Experiencing a miscarriage is traumatic and distressing for you but it’s also difficult for older siblings who may be struggling to understand what has happened.
When you’re grieving yourself, it can be especially tough dealing with the grief of your children and while you naturally want to remain strong for them, your own rollercoaster of emotions can make it a testing time.
There are plenty of books about miscarriages available that you can use to explain to your children what it all means and offer them comfort too. We’ve rounded up the best ones that will help you and your family on this journey.
1. We Were Gonna Have a Baby, But We Had an Angel Instead
Written by Pay Schweibert, We Were Gonna Have a Baby, is a gentle picture book which explains a miscarriage for younger children. It sensitively explores the subject of a miscarriage and will help your children come to terms with the loss of their unborn sibling in a way they can understand. Beautifully illustrated, it introduces the baby as an angel figure invisible to the grief-stricken people around them, allowing the living child to interpret the scenes as they wish. The book also offers parents practical tips around helping bereaved children.
2. My Sibling Still
My Sibling Still is a helpful book for older children, written as a love letter to the miscarried or stillborn child. It gently takes them through the emotions they may be feeling at the loss of a sibling or mother’s pregnancy but also makes space for remembering the lost child within the family and honouring their memory. It’s just as relevant whether the loss came before or after the surviving siblings and offers the life-affirming philosophy that out of suffering there is always hope, remembrance, celebration, and love.
3. I love You Still
For those who have lost a sibling, whether through a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death, I Love You Still can provide a permanent record of their memory. Catering for all genders and ages, this is a chance for parents to write down important dates, thoughts, memories, and feelings, include pictures and mementoes and record their bereavement journey. Far from being a reminder of grief, this book is a chance for people to cherish a lost pregnancy or remember with love a baby who passed away.
Remembered Forever
As well as books to help with miscarriage, you and your family can remember your angel baby in many different ways. A picture urn or picture frame with a cherished photo, for example, is a chance for you to keep your baby’s ashes and image close by, providing a lasting and treasured memory.
If you’re struggling through stillbirth or the loss of a baby the Sands Charity can offer you support and advice. You can also view our products for memorial frames to help you keep a memory of your lost loved ones close.
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