Resources
Suicide and Crisis Hotlines
The Empty Cradle organization offers support those who have experienced a loss during or shortly after pregnancy through miscarriage, stillbirth, infant loss or SIDS. It is our sincere hope that we are able to help you find the resources that you need, but if you are feeling desperate and as though you might hurt yourself, please call the suicide or crisis hotline immediately.
San Diego County Access and Crisis Hotline:
Phone: 1 (800) 479-3339
Phone: 1 (619) 641-6992
Riverside County Hotline:
Phone: 1 (951) 686-HELP (4357)
San Diego County Resources
Center of Reproductive Psychology
The Center for Reproductive Psychology is dedicated to addressing the psychological impact that men and women experience when faced with obstacles in becoming parents.
Drs. Martha and David Diamond, and Dr. Janet Jaffe, co-founders of the Center, know from the inside what it feels like: they have all experienced their own reproductive trauma, and have come together to provide education, psychological counseling, and supportive services to individuals and couples facing issues associated with reproductive trauma, such as: miscarriage, stillbirth, infant death, premature birth, multiple and complicated births, postpartum adjustment, infertility , surrogacy, and adoption.
Website: www.reproductivepsych.org
Phone: (858) 576-3810
Individual Counselors Specializing in Reproductive Loss
Azmaira Maker, Clinical Psychologist
Dr. Maker is a clinician, professor and consultant and has extensive experience with child, adolescent, family and couples counseling. She is available for groups and individual therapy.
Phone: (858) 531-1122
Rochelle Perper, Ph.D., Center for Cognitive Therapy
Dr. Perper offers counseling on a sliding scale for individuals, couples, children, and families. Through support and guidance, you will learn to:
- Understand the nature of your grief, loss and related concerns
- Recognize responses that may be different from the traditional "stages of grief"
- Support your personal emotional needs and learn to cope in a society where you are encouraged to "get over it," and "move on"
- Embrace new thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and attitudes to help you transform your pain into positive change
Website: www.therapychanges.com
Phone: (619) 675-2286
The Jenna Druck Foundation
The Jenna Druck Foundation offers a wide range of support services for bereaved individuals and families who are grieving the death of a loved one (at any age) through their Families Helping Families program. Facilitated by certified bereavement counselors, the peer support groups offered through Families Helping Families have been a safe place for bereaved individuals to seek solace and support.
Families Helping Families offers support services for individuals, parents, Moms, Dads, siblings, friends and family members free of charge. They also hold workshops in which various professionals from the community share their experience and provide an opportunity for attendees to explore feelings associated with the loss of their loved one through an experiential. These workshops are meant to facilitate the process of healing as the bereaved find hope.
For meeting and program times, please call or visit the website.
Website: www.jennadruck.org
Phone: (619) 294-8000
Multiple Loss with Survivor Siblings Support Group
Support for parents who've lost a baby in a multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets, or higher) and have one or more surviving siblings.
Our Group
We are parents throughout San Diego who have experienced the death of one or more, of our twins or higher multiples at any time from conception through birth, and infancy. This group has formed from our own attempts in healing, having found support in others who've experienced similar unique losses. At a time when the number of multiple pregnancies has increased dramatically, the risk of loss of one or more babies has also risen. Our mission is to ensure you feel support during this unique trauma.
Meetings occur on the 3rd Sunday of every other month (Jan, March, May, July, Sept, Nov), from 1-3 pm at Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women.
Email: mlwsss@yahoo.com
Phone: (858) 939-4141
Bereaved Parents of the USA/San Diego Inland Chapter
Bereaved Parents of the USA (BP/USA) is a national non-profit self-help group that offers support, understanding, compassion and hope to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings struggling to rebuild their lives after the death of their children, grandchildren or siblings. All facilitators for the San Diego North Inland Chapter are bereaved parents that have had group facilitators training.
Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month from 7:00 - 8:30 pm at St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church in Poway.
Website: www.bereavedparentsusa.org
Phone: (858) 966-8400
San Diego Hospice Support Groups
Hospice offers Open Groups (open and ongoing bereavement support) and Specialty Groups (professionally facilitated, time limited).
- Shattered Dreams: for parents who have lost a child before or shortly after birth.
- Family Bereavement Program: for adults and children who have lost a loved one.
- Tender Hearts: for parents/ grandparents or any adult impacted by the loss of a child under 21.
