October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month
October holds a quiet power. It is a month marked globally as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a time to acknowledge, remember and heal. In Australia and beyond, October 15th is observed as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. People around the world take part in the “Wave of Light” by lighting a candle at 7:00 p.m local time. Each candle is left burning for at least one hour, creating a continuous wave of light that moves across the globe in honour of all babies gone too soon.
During this month, we pause, not just to grieve, but to speak, to support and to carry hope forward. A meta-analysis of studies has found that well-timed grief support, especially in the first six weeks following loss, can reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and prolonged grief. Additionally, some individuals experience post-traumatic growth. Though loss brings deep sorrow, many people eventually reflect that their empathy, priorities, or understanding of life shifted in meaningful ways. Still, grief is not linear. For many, it resurfaces at anniversaries, in later pregnancies, in moments of grief or joy. The concept of a “rainbow baby”, a child born after a prior loss — is one that carries both hope and lingering complexity.
What we can do?
For individuals and families
- Acknowledge the loss. It can be tempting to brush it aside, especially early losses. But validation matters. Our words matter.
- Seek grief support early. If possible, within weeks – through counselling, support groups, or trained bereavement professionals.
- Memory-making practices. Some families find healing in naming the child, planting a tree, writing letters, or creating rituals.
- Be gentle with yourself. Grief doesn’t have a timeline. Some days will feel like progress; others like setbacks.
For communities
- Offer presence, not solutions. You don’t have to “fix” grief. Just saying “I’m so sorry” or “I’m here to listen” can mean the world.
- Educate staff, colleagues, friends. Many people don’t know what to say; having guidelines or brief training can reduce harm.
- Advocate for policy change. Paid miscarriage leave, consistent bereavement care, and equitable access to tools and research matter deeply.
- Participate in remembrance events. Lighting a candle for the Wave of Light (on October 15) is one global act of connection.
A message of hope
To anyone reading this who has experienced pregnancy loss or infant death, you are seen. You are not alone. Your grief is valid. And although the future may feel uncertain, there is also space for tenderness, for connection and for healing.
In remembering these lives, we create a legacy of compassion. In speaking of them, we change the silence. In supporting each other, we move slowly from despair toward hope.