Pregnancy/Infant/Child Loss Books
Note: All imagery and content on this page is from Amazon. These are not affiliate links, I’m just sharing what has been found helpful by myself or others.
Still: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Motherhood by Emma Hansen
“At once honest, brave, and uplifting, Still is about one woman’s search for her own definition of motherhood, even as she faces one of life’s greatest challenges: learning to live after loss.”
Ask Me His Name: Learning to Live and Laugh Again After the Loss of My Baby by Elle Wright
“Ask Me His Name is a moving account of Elle's pregnancy, Teddy's life, and what happens when a mother leaves hospital with empty arms. In the UK, 1 in 4 pregnancies end in loss, but conversations about the heartbreakingly frequent experience are few and far between. In this honest and hopeful exploration of mothering, Elle shows us how she navigated a parenthood no one had prepared her for.”
Life After Baby Loss: A Companion and Guide for Parents by Nicola Gaskin
“In this very gentle guide, Nicola Gaskin opens up the conversation around baby loss offering raw, honest and deeply empathetic support to all parents. From coping with the initial shock, finding ways to overcome jealousy and anger, surviving birthdays and Mother’s Day, through to living with everlasting grief and the fresh round of grief and anxiety that comes with parenting after loss, it will help you to navigate through a huge range of intense and complex emotions. Beautifully written and powerfully illustrated, this book will hold your hand through your darkest and lightest moments: read it to know you are not alone and that all your feelings are absolutely valid.”
The Baby Loss Guide: Practical and Compassionate Support with a Day-by-Day Resource to Navigate the Path of Grief by Zoë Clark-Coates
Written by one of the world's leading baby loss support experts, The Baby Loss Guide is designed to help you navigate this complex issue. Whether you have personally encountered loss, or are supporting people through this harrowing time, this book provides practical and compassionate advice.
An Exact Replica of a Figment of My Imagination: A Memoir by Elizabeth McCracken
“This book is about what happened next. In her ninth month of pregnancy, she learned that her baby boy had died. How do you deal with and recover from this kind of loss? Of course you don't -- but you go on. And if you have ever experienced loss or love someone who has, the company of this remarkable book will help you go on. With humor and warmth and unfailing generosity, McCracken considers the nature of love and grief. She opens her heart and leaves all of ours the richer for it.”
Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born Child by Kathe Wunnenberg
“When the anticipation of your child's birth turns into the grief of miscarriage, tubal pregnancy, stillbirth, or early infant death, no words can ease your loss. But there is strength and encouragement in the wisdom of others who have been there and found that God's comfort is real. Grieving the Child I Never Knew is a warm, encouraging, and truly helpful devotional for anyone experiencing the terrible loss of a baby.”
I Will Carry You: The Sacred Dance of Grief and Joy by Angie Smith
“I Will Carry You tells the powerful story of a parent losing her child, interwoven with the biblical story of Lazarus to help those who mourn to still have hope—to find grace and peace in the sacred dance of grief and joy.”
Grace Like Scarlett: Grieving with Hope after Miscarriage and Loss by Adriel Booker
“With vulnerability and tenderness, Adriel Booker shares intimate stories about her experiences with early and mid-term miscarriages to help you navigate your own grief and know you aren't alone. She tackles complex questions about faith, suffering, and God's will with sensitivity and clarity, devoid of religious clichés or pat answers. Ultimately, Adriel invites you to a wide-open place of grace, honesty, and genuine hope as you discover a redemption story unfolding in the shadows of your loss. She also includes practical resources for ways to help guide children through grief, advice on pregnancy after loss, and special sections for dads and loved ones.”
Building A Family Breaks My Heart by Tanika Dillard
“A childless mother faces the hollowing pain of recurrent pregnancy loss and overwhelming disappointment. When her faith plummeted along with the statistics of ever having a child, she refused to accept defeat. Journey with Tanika, as she goes from the warm memories of her grandmother’s house to the bitter cold of the mortuary in her quest to have a family. You will be encouraged to live after the pain of loss and to love without restraint.”
Breathe: When Life Takes Your Breath Away by Angela Burgin Logan and Samson Logan
“The life that Angela Burgin had prayed for seemed to be at hand when she finally married her love, Samson Logan, and the couple learned they were expecting their first child. The Queen City couple’s life started to unravel soon after as her dream of becoming a mother turned into a nightmare. Angela sought the advice and help of her doctor when she experienced mysterious and unusual symptoms, but the doctor said it was all in her head. In her heart, Angela knew that something terrible could happen to her and her baby. In Breathe, Angela and Samson share their soul-stirring experience in a beautiful but gut-wrenching account that will give you a glimpse of hope in the darkest of times.”
When the Heartbeat Stops: Organic Accounts of Women Breaking the Silence Around Miscarriage by JaRonda Dockett
This refreshingly raw piece details the accounts of six women and their experiences not only with miscarriage, but also with infertility, birth, and medical care. The coping mechanisms navigated after miscarriages unveil personal struggles with self, family, and friends. Vivid imagery, stark details, and first person narrative create a perspective-taking experience, inviting the reader to laugh, hope, cry, and grieve alongside each of these women.