Email: griefinfo@sdhospice.org
Phone: (619) 278-6480
SIDS Support
Giant Hearts Bereavement Support Group
Giant Hearts welcomes anyone who is experiencing the loss of a loved one at any age. We provide a safe and confidential environment to support you and your family.
Meets the 4th Sunday of every month, from 7-8 pm at 9920 Scripps Lake Drive, Suite 104, San Diego, California 92131.
Website: www.isabellasgiraffeclub.org
Phone: (858) 449-6554
Support for Fetal Trisomies (S.O.F.T.)
SOFT is a national nonprofit volunteer organization offering support for parents who have had or are expecting a child with a chromosome disorder (especially Trisomy 18 and Trisomy 13), and education to families and professionals interested in the coare of these children. Support is provided during prenatal diagnosis, the child's life and after the child's passing. Support services include: Phone Support, Educational Literature, Website Support Groups, Related Disorder Contacts and Resources, an Annual Family and Medical Conference and a Newsletter.
Website: www.trisomy.org
Phone: (800) 716-SOFT
San Diego County Contact:
Lynn McLaughlin (Vista, Ca.)
Phone: (760) 842-1561
Email: lamc1625@yahoo.com
Riverside County Contact:
Cassandra Drake (Corona, Ca.)
Phone: (310) 925-1636
Email: rawops@msn.com
Expressive Arts Therapy and Coaching
Expressive Arts is a discipline of helping and healing that uses art as its basis for discovery and change. What sets Expressive Arts Therapy and Coaching apart from other forms of art therapy is its use of all five disciplines of the arts: visual, dance/movement, music, drama/theater, and writing, rather than using only one modality. Clients do not need to be artists, processes are simple and no previous art background is needed.
A unique "Grieving Through Art" class is offered. This is a 6 week facilitated group for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. Art is used as a tool to express grief in a satisfying and healing way.
Tish McAllise Sjoberg
Website: www.arthelpsartheals.com
South Riverside County Resources
Hospice of the Valleys
Provides bereavement services to families. Our caring and experienced team of professionals and volunteers is prepared to meet those challenges in helping patients and families cope as we share all phases of the journey together - from the time the terminal diagnosis is given, all the way through end-of-life and the transition through bereavement.
Website: www.hospiceofthevalleys.org
First Candle
First Candle is a national nonprofit health organization uniting parents, caregivers and researchers nationwide with government, business and community service groups to advance infant health and survival. With help from a national network of member and partner organizations, we are working to increase public participation and support in the fight against infant mortality.
Website: www.firstcandle.org
Cradle of Love
Infant burial services for women at time of miscarriage
Corona, CA
Phone: (951) 340-2663
Trauma Intervention Program
TIP of SW Riverside County, Inc
P O Box 585
Murrieta, CA 92564-0585
Website: www.TIPofSWRiversideCounty.org
Phone: (951) 698-2453
Guild for Infant Survival - Inland Empire
Email: sharon_lang@redlands.edu (San Bernardino County)
Phone: (909) 838-1536 (San Bernardino County)
Phone: (909) 422-0536 (San Bernardino County)
Email: maureen.chavez@rcc.edu (Riverside County)
Phone: (951) 398-7150 (Riverside County)
Phone: (951) 897-7631 (Riverside County)
Fax: (951) 571-6262 (Riverside County)
Address:
145 Blue Jay Lane
Redlands, CA 92374
Internet Support For Pregnancy and Infant Loss
A Place to Remember
Uplifting support materials and resources for those who have been touched by a crisis in pregnancy or the death of a baby.
Website: www.aplacetoremember.com
Always Remembered-Never Forgotten-Forever Missed
Is actually a "Yahoo Group" that has recently added a newsletter For Grieving Parents. The Newsletters come out every Sunday Evening with Grieving or Memorial sites/links, Poems, and anything else that the members and visitors send in.
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~alnf1
American SIDS Institute
Includes information on research, a memory page, links to other SIDS sites and bereavement services.
Website: www.sids.org
Angel Babies Forever Loved
Is a site that includes several items of interest including several articles of interest to parents who are grieving. Includes a memorial page.
Website: www.angels4ever.com
Angels Babies in Heaven, Pregnancy Loss Memorials
Offers hand painted stepping stone baby loss memorials as special keepsakes for bereaving parents. Site also offers parental support and their own personal story of their stillborn daughter.
Website: www.angelbabiesinheaven.net
Angel Whispers
Angel Whispers offers a variety of services for coping with baby loss such as E-mail Support, Monthly Support Group Meeting, Subsequent Pregnancy Support Group Meeting, a Quarterly Newsletter and a Resource Library among other things.
