Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Awareness Month

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

If you or someone you care about has lost a child to stillbirth, miscarriage, SIDS, or any other cause at any point during pregnancy or infancy, please join us in raising awareness this October for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.

Star Legacy’s October #NeverBeStill campaign and social media toolkit seeks to break the silence surrounding stillbirth and other pregnancy/infant losses by not only educating the public about ways to support bereaved families but also empowering expectant mothers to have a healthy pregnancy – because every pregnancy deserves a happy ending!

Social Media Toolkit

This is just a small selection of Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month graphics, videos and content that will be shared on Social Media as part of the #NeverBeStill campaign.  

Note: click the graphic to view full size in high-resolution and download/share.  Below each image is a sample caption.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Join us throughout the entire month of October as we raise awareness and honor all of the babies gone too soon. #PAILawarenessmonth #neverbestill #starlegacyfoundation #1in175 #1in4
Every year in the United States, approximately 21,000 babies are stillborn. That means potentially 42,000 parents will come home to an empty and silent nursery. #PAILawarenessmonth #neverbestill #starlegacyfoundation #1in175 #1in4
According to the CDC, 1 in 175 pregnancies will end in stillbirth in the United States. That is the equivalent of approximately 21,000 babies every year. #PAILawarenessmonth #starlegacyfoundation #neverbestill #1in175 #1in4

#PAILawarenessmonth #neverbestill #starlegacyfoundation #1in175 #1in4

CLICK HERE to raise awareness by changing your profile frame on social media platforms to our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month Profile Frame.

Request your free graphic similar to the one pictured above HERE.

 

In recognition of the International Wave of Light on October 15, 2023 at 7PM, Star Legacy Foundation is creating free, personalized images like the one pictured here.

Please comment on this post on Facebook or Instagram by 11:59 EST on Saturday, October 7, 2023 with the name of your baby/babies and our team of volunteers will create a personalized image for you to display on social media for the International Wave of Light on October 15 at 7PM.

We also encourage you to light a candle at 7 pm local time to honor all babies gone too soon.  Keep your candle lit for at least one hour to create a continuous “wave of light” across all time zones covering the entire globe!

  • A stillbirth is the death of a baby before the moment of birth.  In most states in the US, babies who die before 20 weeks of gestation are classified as miscarriages and babies who die at 20 weeks gestation or later are classified as stillbirths.
  • In the United States, nearly 21,000 babies are stillborn every year. 
  • Worldwide, there are more than 2.6 million stillbirths every year.
  • One out of every 175 deliveries ends in stillbirth.
  • Black and Native American families experience stillbirth at rates twice the rate for other families.
  • The stillbirth rate for women in their 40s is 2-3 times the rate for women in their 20s and 30s.
  • 1 in 6 women will be diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder after a stillbirth.
  • It is estimated that 25% of all stillbirths in the US are preventable today and 47% of all stillbirths in the US at 37+ weeks are preventable today.
  • There are more stillbirths every year than deaths from prematurity and SUID/SIDS combined.

Click here for more information

  • Read our resources for How Friends & Family Can Help and order free brochures from Our Store
  • Invite parents of a stillborn baby to create a free Star or Memorial Page on our website
  • Ask your town to proclaim October 15th Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day – contact us for a sample proclamation and request letter
  • Make sure your local hospital/doctors (and anyone else in your community who interacts with expectant mothers!) are familiar with our resources for families and providersParenting in Pregnancy guide to healthy pregnancy, and free brochures about grief and after loss care available in English & Spanish
  • Perform an Act of Kindness in memory of baby gone too soon (full page printable cards here)
  • Send a letter to your elected officials urging them to support legislation and policies designed to prevent stillbirth and other poor outcomes and provide improved support for families – 
    contact us for a sample letter to get you started
  • Share our #NeverBeStill posts on social media

The Pregnancy Research Project is a research study bringing together patients and researchers to advance knowledge and discover preventions and treatments for poor pregnancy outcomes.

Giving the gift of data has the potential to save thousands of lives.  Please consider participating in the Pregnancy Research Project.

You are eligible to participate if:

  • You are currently at least 18 years of age or older
  • You have delivered a baby within the last five (5) years
  • You are currently pregnant at 12 weeks gestation or more
  • You have had a stillbirth (pregnancy loss at or after 20 weeks gestation) at any time in the past

For example:  If you had a live birth in 2021, a stillbirth in 2022 and are currently pregnant, you can participate 3 times. 

Participate here

While a Federal Proclamation was achieved in 1988, you can work with your city or state officials to obtain a local proclamation.  Sometimes they can be permanent and other times they are for the one year only and need to be re-established each year.  Be sure to check with your local officials offices.  Click here for our proclamation toolkit.

In October, and always, we honor all babies amongst the stars with their name and picture (optional), including those memorialized on our website as Our Stars.  You can also create a free memorial page in their honor.  Please help us remember these beloved babies by reading their stories.

 

Tens of thousands of families across the United States are devastated each year by the death of their baby. But the grief of these families and the value of their babies’ lives are very rarely acknowledged. In 1988, US President Ronald Reagan declared October as a month to recognize the unique grief of bereaved parents in an effort to demonstrate support to the many families who have suffered such a tragic loss. Promoting awareness of pregnancy and infant loss not only increases the likelihood that grieving families will receive understanding and support, but also results in improved education and prevention efforts which may ultimately reduce the incidence of these tragedies.

Learn more about why raising awareness is critical in Star Legacy Foundation Executive Director Lindsey Wimmer’s blog post here.

Share via
Copy link