top of page
CH logo.png
calm-hearted

REMEMBERING FORWARD

ChatGPT Image Jul 16, 2026, 09_59_10 AM_edited_edited.jpg

GENTLE FIRST STEPS

For the first days and weeks when your world has been shattered.

You do not have to know what you need. You are being held here. I am so sorry for your loss.

This is a soft starting place for bereaved parents in the early days after pregnancy or infant loss. 

Gemini_Generated_Image_jogm8ijogm8ijogm.png

Content warning

You do not need to become a grief researcher overnight. The resources below have been gathered to offer practical support, but some topics, language, and images on linked websites may feel difficult or intense.

​

Please explore only what feels manageable at this time. You are always welcome to reach out if you would rather have someone help you find a place to begin or connect with you through this tender time.

Practical things to navigate

These resources provide information about physical recovery, funeral arrangements, ceremonies and remembrance. Details may vary between provinces and individual circumstances, so your hospital, funeral service provider, or local health authority can confirm what applies where you live.

TAKING CARE OF YOUR

BODY AFTER LOSS

BC Women's Hospital

Information about physical recovery, lactation after loss, autopsy questions, remembrance, and available support.

Visit external link

DECISIONS AROUND FUNERAL AND MEMORIAL OPTIONS

MyHealth Alberta

Practical information about choosing a funeral home, burial or cremation, costs, services and what may happen next. 

Visit external link

COMMEMORATING PREGNANCY OR INFANT LOSS

PAIL Network Ontario

Although written for healthcare professionals, this resource also offers families ideas for rituals, keepsakes, memorials, and traditions that can be created at any time.

Visit external link

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AFTER LOSS

PILSC Calgary

Resources and FAQs covering immediate next steps, ceremony planning, memory-making, lactation after loss, and Canadian leave and benefits.

Visit external link

Experiences that you may relate to

Coming Home After Loss

A reflection on leaving the hospital without your baby and returning to a home that was prepared for a different life.

Communicating Baby Loss

How we shared the hardest words, kept our closest people informed about what happened, and shared what we would need next.

What We Needed

A reflection on the practical, emotional, and deeply personal forms of support we needed in the first days while grieving.

How Our Village Showed Up

The meaningful ways our family and friends cared for us, remembered our baby, and stayed present after our loss.

Planning Your Baby's Funeral

A personal account of making funeral decisions no parent expects to face and creating a goodbye filled with love and meaning.

Administration after Baby Loss

The calls, forms, arrangements, and other practical tasks that still need attention when grief has made everything feel impossible.

Featured listen

All There Is with Anderson Cooper.png

CONTENT WARNING

The Greatest Loss
season 2, episode 3

In this podcast episode, a bereaved mother shares her experience of vanishing twin syndrome, a Turner syndrome diagnosis, stillbirth, and learning to live alongside the loss of her daughter.

​

Please note: The conversation includes discussion about vanishing twin syndrome, Turner syndrome, termination for medical reasons (TFMR), stillbirth, funeral planning, and parenting living children after loss. The episode image is of a mother in a hospital bed and this also may feel difficult to see. Visit the page and listen with care.

Go to the episode

Early grief guides

These resources were created by Megan Devine, author of "It’s OK That You’re Not OK". Shared here by direct link to the original resource, with full credit and gratitude to Megan Devine and Refuge in Grief.

ChatGPT Image Jul 16, 2026, 09_54_34 AM.png

What's normal in grief?

Please note: Grief can affect the body in many ways, but new, severe, or concerning physical symptoms should not automatically be attributed to grief. Please speak with a doctor or healthcare provider if you are worried about how you are feeling.

Go to the resource. Created by Megan Devine and Refuge in Grief.

Additional places to turn

These organizations offer information and programs that complement what you will find through Calm-hearted. Some may be more current, accessible, or relevant than others, and not every service may be available based on your location or situation. Even if direct support is limited, these organization's resources may help you feel understood, learn what options exist, or find language for the loss you are experiencing.

BC

Butterfly Support Network

Support and resources for individuals and families across British Columbia navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, TFMR, stillbirth, and infant loss.

Visit organization

BC AND THE YUKON

Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Grief counselling, groups, and other bereavement services for anyone in BC or Yukon grieving the death of a child under 19.

Visit organization

ONTARIO

Pregnancy and Infant Loss (PAIL) Network

An Ontario-based organization offering groups, one-to-one support, and written resources for families after pregnancy loss or the death of a baby.

Visit organization

CANADA

Pregnancy, Infant & Child Loss Support Centre (PILSC)

Virtual and in-person support, including peer groups, one-to-one help, a warm line, and resources for pregnancy, infant, and child loss.

Visit organization

UK

Sands

A UK-based charity offering a helpline, support groups, an online community, and information for anyone affected by pregnancy loss or baby loss.

Visit organization

NOT AN INTAKE FORM.

You do not have to know what you need or what to ask for.

Here for you if you want a point of connection, a place to start, and someone who understands this unimaginable time.

What would be helpful right now? Select any that feel supportive

Be in care of yourself.

Calm-Hearted is a lived-experience platform. It is not medical device, clinical counselling, emergency support, or a replacement for care from your doctor, midwife, counsellor, hospital team, or crisis service. If you are in immediate danger, feel like you may hurt yourself, or need urgent medical care, please call emergency services (911) or contact a local crisis line (211 or 988) right away. 

bottom of page