Website: www.members.shaw.ca/angelwhispers
Born Angels
Is a site for grieving parents who have lost a baby at any stage of their pregnancy; ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, or stillbirth...and for their family and friends.
Website: www.bornangels.com
Centering Corporation
One of the largest distributors of all grief materials, including pregnancy and infant loss. They now offer their catalog of materials online.
Website: www.centeringcorp.com
Children are a Gift Foundation
This wonderful website tells you about the work of this foundation in Texas USA. If nothing else, take a virtual photo tour of the fantastic and impressive Children's Park that they developed to remember infants. Christian based site.
Website: www.childrenareagift.org/glorybabies.html
Helping After Neonatal Death (HAND)
Founded in 1981 to help parents, their families and their healthcare providers cope with the loss of a baby before, during, or after birth. It is a resource network of parents, professionals, and supportive volunteers that offers a variety of services throughout Northern California and the Central Valley.
Website: www.handonline.org
Hannah's Prayer Ministries
Christian emphasis, including infertility or the loss of a child at any time from conception through early infancy. Info on their network of local care/support chapters through the US, "live chat" room, and a pen pal connection area. They also have a newsletter; Hannah To Hannah.
Website: www.hannah.org
Haven of Hope and Healing
Is a nonprofit, organization committed to providing mental, emotional, spiritual, and educational support to those who have experienced the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death. We are a nondenominational organization that helps parents, their families and their healthcare providers cope with the loss of a baby before, during, or after birth.
Website: www.havenofhopeandhealing.org
Heavenly Angels
Helps bereaved parents all over the world by offering a safe Haven to share the loss of their angels. They believe in programs suitable for each different bereaved parent, activities that continue a healthy grieving process, and Memorials like online Memorials along with actual Memorial Quilts.
Website: www.heavenly-angels.org
Heavenly Angels In Need
A woman's personal ministry as led to a help site with all kinds of way for you to help. Of special note are her free patterns for knitting, crochet, sewing to make things like burial gowns, blankets, etc.
Website: www.heavenlyangelsinneed.com
Infants Remembered In Silence, Inc.
Dedicated to offering support, education and resources to parents, families, friends and professionals on the death of a child in early pregnancy (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, etc) or from stillbirth, premature birth, neo-natal death, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), illness, accidents, and all other types of infant & early childhood death.
Website: www.irisremembers.org
Little Ones Lost
Support for Latter- day Saint parents. Includes information on Dedicated to offering support, education and resources to parents, families, friends and professionals on the death of a child in early pregnancy (miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, etc) or from stillbirth, premature birth, neo-natal death, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), illness, accidents, and all other types of infant & early childhood death. miscarriage, stillbirth, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Includes chat and guestbook as well as links section.
Website: http://home.sprintmail.com/~adamszoo/LOindex.html
MEND
Support with a Christian emphasis for those families whose baby has died, or a subsequent pregnancy after a loss. Links to Bereaved Family Web Pages, other resources, and info about their newsletter and program.
Website: www.mend.org
M.I.S.S. (Mothers In Support and Sympathy)
Is a grass roots organization dedicated to supporting parents one to one after the death of an infant or young child. Referrals to peer contacts and ancillary organizations offered. List of Do's and Dont's to help bereaved parents, and a listing of groups and resources in Arizona.
Website: www.misschildren.org
Missing GRACE Foundation
(Grieve Restore Arise Commemorate Educate) The Missing GRACE Organization serves to help families on their journey through pregnancy and infant loss, infertility and adoption. We provide support and resources to aid individuals as they Grieve, Restore, Arise, Commemorate and Educate. Further, we commit to make available educational opportunities that will help bring about awareness and prevention of stillbirth. Missing GRACE support resources include: Membership with quarterly newsletter and monthly conference calls, active support group meetings, online support, annual conferences, information about stillbirth prevention and awareness, education courses for medical professionals and prenatal care classes for moms during a subsequent pregnancy after loss, Crisis Care for Couples in the hours and days after a baby has died, photo retouching, GRACE Memory Albums and up-to-date listings of national and international resources. We also offer a keynote speaker, drama team and dance group that can be commissioned for events such as conferences and seminars with a focus on pregnancy/infant loss and infertility.
Website: www.missinggrace.org
My Forever Child
Artisan handcrafted and personalized jewelry and keepsakes to comfort those touched by the loss of a child.
