Bereavement can affect people in many ways and various emotions can arise at different times throughout the grieving process. There’s no right or wrong way to feel. Powerful emotions can overtake daily life and be triggered by an unexpected memory or innocent remark.
You may feel shocked or numb or in a daze, overwhelming sadness with lots of crying and feeling out of control. Being angry at the situation, the illness or accident that took them from you, or even at your loved one for leaving you is also common and a normal, natural reaction.
Guilt for feeling angry, guilt for something you said or did not say, even guilt for not being able to prevent your loved one dying is also another common and normal reaction to bereavement.
None of these negative thoughts and feelings make you a bad person. It’s just nature’s way of helping you sort out your feelings and the situation in your own time and your own way.
It’s also natural throughout this period to feel very tired or even exhausted. You can become distracted and forgetful during this period too, as your mind is overloaded with grief.
There are many organisations which provide bereavement help and support.
Weaste Cemetery has a memorial stone for babies who died before birth. You are welcome to lay floral tributes there.
The Children’s Funeral Fund for England can help to pay for some of the costs of a funeral for a child under 18 or a baby stillborn after the 24th week of pregnancy. It is not means-tested: it does not matter what you earn or how much you have in savings.