Here are some suggestions to help you and your loved ones to say goodbye.

Everyone is going to say goodbye in their own way. What will help you, may not be what other family members choose for themselves. Keep your communication open between each other and your family members. Accepting the support others have to offer allows family and friends to share your grief.

If you are feeling alone:
Look for a support group in your area. These parents have already been through what you are going through.
Relieve yourself from the extra stress of normal daily activities by accepting and/or asking for specific help from others. Let someone else clean, cook, or take care of other children (if that applies).
During this period of adjustment, your decision making and coping abilites are decreased. Try to avoid traveling long distances, changing jobs or homes, altering relationships.
As you put your baby's things away(they will wait until you are ready, so don't let others do this or make any other decisions for you) you may want to choose a special outfit or toy to add to the hospital keepsakes.
Write a letter or poem to the baby. Keep a diary or journal of your thoughts and memories. Fill out a baby book.
Plant a tree in memory of the baby.
Donate a blanket or toy in the baby's name to a local Maternity or Pediatric unit.
Release a balloon with or without a date or note.
Place a flower at that baby's gravesite on the duedate or anytime. If you weren't able to bury your child, put a flower in a special place in your home (ex.what was the baby's room).

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