Website: www.myforeverchild.com
National Stillbirth Society
Includes membership information, volunteer opportunities, legislative initiatives, state director info on stillbirth, and more.
Website: www.stillnomore.org
Operation Angel, A Miscarriage and Child Loss Ministry
Includes ideas on how you can memorialize your baby, poetry, links, and info on how you can participate in their Memorial projects.
Website: http://fly.to/OperationAngel
Our Hearts Will Go On
A web site established by a group of parents who have experienced miscarriage and stillbirth. Site includes stories and pictures of their babies, poetry, list of suggested reading materials, and links.
Website: www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1449/index.html
Perinatal Loss - Grief Watch
Offers a full line of products and gift items, from urns to albums, many of which are handcrafted to make them all the more special as remembrances.
Website: www.griefwatch.com
Preemie Patterns
What a great site to link up with crocheted, knit and sewing patterns for preemie burial pouches and burial gowns. Use the patterns to create these much desired items for your local hospital as a support or as a memorial to your own angel.
Website: www.bevscountrycottage.com/baby.html
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network
(an extension of the SIDS Network, Inc.) has a home page which includes guest book, information, and info on joining a Pregnancy and Infant Loss discussion group, and a SIDS discussion group.
Website: www.sids-network.org/pil.htm
Quilt of Memories
Add your child to this memorial site.
Website: http://home.comcast.net/~cdmaa/quilt.htm
RainbowMaker
A "Healing Center" founded after the loss of their first-born son Daniel Ethan. Includes helpful articles, angel pins, book reviews, and much more.
Website: www.rainbowmaker.org
Remembering Our Babies - October 15th
Site devoted to promoting "Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day". Tells you how you can get involved in making your country, your state, your community, your household involved in this important remembrance event. See if YOUR state has agreed to proclaim Remembrance Day... make sure you click to "sign the petition."
Website: www.october15th.com
Share National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support
Is online with information on the valuable services they offer caregivers and parents whose child has died. Site includes list of upcoming conferences, links, and resources (books, etc.) that Share offers.
Website: www.nationalshareoffice.com
SIDS Families
Support for grieving families who have lost a child to SIDS. Includes postcards, chat room, message board, poetry, advice and suggestions.
Website: www.sidsfamilies.com
SIDS Network
Offers support to those who have been touched by SIDS, links, and a mailing list. The site has really expanded to include an entire series of FAQs as well as an extensive table of contents.
Website: www.sids-network.org
SIDS - The Smallest Angels Memorial Wall
Lists hundreds of babies who died from SIDS and invites other SIDS parents to do likewise.
Website: www.geocities.com/smallestangels/index.html
SIDS Alliance
A national, non-profit, voluntary health organization dedicated to the support of SIDS families, education and research. See the latest research and news regarding SIDS, as well as events in the US focusing on the issue.
Website: www.sidsalliance.org
Wintergreen Press
Is the website of well-known perinatal loss speaker and author Sherokee Isle. The site is still fairly new, but it promises to hold a lot of information in the future, including "action items" and "resources and how-tos."
Website: www.wintergreenpress.com
Wisconsin Stillbirth Program
A large site which includes many links, information on stillbirth, an on-line newsletter and educational resources. Excellent.
Website: www.wisc.edu/wissp
Support Specifically for Miscarriage
Angel Baby Baskets
Offers miscarriage support and unique angel baby baskets as remembrances to give to those who have suffered miscarriage.
Website: www.angelbabybaskets.com
Silent Grief
Miscarriage support for grieving parents.
Website: www.angelbabybaskets.com/miscarriage-fertility-support.html
Miscarriage Help
An online Blog and message site that encourages women and men to talk out their feelings. Also provides general information on miscarriage and infant loss. This site is the companion site to Ellen DuBois' eBook, I Never Held You, available through the site.
Website: www.miscarriagehelp.com
Loss of Multiples
Center for Loss in Multiple Births (CLIMB)
Internet support services for parents throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and beyond who have experienced the death of one or more, both or all of our twins or higher multiples at any time from conception through birth, infancy and childhood.
Website: www.climb-support.org
Elizabeth A. Pector, M.D.
Specializing in multiple birth loss. A page of poetry and prose focusing on multiple birth loss. From here you can also connect to her multiple birth loss resources page.
