|
Remembering
the Babies
Loss of a Baby
Pregnant couples
usually expect birth to be a joyful event, not a sad one. In a
normal situation no-one expects a baby to die. The death of a
baby brings many intense feelings.
The loss of your
pregnancy at any stage can have a big impact on you and your
partner, your family and friends. One day you are pregnant and
planning your future life with your child, and then within a
short time your pregnancy ends, and your dreams and plans have
changed.
Your grief may be
even harder to endure as you have nothing to show for the
pregnancy and you have no memories to grieve. Friends and
acquaintances may have been unaware of the pregnancy. With this
lack of acknowledgment and the absence of memories, it may seem
as if your baby never existed which can add another dimension to
the feelings of loss and grief.
Remembering Your Baby
You may wish to find ways to remember your
baby eg. planting a tree or plant, writing a poem or creating a
scrap book of memories.
At the NALAG Centre
for Loss & Grief Dubbo we have dedicated a garden to commemorate
little lives gone too soon. This special place,
The Remembering the Babies
Memorial Rock Garden
was dedicated in 2006 with a community
ceremony. These ceremonies are now held annually at the NALAG
Centre for those in our community to acknowledge the loss of a
baby and remember little lives gone too soon. For the date of
the next Remembering the Babies Ceremony please contact the
NALAG Centre.
The Remembering the
Babies Memorial Rock Garden is filled with natural river rocks.
No two rocks are the same. Much like personal responses to grief
the stones are individual and unique.
The NALAG Centre
would like to invite you to choose one of these stones in
remembrance of your baby and have a special inscription placed
on the stone. This can be done at any time during the year and
is a free service. You may choose to take the stone home, or
placed in the NALAG garden where it will remain and you can come
to sit, reflect and remember.
If you would like to
order a commemorative stone from the Remembering the Babies
Memorial Rock Garden, please phone the NALAG Centre for Loss &
Grief on 02 6882 9222 or visit our Centre. This service is free
of charge.
Grief Support
T he
NALAG Centre for Loss and Grief Dubbo can
provide individual grief support for those
experiencing the loss of a baby.
How to contact us
Phone 02 6882 9222 and staff will be
pleased to discuss your needs and answer any questions you may
have above accessing our services.
Location
The NALAG Centre is
located in Welchman Street, Dubbo. Turn off Myall Street at
Maniera Plaza into Welchman Street, the Centre is at the end of
Welchman Street.
Hours
The NALAG Centre for
Loss and Grief is open 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Thursday. Please
feel free to drop into the Centre or call 02 6882 9222 to
arrange an appointment for grief support.
Cost
The NALAG Centre is a not for profit
organization funded by NSW Mental Health Drug and Alcohol. The
NALAG Centre provides grief and loss support to all people
regardless of race, religion and financial circumstances and
provides grief support FREE of charge.
Helping Someone Who Is Grieving
Be a good listener
Grieving people need
to talk about their loss, acknowledge that they have been
through adifficult experience. You can’t fix their grief but you
can be there, hear their story, and share their journey.
Be a shoulder to cry on
Allow them to cry
with you, crying helps the release of emotions and this helps
with healing.
Be in touch with them
Drop in, call on the
telephone and say "I was thinking of you today" write a letter,
send an email, remember special days like Christmas, birthdays
and anniversaries.
When someone has
experienced a loss, there will be big and small adjustments to
be made in their lives. These could bring uncertainty,
frustration, fear, sadness and change as each new day comes
along. Grief is about adapting to change in life, thoughts,
hopes, beliefs and the future.
Be a friend
Often being there is
all that is needed to support someone who is grieving.
(Adapted from the
writings of Doris Zagdanski)
 Download
this information in a trifold brochure for printing.
Other
Support & Resources
|
