The Michigan Medicine staff wish to extend our deepest condolences to you and your family. It is difficult to experience a loss when you had likely developed hopes and dreams for your future that grew out of this pregnancy. While grieving has many similarities, we understand that everyone grieves differently.
Some information that follows may feel relevant to you now and perhaps some at a later time. We hope these resources will be helpful to you and your family.
Other Grief Information
This page is intended to provide information and support following a pregnancy loss. For information and support related to the death of an adult visit Grief Support Following the Death of a Loved One on UofMHealth.org. For information about the death of a child, visit Grief Support Upon the Death of a Child on MottChildren.org.
Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Booklet
Grieving the Loss of a Pregnancy or Newborn Booklet: This booklet was written by our bereavement program with contributions from bereaved parents and is available for you to view or download. View or download the Grieving the Loss of a Pregnancy or Newborn booklet.
Following Your Loss
In the days and weeks that follow a pregnancy loss, it is normal to feel overwhelmed about what to do. You may have had difficult decisions to make regarding your medical care and what final arrangements are right for you. Your options for final arrangements and medical information is available on our Following Pregnancy Loss page.
Financial and Legal Concerns
You are not alone. Resources are available to assist families with financial limitations and legal concerns after their pregnancy loss. For information on final arrangements planning, legal documentation and potential financial support, view the Financial and Legal Concerns After Pregnancy Loss page. This page has a list of programs offered through Michigan Medicine and within the community you may find helpful.
Remembrance
The only “right” way to remember your pregnancy is what feels right to you and your family. Losing a pregnancy can be devastating. Our Remembrance page has information and advice from other bereaved parents about creating memories both when you are in the hospital and after you leave the hospital, including information about Michigan Medicine’s Walk to Remember event. Visit the Remembering Your Pregnancy page for more information.
Living with Grief
The complications and depth of grief associated with pregnancy or newborn loss are often underestimated. While many may think you should be able to quickly move on from your loss, it may seem to you that you will never smile or feel like yourself again. Grieving is a normal, natural response to loss, common among all people. Visit our Living with Grief After Pregnancy Loss page for an explanation of some common grief reactions and how to seek support.
Resources and Support
Having someone you can talk to is important. It may be difficult to accept support but it is sometimes the best thing you can do to take care of yourself and those around you. Many bereaved parents have even shared that accepting help from others (family, friends, and/or professionals) and caring for themselves is a beautiful way to honor their child. Our Resources and Support page has a list of programs offered through Michigan Medicine and within the community you may find helpful.
Our Grieving the Loss of Pregnancy or Newborn book is available for download here and contains information and support about living with grief.
Contact Us
The Office of Decedent Affairs (ODA) is part of the Michigan Medicine Department of Social Work. The ODA is the centralized point of contact at Michigan Medicine for ongoing questions and concerns before, during, and after the death of a loved one. The Children’s and Women’s Bereavement Program is part of ODA.
To contact the Office of Decedent Affairs, call 734-232-4919 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. You may also email the ODA office at [email protected].