Managing grief after stillbirth or neonatal loss - Glimmer can help

Grief after stillbirth or neonatal loss is profound. The ravages of grief feel endless and unmanageable. You mourn for what might have been. Expectations don't meet reality. You miss your little darling, all day, every day. The grief comes in crashing waves and you ruminate on the 'what if's?' Grief emotions can vacillate quickly, with anger and guilt featuring heavily. Your relationship with friends and family members may be altered. 

Resources for managing grief include:

• friends and family
• online forums or facebook groups
• charity organizations
• psychologists
• psychiatrists
• Family health physician/GP
• Join the Glimmer Project facebook group - it is focused on positive resources that can help grieving parents and does not permit triggering content to be posted
• listen to season 1 of 'The Glimmer Podcast' on any of the usual podcast platforms. This podcast is specifically created to help manage the grief or pregnancy or newborn loss.
  
• Join the 3 week Glimmer online program for managing grief after pregnancy or newborn loss (see more details below)

There are many options and you need to think of what is right for you. There is no one way to grieve and every person is different. However, the most important advice for managing grief is to not repress or avoid your feelings. Expressing yourself is the only way to move through this very difficult time.

The 3 week Glimmer Program is the right fit for you if you find yourself wanting:

• more support
• to optimize you mind and body while managing this grief
• to connect with others in a similar situation, fellow women who will understand
• to find peacefulness amidst the ravages of grief
• to connect in a more spiritual way with your beloved baby who has passed on

My name isDr Ashleigh Smith and I believe so deeply in the power of meditation. But I am not just talking from personal experience, there are many studies to support the evidence for mindfulness and its effectiveness in grief. For it's ability to improve resilience, strength and manage symptoms of depression, stress and anxiety. It allows you to find peacefulness and strength amongst the ravages of grief. The mind is so incredibly powerful - harnessing some control over your thoughts and ruminations and opening yourself up to peacefulness and calm is so important. Guided visualizations can give you a safe space to just 'be,'to reconnect with your body, mind and spirit.

I believe that peer support is so important when you are grieving. Fellow women who understand how it feels to go on living in a world without your baby in your arms. Who face similar challenges like returning to work, celebrating the anniversaries or contemplating a rainbow pregnancy. There are so many challenges that can be so difficult to face - don't let yourself do this alone. Pregnancy, newborn and child loss happen every day - lets support each other with compassion and kindness. 

 I want to help you to come through this tragedy with:

• emotional and psychological stability
• compassion and love for your self and your child
• connection with your self and others 

The Glimmer 3 week online program starts on the first Monday of every month - this means that you will go through the 3 week program with the same set group of fellow mothers of loss. This is just so important because it means you won't need to keep repeating yourself and your story. You won't need to keep reintroducing yourself. You will build a meaningful and compassionate online connections - if you want to. There is no pressure to share anything! You need only contribute as much, or as little as you want to. If you would prefer not to join the online group, that is completely at your discretion. Perhaps the meditations and the video content is all you are ready for. That is completely fine.

I want you to be able to

• adjust to your new life
• feel acknowledged, seen and safe to feel how you are feeling
• re-engage in your community
• maintain and optimize your well-being
• open your heart to your life yet to live

In the online 3 week Glimmer Program, I will provide you with:

• daily guided meditations for 5-10 minutes to allow you to cultivate peacefulness, strength and a way to manage your grief. Building a meditation practice into your life that is both helpful as well as calming and relaxing.
• access to supportive video content about managing grief and caring for yourself. This content provides grief management tools and coping strategies to navigate and weather the triggers and hardships to come.
• connect you with a small group of other women who have suffered similar loss because peer support and sharing deep meaningful conversation is typically lacking through this time

Once you have signed up to the 3 week Glimmer online Program, you will receive a welcome email confirming your spot. The program will start on the first Monday of each month and you will be granted access to all of the content and the link to your online support group.

This is a program designed to give you a Glimmer of hope.