A Friend's Pregnancy Loss

A former colleague from the junior high where I used to work just had the worst week of her life. She went in to her 38 week prenatal appointment with no fears whatsoever, and received the worst news any parent could ever wish to hear: Her baby boy, Alexander, didn't have a heartbeat. The umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck three times, and he passed away in utero. She was induced, and had to deliver the baby the next day, which meant that she had to go home that night with that horrendous news weighing on her mind.

The thing is, a bad end to her pregnancy was completely unexpected. They had a totally uneventful and stress-free pregnancy, with zero complications and zero problems; she never even got morning sickness or stretch marks, it was that easy. Then, right at the last minute, this horrible tragedy occurs... it was devastating just to find out about it, let alone imagine what she and her husband are going through right now. They had just posted these adorable photographs of the way they'd lovingly and creatively decorated the baby's room, too; now they get to go back to that same room empty-handed, and decide what to do with it. I've now been through this with a cousin, sibling, and a friend, plus myself (very early stage of course), and I can't imagine the people who deal with this sort of terrible news all the time-- counselors, social workers, grief or hospice aides, etc.-- how do they do it?

My heart is breaking all over again to know that yet another woman has lost her child, and before she even got a chance to know him; I'm hoping and praying that she and her husband find the strength and support they need to find a way through the grief, the pain, and all of the other emotions surrounding this tragedy.