Every October, families across the United States and around the world pause to observe Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. This month is dedicated to recognizing the deep grief and love carried by parents who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, SIDS, or the loss of an infant during those first few months of life. For many families, it is a time to come together in remembrance, to share stories, and to break the silence around a pain that is often carried privately.
Though the subject is heartbreaking and will stick with you forever (believe us, we know) acknowledging it publicly is a powerful step toward creating understanding, empathy, and community. Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month reminds us that while loss is devastating, the love parents hold for their children never fades.
What Is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month?
In 1988, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, stating:
“When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them.”
His words spoke to the silence and invisibility many grieving parents feel. The designation of October as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month gave families a voice and encouraged society to recognize their pain.
Throughout October, support groups, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, and families hold events such as candlelight vigils, remembrance walks, and the annual Wave of Light on October 15th, where candles are lit around the world to honor babies gone too soon.
Why This Month Matter
Talking about infant and pregnancy loss is difficult, and for many years, it was a taboo subject. Parents often felt isolated in their grief, unsure of how or whether to share their experiences. But silence only deepens the pain.
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month matters because it:
- Raises awareness of how common pregnancy and infant loss truly is. Miscarriage alone affects 1 in 4 pregnancies.
- Encourages empathy by reminding others to support grieving parents with compassion and care.
- Provides community for families who feel alone in their grief.
- Honors the lives of babies who are loved and remembered, even if their time was far too short.
The month of October helps replace silence with support and isolation with connection.
Ways to Participate in Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
Even if you haven’t experienced this kind of loss yourself, there are many ways to show solidarity and support during October:
- Light a candle on October 15th at 7:00 pm in your time zone to participate in the Wave of Light. This creates a 24-hour circle of remembrance around the globe.
- Wear pink and blue ribbons, awareness bracelets, or awareness rings to spark conversation and show support.
- Share resources on social media to break the silence and normalize grief conversations.
- Support nonprofits like Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, which provides remembrance photography for grieving families.
- Listen and hold space for friends or loved ones who are grieving. Sometimes the greatest gift is not advice but presence.
The Role of Memorial Keepsakes
For many families, tangible keepsakes provide comfort and a way to honor their baby’s memory. These keepsakes, whether they are memory boxes, engraved jewelry, or handcrafted rings, become cherished symbols of love and remembrance.
At LMNA Wood Rings, we understand the importance of these tokens of memory. Our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Ring was designed with grieving families, like our own, in mind, crafted to embody both beauty and meaning. Made with pink and blue shimmer mica powders and stones swirled together in a tungsten or black ceramic band, each ring carries the symbolic colors of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
By wearing a memorial ring, parents and loved ones can carry a quiet but powerful reminder of the bond they will always share with their child.
Breaking the Silence
Perhaps one of the most important aspects of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is its ability to break the silence. For generations, pregnancy and infant loss were topics hidden behind closed doors. But the reality is, countless families are impacted. The grief of losing a baby doesn’t have an expiration date—it changes but remains a part of parents’ lives forever.
We don’t discuss it much, but long before we lost Nicholas, changing our lives forever, my wife and I lost our first pregnancy. We went into it blissfully unaware of the fragility of pregnancy, having already announced to our families about our upcoming due date.
On December 24, Christmas Eve, we had an ultrasound that neither of us will forget. Instead of bringing first pictures of the baby we were given the news that the pregnancy didn’t make it. We were fortunate to have a rainbow baby, but not everyone is so lucky.
By opening up conversations, we give parents the opportunity to remember their children openly, without stigma. We also teach communities to respond with compassion, empathy, and acknowledgment.
A simple “I’m sorry for your loss” or “Your baby mattered” can mean the world to someone navigating such profound grief.
Final Thoughts
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is not just about grief—it’s about love, remembrance, and honoring the lives of babies gone too soon. It gives voice to parents who often feel unseen and creates a community where their stories matter.
If you or someone you know has experienced this kind of loss, this October is a chance to honor those memories and show support. Light a candle, wear pink and blue, share resources, and above all—listen.
At LMNA Wood Rings, we are honored to play a small part in this journey by creating handcrafted keepsakes that symbolize love, memory, and resilience. To learn more about our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rings, you can visit our memorial collection here.
Together, we can turn silence into remembrance, and remembrance into healing.