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Bereavement

Find bereavement help and support from other Mumsnetters. See also your choices after baby loss.

My baby's funeral this week

214 replies

AnxiousKeziah · 21/04/2015 22:23

And am broken. Devastated. Isolated.
No one wants to know when no baby comes home. Everyone comes when a new life is in a house.
So alone with awful thoughts. My dh is broken, not able to support me at all and I am, just angry with the whole world; raging at the unfairness.

After 10yrs of ttc, infertility treatment - we have a funeral. He never came home. I feel I failed him. Am on maternity leave - had plans for perhaps going to baby groups and making connection, people to meet up with at parks/over coffee, maybe even a friend. Bought tiny baby clothes, nappies, lanisoh and looked up local sling library. Thought about names, what he would look like. Would he look like ds? Got ds baby things our of loft - what not given away. Age 40, my dreams of what for me was normal and what many people have easily, were to be realised.

No longer felt punished - not good enough to have more than one child. Went without holidays, ran an ancient car, no treats to fund medical bills. Life of ds put on hold to try to give him a sibling, to quench that desire in me I could not quash. As soon as had first scan that desire ceased. We were complete. Found out a second boy. That was just fine - any child was a blessing.

Then it all started going wrong - my fears were realised. Baby stillbiirth, too poorly plus had IUGR and on top it was too much for us all to bear.

And this week we bury him. Bury a child we never got to know. Never got to change a nappy for or dress. His brother never met him. We bury our homes and dreams.

I have wanted to yell and shout and scream at everyone who told me, we had a miscarriage and went on to have multiple number of children, or even had a death and had 3 beautiful daughters for eg. Firstly, my son is dead. Nothing can change it. Secondly this is the end of the road - there is no more money for expensive medical bills to try to conceive and maintain a oregnancy. More importantly I obviously have few healthy eggs left.

After 10yrs of longing we are burying our precious son.

And only one person had visited us in the weeks inbetween. How many if I had brought home a baby or had a baby in NICU? People offer support for babies, ignore losses. Feel so alone. Had a card today from a person expecting a baby same time as me; saying not coming to the funeral. No - she has everything I have lost. And so does everyone I see around me, with bumps, pushing prams, with grandparents. We have no family, no grandparents to push a pram here.

I am selfish. One person accused me if behaving as if my one dc was not enough; whilst they had chosen to have 3 healthy children. Why have more than 1 of what she said was true - one is enough.

He needs a sibling. I needed a baby to hold in my arms, to feed, to nurture.

Life decided I needed a funeral. A funeral bill not a childcare bill. A gaping whole in the ground and a gaping wound in my heart that can never heal.

OP posts:
duplodon · 22/04/2015 07:50

I hear your pain. I wish I could take it away from you.

You did not choose this. You did not take anything away from anyone. You could not have prevented this. You took a chance everyone around you takes, over and over, and through cruel whim of fate, you are where you are. But it is not your fault.

Baddz · 22/04/2015 07:50

I really don't know what to say, but couldn't not reply to your heart rending post.
My eldest son was born with undiagnosed IUGR - we are so very very lucky that he is here with us.
I'm so very sorry for your loss.
I am thinking of you and of little Dylan.
X

TheHappyCamper · 22/04/2015 07:51

I am so so sorry for the loss of Dylan and what you are going through. Your pain jumps out from the screen. I will say a little prayer and light a candle for you and him today if that's ok. You are right, he did deserve happiness, joy and all the other wonderful things you had planned for him. Thinking of you xx

BeaufortBelle · 22/04/2015 08:05

I am sorry that Dylan died and that you are going through this.

I also understand the way other people avoid it; it isn't you, it's that society now no longer equips us for the loss of a baby or child - people simply dont' know what to do or say and cannot extend help when it is most needed. It is another small bereavement of support when you need it most of all. I also understand the partner not communicating and not helping when you need it most because mine was so grief stricken he didn't know what to do either. Almost 20 years later, he still can't talk about it. Even my mother told me to be grateful for the boy I had, count my blessings and pull myself together!

Please contact Sands or your GP for help and support right now. As time passed I found help from places I least expected, the lady at the funeral directors was wonderful and used to talk to me in the street, the elderly lady next door who had always been a bit snotty brought a bottle of sherry round about three weeks after the funeral, drank it with me and told me her story - I would never have known. I visit her now in her care home every Wednesday because of that bond.

Eventually, you will strike up bonds with others who have been through similar. At the moment you see what you can't have all around you but it will begin to fade away.

