What is Grief? | Hope & Support after Baby Loss
Have you ever wondered: What is grief? And how does it work?
March of Dimes gives this really helpful definition: "Grief is all the feelings you have when someone close to you dies. You may find it hard to believe that your baby died. You may want to shout or scream or cry. You may want to blame someone. Or you may want to hide under the covers and never come out. At times, your feelings may seem more than you can handle. You may feel sad, depressed, angry or guilty. You may get sick easily with colds and stomach aches and have trouble concentrating. All of these are part of grief."
It is incredibly helpful to read a definition of grief that is so encompassing. That definition helps me to understand that no matter what I am feeling, it is normal. And that means I don't have to be afraid of grieving a certain way. It is incredibly helpful to understand that my inability to concentrate or focus or put together a coherent sentence is grief. It means I'm not crazy or suffering from a medical condition in my brain. And it is incredibly helpful to hear that at times all of it "may seem more than you can handle." That means it's ok for me to not be ok.
I think this quote from CS Lewis’ A Grief Observed is also especially helpful, he says:
“No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear. I am not afraid, but the sensation is like being afraid. The same fluttering in the stomach, the same restlessness, the yawning. I keep on swallowing.
At other times it feels like being mildly drunk, or concussed. There is a sort of invisible blanket between the world and me. I find it hard to take in what anyone says. Or perhaps, hard to want to take it in. It is so uninteresting. Yet I want the others to be about me. I dread the moments when the house is empty. If only they would talk to one another and not to me.”
HAVE YOU EVER FELT THAT WAY?
Grief is full of the unknowns, and those unknowns leave us feeling afraid, paralyzed, and overwhelmed. Even our responses to grief can feel confusing, unsettling and difficult to navigate.
We’ve helped thousands of women navigate the unknowns of grief and life after baby loss – and we’ve gathered everything together in our free Ultimate Resource Bundle. Because grief is lonely, but it doesn’t have to be.
Inside the Ultimate Resource Bundle, you’ll find all of our most helpful and hopeful resources covering topics like how to take care of yourself when grieving, our most recommended podcast episodes on various topics, what to expect when you’re grieving, navigating marriage or parenting after grief, and so much more.
LOOKING FOR MORE?
If you want to go deeper, inside The Morning Library you can find practical wisdom and tangible resources for navigating the most difficult aspects of life and loss after the loss of the baby. Topics like how to navigate birthdays or difficult anniversaries, how to navigate this new normal of life after loss, how to take good care of yourself amidst grief and even pregnancy after loss.
Because sometimes even the simplest of things that had been so mundane or easy before now feel impossible after the loss of a baby. In The Morning Library, you’ll find audio recordings you can listen to at any time to receive big sister wisdom, practical tools, and tangible encouragement to help you navigate some of those aspects of life after loss that might be extra challenging.
And if you’re looking for one to start with? We’d recommend Taking Care of Yourself in Grief. But if you want to explore them all, click below to get started. We pray they bless you in your grief.
free resource bundle
WE’VE HELPED THOUSANDS OF WOMEN NAVIGATE LIFE AFTER BABY LOSS - AND WE’VE PUT ALL OUR BEST TIPS IN ONE ULTIMATE RESOURCE BUNDLE. FOR FREE. FOR YOU.
