The Glimmer Program
For women who have suffered miscarriage, stillbirth or newborn loss
The Online 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
We 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.
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 Online Glimmer Program starts on the first Monday of every month - this means that you will go through the 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
The online Glimmer Program 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, 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 program is run 'not for profit.' Any surplus from the sale of this program will contribute to ongoing program/podcast development or be donated to research aimed at preventing pregnancy or newborn loss.
This is a program to give you a Glimmer of hope.
It exists to give hope, light, connection and guidance through one of the toughest life challenges - losing a baby.
I hope that Glimmer can be a light for you in the darkness. Don't let yourself do this alone.
May you find connection
May you find acceptance
May you be happy
Meet Liana Quinlivan
- Our very own and beloved specialist bereavement midwife and fellow warrior Mum. She runs the online Glimmer Program
A little about Liana Quinlivan - Bereavement Midwife who runs the online group…
"I have been a midwife for 15 years.
The year I graduated midwiffery happened to be the year my sister gave birth to her first baby 'Isaac' who tragically died soon after he was born due to unsuspected complications transitioning from the womb to the outside. It was a complete shock and for many months following felt lost in a fog. I delayed starting my midwifery career while I considered if I was actually cut out to be a midwife. His death completely rocked my world.
I always remained interested in supporting families whose baby had died- especially after witnessing (and experiencing) the many layers of grief of Isaacs death. 7 years into my career I applied for a job as a Bereavement midwife and never looked back. It was now my turn to support families in those horrific days following their baby’s death. Sometimes families knew their baby was going to die and my role was to help with the planning. I sat with families as they birthed their silent babies and we carefully took photos, inked their hands and feet to create life long memories for families to hold. Through this time I also recognized the need to support families in a pregnancy after a loss. I created an antenatal clinic, specializing in known midwifery care to help parents prepare for another baby.
This role won my heart and will forever be an area I love working in. In 2005 I finally met a man and we planned a wedding and babies. The path was a challenge and we needed IVF. I moved away from my bereavement role to see healthy babies being born- to help my soul heal a little and trust that I could have a healthy baby of my own. But sadly I found out on an ultrasound that my baby had a bone growth disorder and would never survive beyond my womb. Audrey “Dot” (we call her “Dot” as that was her nickname during the pregnancy after seeing her embryo on a screen that looked just like a dot) was born at 23 weeks. She lived for about 15 minutes on my chest. The most precious and heartbreaking moment of my life. It happened to me. The irony was too much. It felt so surreal to be the bereavement midwife who was planning for her daughters death. I sunk into the deepest place following her death. I cried guttural tears at the injustice of it all. 9 weeks after Dot was born I was desperate to be pregnant again.
I needed a baby in my arms- it was all that kept me going. We implanted another embryo and much to my disbelief- it took! Hazel was born at term, healthy and alive after what I think was possibly the most stressful time of my life! A pregnancy after loss…well I thought I knew what it might be like! What a roller coaster of emotions that was! But worth every minute to have Hazel safely in my arms.
So you’ll see my name pop up in the Glimmer online support group. My role in the group is to guide the group as it unfolds by helping everyone get to know each other (& their stories), suggest grief concepts & ideas to consider, help navigate the confusing and unpredictable roller coaster the grief is…& perhaps provide some comfort that I am someone who has survived the death of a baby…& a rainbow pregnancy."
Frequently asked questions:
What if I don't like meditation or have never done it before? Most people that join have never meditated before. Meditation is a practice and absolutely nobody is perfect. What matters is the commitment to set aside the time, every day (if you can!), to practice meditation.
What if I don't want to participate in the online peer support group? That is completely fine, you can just 'leave the group' or not join in the first place. You are absolutely welcome to just utilize the meditations and video content.
What if I am not happy with the program or don't like someone in the group? Please send me a message and we can troubleshoot a plan. If you desire a full refund, that is absolutely your prerogative.
Is this medical advice? No, this is a kind, gentle and compassionate peer support and meditation group. All members are expected to be respectful and kind to one another. Otherwise they may be removed from the group.
What if I can't complete the program? You can gain access to the program for as long as you like, please send me a message and let me know if you need to change the start date or desire a refund. I want you to feel supported and safe.
This is a program to give you a Glimmer of hope.
