Grandparents' Grief After Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Grandparents grieve twice after the loss of a baby.

First, grandparents are mourning the devastating loss of their precious grandchild, who they’ve already created future dreams with. They may have imagined themselves teaching their grandchild a hobby, going on a special vacation, sharing family traditions, or simply just enjoying their time together. From the moment a pregnancy is announced, there is a future of a new generation. And the moment that is taken away, the loss of those precious dreams is forever grieved. 

Grandparents also experience another loss after a baby has died: their own child’s former self. The bereaved parent is changed in ways they only truly know, but the grandparents often observe these changes and mourn for the person they've always known. As a parent, you desperately yearn to protect your child from pain, but this pain can’t be fixed. Knowing you can't take the suffering away from your precious child is hurtful, confusing, and downright maddening at times. 

It's not to say that grandparents are grieving "more" than the parents who have lost their baby. Grief, pain and suffering shouldn't be compared as it's so unique to each person who is experiencing it. Grandparents are trying to navigate their own journey of grief, which can be very complicated, and they deserve support as they mourn their grandbaby's death.

Grandparents grieve, too.