HAND of the Bay Area (Helping After Neonatal Death) offers several different types of meetings to support bereaved parents at all stages of loss and grief. All meetings are peer-led and free of charge. Please read about the different meetings below to learn about the types of support offered.
Grief Support Group Meetings
Our grief support meetings are for parents and their adult relatives and friends during the normal mourning following miscarriage, stillbirth, interruption of a wanted pregnancy due to a prenatal diagnosis or for maternal health, or infant death in the first year of life. At these informal gatherings we receive and give support by sharing common experiences as we work through our grief. Meetings are facilitated by volunteer bereaved parents who are able to offer empathetic peer support. Meetings may start out with a topic of discussion, but everyone is free to bring up any questions or aspects of their loss that may concern them.
Attending your first meeting may take courage, but parents who attend find a comforting network of support, encouragement, friendship and understanding. Nothing is required of you. There are no dues or fees. Even if you no longer need the meetings for yourself, come and share your experiences with someone who has recently suffered a loss.
Find an upcoming Grief Support Group Meeting near you
Early Pregnancy Loss Support Group Meetings
This group is specifically for women and their partners who have suffered first trimester pregnancy losses due to miscarriage, missed miscarriage, recurrent miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy, or molar pregnancy. While all HAND support groups are welcoming and inclusive to parents who’ve experienced early pregnancy losses, we recognize that these types of losses bring unique experiences, feelings, and concerns, so we offer this virtual meeting as an additional line of support.
Attend an upcoming Early Pregnancy Loss Virtual Support Group Meeting
Subsequent Pregnancy Support Group Meetings
Parents who are pregnant again after a loss have special emotional and psychological needs. Subsequent Pregnancy Support Group meetings address the concerns of bereaved parents who have started or are thinking about starting another pregnancy. Partners are encouraged to attend.
Attend an upcoming Subsequent Pregnancy Virtual Support Group Meeting
Parenting After Loss Support
HAND offers several ways in which bereaved parents can receive support parenting after loss, including a private Facebook Group as well as virtual support group meetings. These groups are open to parents who have suffered the loss of a baby before, during, or after birth. Our groups allow bereaved parents to find comfort in forming connections and friendships with those who understand the unique position of being a parent to both living and deceased children. Many bereaved parents feel uncomfortable participating in parenting forums or playgroups, as their emotional needs and perspectives as bereaved parents often differ from parents who have not experienced loss. Others may have specific questions such as how to support and speak with their living child or children about their deceased sibling(s).
Attend an upcoming virtual Parenting After Loss Support Meeting or join HAND’s PAL Facebook Group