Website: www.synspectrum.com/multiplicity.html
Website: www.synspectrum.com/poetry.html
Multiple Birth Prenatal Education and Bereavement Support
This Web Site offers information regarding multiple births. It includes pregnancy and post-natal information and, from the point of view of new parents, it attempts to address some of your questions and concerns. Although a joyous time, there are sometimes risks in multiple births. Hence this Web Site also offers bereavement support for parents who have lost one, more or all of their multiple birth children during pregnancy or in infancy.
Website: www.multiplebirthsfamilies.com
Loss of All in Multiple Birth Support (LAMB)
An email list for those who have lost all their children in a pregnancy with multiples (twins, triplets, quadruplets or higher), whether their loss is recent or years ago. Please know that if you have suffered such a loss, you are not alone.
Website: www.public.iastate.edu/~cjenks/lambs.html
Parents of Mulitples Forever
A unique site providing support and resources for parents who experience the loss of one or some of their multiple birth children, either during pregnancy or anytime after birth, including childhood.
Website: www.erichad.com/pom
Poor Fetal Diagnosis/Making a Choice to Interrupt Pregnancy Support Sites
Carrying to Term
Is an online how-to guide for carrying a pregnancy to term after diagnosis of a condition fatal to the baby. The site includes birth plans for terminally ill babies, memorial ideas, funeral planning, and emotional support.
Website: www.geocities.com/tabris02/index.html
A Heartbreaking Choice
For parents who have interrupted a wanted pregnancy following poor prenatal diagnosis. Includes resource list, remembrance garden, poetry, other educational information. You can also register to be included in their chat room. Also includes over 40 local support groups for parents who have interrupted a pregnancy.
Website: www.aheartbreakingchoice.com
Prenatal Partners for Life
Support information and encouragement for carrying to term with an adverse prenatal diagnosis, and support for raising your child with special needs after birth.
Website: www.prenatalpartnersforlife.org
Waiting With Love
For parents who choose to continue a pregnancy after learning their unborn baby will die before or shortly after birth and for parents who learn their newborn will die soon. Site includes parent letters, resources, and sample birth plans.
Website: www.erichad.com/wwl
Angel Pictures and Portraits
Baby Angel Pics
The Baby Angel Pics Project has been created to donate photo retouching resources to the parents and families of a stillborn baby. Through this free service, our skilled digital artists work with a digital copy of your original, eliminating medical equipment, removing unsightly marks and even replacing the background if desired. Mothers can scan their photos and upload them to us or have a participating retail partner scan them and upload them to us.
Website: www.babyangelpics.com
Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep
This is the place where the Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation gently provides a helping hand and a healing heart. For families overcome by grief and pain, the idea of photographing their baby may not immediately occur to them. Offering gentle and beautiful photography services in a compassionate and sensitive manner is the heart of this organization. The soft, gentle heirloom photographs of these beautiful babies are an important part of the healing process. They allow families to honor and cherish their babies, and share the spirits of their lives. The Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Foundation (NILMDTS) administers a network of almost 6,000 volunteer photographers in the United States and twenty-five international countries. At a family's request, a NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer will come to your hospital or hospice location and conduct a sensitive and private portrait session. The portraits are then professionally retouched and presented to the families on an archival DVD or CD that can be used to print portraits of their cherished baby. Our entire network of affiliated photographers graciously donate their time and talents to our families and we are proud to be able to offer our services at no cost.
Website: www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org
Portraits by Dana
Specializing in memorial pencil portraits and Angel drawings. I never planned or imagined doing remembrance portraits but after doing my first, I knew this is what I had to do. No matter how hard it was for me to hear of this family's tragic loss, no matter how hard it was for me to draw from the difficult photos, I knew my own feelings couldn't compare to what this family felt each and every day. I love what I do and hope to be able to touch more lives with my drawings.
Website: www.portraitsbydana.com
Financial Assistance for Burial
The Unforgettables Foundation
The Unforgettables Foundation provides financial assistance to those families with limited resources to help offset the costs of final arrangements. Currently, the Foundation's help is granted to families throughout Riverside, San Bernardino and Orange Counties, with plans to expand. Requests for aid come from hospitals, social service agencies, and families themselves. Since the creation of the Foundation in 2001, over 2000 families have been assisted in more than 60 cities in Southern California.
Website: www.theunforgettables.com/burial-assis.asp
The Connor Kirby Infant Memorial Foundation
Provides financial assistance to families in Pennsylvania and Maryland to help pay for their infant's funeral, cremation, burial and cemetery expenses.
Website: www.connorkirbymemorial.org
Resources Revised: January 2009
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