Question

How has the devestation surrounding your babyloss affected your relationship with your parents?

International Babylost Mother's Day

International Babylost Mother's Day (The FIRST Sunday in May) is another wonderful project from Carly over at Love Reign Over Me (she is also the creator of To Write Their Names in the Sand, which is a wonderful way to honor our babies).

Have you checked this out yet? There's a link on the photo above to this new project. Carly is organizing a special project to go along with the day. A babylost-awareness movie clip to put on YouTube of babylost Momma's. If you'd like to take part, click here.

Waterfall Angels - Name Memorial

I love it when parents come up with a way to memorialize our children. Seems I can never get enough of it! Waterfall Angels is just that, a beautiful way to remember our babies. Lisa (mommy to Jasper) is writting names on a lovely river rock and then taking them down to Rainbow Springs State Park in Florida and taking pictures. She then lovingly uploads them to her blog for the parents to click on the photo and save a copy to their computers. I just loved the ones she did for my sweet Logan. You can see them here. Thank you Lisa for giving me one more sweet reminder.

What Etsy has to offer Baby Loss Families

Etsy, if you don't already know, is like eBay (with out the bidding) for handmade items. There are a few things on there for people who have suffered through infant loss, miscarriage and stillbirth. One thing that stood out to me was a shop that sold handmade cards named A Loss Remembered. There is also jewelery, sculptures and whatnot. Anyhow, I just wanted to take a minute and point out this card maker since there are few places to find cards for our special circumstance.

Question

After your own baby died, did you experience the loss of a friend or family member's baby? How did you react or feel? What did you say or do for that person after their loss?

Question of the week

Merry Christmas, or have a happy holiday no matter which one you celebrate this time of year.  But being that today is in fact Christmas Day, how was your holiday with out your little one?  Feel free to share your tearful moments, your hopes for next year, how you thought this day would go...and then how it really did, or any happy moments or speckles of peace you found today.

Question of the week

Do you have any family traditions that you are planning on incorporating your childs memory into during the holidays?  Do you have anything special planned in rememberance of your little one?

Question of the week

With the gift giving holidays fast approaching, have you decided to purchase a gift for, or in rememberance of, your little one?  If so, what is it and what are your plans for it?

Question of the week

Knowing that grief comes in stages and most of those stages get repeated several times in the grief cycle, and knowing that grief comes in lulls and waves, how long do you think it took you to get past the really hard part??  When did you realize it had happened?

How Food Affects Your Mood - Article

I read this in a recent newsletter I get from http://www.sparkpeopl.com/ on depression/dieting.  I thought I would sahre it here.


How Food Affects Your Mood


Although the foods you eat cannot treat depression, your diet does have significant effects on your mood, energy levels, mental health, and your ability to cope with stress. If you suffer from depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), certain dietary changes can help you get well when combined with a treatment program outlined by your health care provider.

Structure your meals. Eat at approximately the same times each day and don't skip meals. Enjoy three well-balanced meals and plan snacks between meals.

Eat quality nutrients. Try incorporating more whole foods, fruits and veggies, and healthy fats.

Consume plenty of calories. Eating less than 1,000 calories per day reduces the amount of serotonin in the brain, which increases symptoms of depression and its chances of recurring.

Go for omega-3s. These fatty acids can help with depression, by affecting cell signals in the brain. Foods rich in omega-3s include salmon, sardines, mackerel, soybeans, walnuts, ground flaxseed and more.

Cut back on caffeine. Caffeine acts as a stimulant, making you feel anxious and interfering with sleep patterns. Consume no more than 200- 300 milligrams daily.

Avoid alcohol and drugs. They interact with medications and addictive or abusive behaviors can prevent you from a full recovery.

Eat plenty of carbs. They increase the amount of serotonin in the brain, improving mood and decreasing symptoms of depression. Aim for at least 130 grams of carbohydrates from foods like whole grains, fruits and veggies each day.

Depression is difficult for anyone who lives with it. It can sap your motivation to care for yourself, eat well, and exercise--the very things that can help you feel better. While dietary changes alone aren't a surefire way to prevent or treat depression, they can help you feel better when combined with the treatment options that your health care provider recommends.