 36 completed pregnancy weeks.
A term stillbirth occurs between 37 or more completed pregnancy weeks.
What happens during a pregnancy loss?
Every circumstance is different. Pregnancy loss can occur after trauma or injury or severe stress to the body. Oftentimes the cause of a miscarriage is unknown. A mom may or may not know whether she is pregnant. A mom may or may not sense something is wrong. A pregnant woman can be diagnosed as actively miscarrying. A carrying mom can also be encouraged to terminate.
How can the Angel Babies Matter Network help?
Pregnancy loss can feel lonely and isolating. Angel Babies Matter Network will look to advocate for moms to gain more resources in Mental Health and post-partum medical leave.
Angel Babies Matter Network is for moms who lost, friends who want to honor Angel moms and their angel babies, and supporters who want to lift the stigma of sharing early pregnancy loss.
Angel Babies Matter Network was founded in 2019 and officially incorporated in 2022, provides resources and peer support for mothers and family who have experienced perinatal infant loss or friends who want to support a family of an angel baby. The Angel Babies Matter network will lead in normalizing the grieving process of infant loss and provide tools to educate and connect those who may not
ever experience loss of this magnitude first-hand.
After the loss of her angel baby, many Moms of Angel Babies who seek counseling have been diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety and clinical depression. The network can provide resources for families to deal with those raw and jarring emotions.
How can I become a Supporter and Friend of the Angel Babies Matter Network?
Whether you would like to extend uplifting thoughts and encouraging words, gift a grieving family with a special momento or support our efforts to help mothers and families in their grief journey, please visit our ABM Network Donation page.
What Angel Moms would like you to know?
No matter if a first time loss or repeated loss, no two losses are the same.
It does not matter if mom has other children or not, other live children do not replace the loss of life.
Yes, everything happens for a reason but grieving moms often do not want to hear dismissive statements, no matter the intent. Instead offer empathy and let the mom know you grieve with her, you too will miss her baby and all of the missed milestones that will never come into fruition in this lifetime.
It doesn’t matter if mom was only 8 weeks pregnant or 8 months pregnant, a heartbreak is a heartbrea
The stages of pregnancy matter when discussing pregnancy loss and infant loss. Moms who experienced stillbirth sometimes shutter when a loved one classifies the loss as a miscarriage.
Miscarriage is pregnancy loss occurring within the first three months of conception. Some causes include but are not limited to ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, blighted ovum and termination of pregnancy for medical reasons (TFMR).
Stillbirth is the loss of an angel baby after 20 weeks of gestation before or during delivery. Some mothers learn of her angel baby’s death and have to wait to be induced. Some mothers go through agonizing hours of labor or cesarean, all to have delivered a baby without the joy of a new baby crying. Mothers often will have an opportunity to hold the baby, take pictures but may not share them.
Some families will allow a pathology, autopsy on the Angel Babies and/or have a burial or cremation ceremony. Some mothers experience not only grief but postpartum depression and mental and physical challenges. Some mothers begin lactating with no live baby to feed or have to remove gifts from the home for the baby who has passed. We call stillbirth, Angel Birth.
According to the CDC, about 1 pregnancy in 100 at 20 weeks of pregnancy and later is affected by stillbirth, and each year about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States.
Neonatal death occurs after an infant has died shortly after delivery
What’s the best way to send expressions of love?
With loss, expressions of thoughts, peace and prayers are always in order but if you ever feel the need to do more, consider the relationship you have with the grieving mom and also the sensitivity of the mom and privacy concerns.
Be careful not to weigh in, ask intrusive questions or be dismissive of the loss. Encouraging a mom to try again or not to think too much about it or saying it wasn’t the right time can be insulting and unwelcomed words that far too many loving say without knowing how much those words can hurt.
If you have experienced a similar loss, you can share your experience and express empath but don’t ever compare. No two losses for the same mom or for two different moms can ever be the same.
Remember the mom on the due date, death of death, Mother’s Day or significant days where the mom may feel sorrow on a larger scale.
You may contact the Angel Babies Matter Network or visit our shop for more ideas to honor an Angel Baby who matters.