The month of October is designated as Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, designed to help raise awareness of the tens of thousands of people across the U.S. who grieve the loss of their babies each year. 

In addition to making the public more aware of the issue and offering support to grieving families, Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month also helps improve education and encourages preventive action including providing information to  women so they can  take additional steps to improve their own health before and during pregnancy. The idea is that these efforts, in turn, may help reduce future instances of pregnancy losses and infant deaths.

Unfortunately, celebrity couple Chrissy Teigen and John Legend recently announced the tragic loss of the baby boy she was carrying. They announced in August that they had conceived without medical treatment, after their first two children, Luna and Miles, were conceived through in vitro fertilization. Teigen shared the sad news of her miscarriage on her Instagram feed, announcing that they hadn’t been able to save the baby they’d been calling Jack, despite “bags and bags of blood transfusions.”

It can be extremely difficult to open up to others and share your story if you suffered a miscarriage or lost a child, but doing so can be an important part of your healing process – and it can help others understand they are not alone. If you have not personally experienced the loss of an infant but know someone who has, don’t be afraid to acknowledge them. Let them know you remember their baby and grieve with them.

If you want to become pregnant or are already pregnant, talk to your health care providers candidly about any possible risk factors and take guidance to heart when it comes to decreasing your risk.

At The Surrogacy Law Center, we understand both the joy of expecting a child and the devastation that can come from a miscarriage or infant death. If you are thinking of starting or continuing your assisted reproduction journey, please contact us today, we’d love to help you!