Honoring Mother's Day: Holding Space for Perinatal Loss

Mother's Day can be a tender, complicated day. For many, it's filled with breakfast in bed, crayon-colored cards, and the sweet chaos of family. But for others, especially those who have experienced perinatal loss — miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss — the day carries a quieter, often invisible ache.

If you are someone navigating the heartbreak of perinatal loss, I want you to know this: your motherhood matters. Your love, your longing, your memories, and your dreams are real. The bond you created, whether you held your baby for a moment or only in your heart, is sacred.

Grief after perinatal loss is often disenfranchised — meaning it's overlooked, minimized, or misunderstood by others. You may have heard well-meaning but hurtful phrases like "at least you can try again" or "it was early, so it's not as hard." These words can deepen isolation and invalidate your pain.

But grief has no timeline. There is no expiration date for love.

This Mother’s Day, I invite you to honor yourself. Light a candle. Speak your baby's name. Write a letter to the little one you carry in your heart. Allow yourself to feel — the joy, the sorrow, the gratitude, the longing. All of it belongs.

And if you're finding that the weight of this day, or the weeks surrounding it, feels too heavy to carry alone, please know that support is available. You don’t have to navigate this tender terrain by yourself.

Reach Out for Support

As a therapist specializing in perinatal mental health and grief, I offer a space where your loss is honored and your story is held with care. Whether through individual therapy or support groups, you are welcome here.

When you're ready, I invite you to schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation and take the next gentle step toward healing. You can reach me at www.karimcounseling.org/contact/

This Mother’s Day, let’s honor all the ways motherhood lives within us — seen and unseen, held and hoped for, joyful and grieving. You are not alone.