October is not only Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it is also National Infant Loss and Miscarriage Awareness Month! I am asking you all to join us in the Wave of Light (light a candle) on October 15th at 7pm (in your own time zone) and keep the candle burning for 1 hour for a continuous WAVE OF LIGHT to pray for those who have suffered from Infertility, Miscarriage or the loss of an infant child. And to remember the babies that are lost every year.
In 1988 President Reagan declared October to be “Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness” month. In 2006, the US Senate, passed House Resolution #222 supporting the Goals and Ideals of Miscarriage and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.
The statistics show that there are approximately 6 million pregnancies every year throughout the United States: 4,058,000 live births and 1,995,840 pregnancy losses
Pregnancy Loss: There are approximately 2 million women who experience pregnancy loss (my daughter was included in that in 2012!) 600,000 women experience pregnancy loss through miscarriage, 1,200,000 women experience pregnancy loss through termination, 64,000 women experience pregnancy loss through ectopic pregnancy, 6,000 women experience pregnancy loss through molar pregnancies, 26,000 women experience pregnancy loss through stillbirth.
Pregnancy Complications: Every year in the United States 875,000 woman experience one or more pregnancy complications. 458,952 babies are born to mothers without adequate prenatal care, 467,201 babies are born prematurely, 307,030 babies are born with Low Birth Weight, 154,051 children are born with Birth Defects, 27,864 infants die before their first birthday.
There are 6,000,000 women who deal with infertility and 2,000,000 married couples are infertile
Some of you know may know, my daughter had 2 miscarriages in 2012. The first one was in May and the second miscarriage was in September after Hurricane Isaac! First one the fetus stopped growing at 6 weeks, she finally lost it at 11 weeks (she had a crap butt DR that I only wish I could do harm to!) The second was at 8 weeks (different Doctor). Her husband and she had heard the heart beat on the ultrasound machine 2 weeks prior. She was rushed to the ER on September 3rd the day after getting her power restored from Hurricane Isaac!
I think of those babies every day. I know she does as well. After a year of grieving their loss, my daughter is finally talking about the possibility of trying again. She was dead set on NO after the second loss. I’m praying this time around, there are NO problems and they can finally have a baby.
I’m a Gramma to a beautiful, funny, smart little girl who was born in July of 2014. She’s the joy of my family and I’m so very proud to be a gramma (an alternate spelling for grandma)! I am a coffee, music, movie and outdoor lover! My family and I love picnics, festivals and concerts. Spending time with my family is the best part of my life. I love my job as well! Blogging and product reviewing has given my family and I a lot and I have also learned a lot and made a lot of friends.