My second son would be 18 this summer - I still go and sit by his head stone and talk to him and imagine what he might have been but it doesn't hurt any more. I have his big brother and eventually his big brother turned me round and kept me going for his sake.

dragonfly007 · 22/04/2015 08:06

After years of infertility, I experienced a series of miscarriages and your words speak of that desperately dire time of my life. You will never recover from losing Dylan, but you will learn to live alongside your loss. Keep talking, we are listening here and in my experience it was easier to talk to new friends online rather than friends and family. I will be thinking of you x

BeaufortBelle · 22/04/2015 08:10

Yes, one blessing is that there are forums nowadays. OP, please come and talk to us whenever you want to or need to. There are lots of people here who can empathise with what you are going through.

HootyMcTooty · 22/04/2015 08:14

Oh you poor love. I'm so sorry for your loss, life can sometimes be so unutterably unfair. You're never alone here.

I'm wondering if your friends and family have just incorrectly assumed you want to be left in peace to grieve, can you reach out and ask for some friends to come over? I know you shouldn't have to ask.
Flowers

DoItTooJulia · 22/04/2015 08:15

keziah I'm so sad to read your posts and hear about Dylan's death.

Have you heard of www.glowinthewoods.com its a safe place for baby lost parents. It's actually brilliant.

Has your milk come in? How are you feeling physically?

Ilovenannyplum · 22/04/2015 08:36

So sorry for your loss :( x

Tuo · 22/04/2015 08:48

I'm so sorry, Keziah. There are no words, and nothing that will bring your precious boy back, but in the absence of anything better please know that you (and your DH and DS, as well as little Dylan) are in my thoughts.

niminypiminy · 22/04/2015 09:00

I am so sorry. Words aren't enough, but you and your family and your darling Dylan are in my thoughts as you walk this bitter, bitter path.

AnxiousKeziah · 22/04/2015 10:22

At the funeral I will sit on a pew on my own. My husband cannot bear to be near me. He has no friends to attend the funeral just 3 family members.

There are no friends for me.

I had the chance to take a baby to play groups - to get to know people. I did not do that with my first child as I had to nurse a dying parent. My 3yr old - I take him swimming, to activities - everyone holds their baby or other children, go into activity and out saying only hello to the leader.

After a baby you get the support of midwife, health visitor, gp checks even.

After a baby dies there is nothing. My community midwife actually rang the hospital after birth to cancel her visit to me as " clinically not needed".

In 25 minutes the hearse will be here.
I am alone. On the Internet. No one to cry on. No one to share my pain physically.
People will turn up at the funeral. People I not seen for years some of them, travelling hours. They will say meaningless words and step out of my life again having done their duty.

And what do I have? An empty cradle, empty arms and a filled in grave.

Tanks for listening when no one in real life can bear me.

OP posts:
niminypiminy · 22/04/2015 10:26

People are very frightened by grief. Even if you have no-one in RL please always feel you can come here. You WILL be listened to.

PinkFairy22 · 22/04/2015 10:30

I am so very sorry. Thinking of you Flowers and your precious angel.

Newquay · 22/04/2015 10:34

I wish I could sit next to you and support you this morning. I'm spiritually there. We all are. Sister. I'm so sorry. Dylan is a beautiful name. Xxx

legohurtswhenyoustandonit · 22/04/2015 10:36

Thinking of you

NorbertDentressangle · 22/04/2015 10:42

So sorry to hear of the loss of your son Dylan.

I wish there were words that could ease your pain.

Thinking of you.

TooSpotty · 22/04/2015 10:55

I am thinking of you, Dylan, and your family this morning. If I could, I would come and sit with you for as many hours as you needed and I'm certain I'm not the only one on here that would say that. We are always here for you on the screen, and we are all real.

ChillySundays · 22/04/2015 11:16

Thinking of you. I am not very good with words but will try.

I understand how people avoid you as they don't know what to say. If only people could visit and say 'I don't know what to say or I don't know what to ask you'.

If you can't find a local branch of SANDS there may be a local bereavement charity set up because there was no others. Where do you live - perhaps we can do the googling for you.

Get to your doctors and ask him to refer you to some counselling.

Like others have said it will get easier.

It is early days but I hope that someone in RL steps up for you. Sometimes support comes from the least likely person.

Mama1980 · 22/04/2015 11:27

I was following your story on the prem baby board.
I am so very sorry to hear of the loss of Dylan. Such a beautiful name, it make me think of some of the lovely melodies written by Bob Dylan.
I have no words, but like the other ladies here, I am thinking of you and am with you in spirit today. I would sit with you if I could.
X

Kelly1814 · 22/04/2015 11:30

Keziah I was also following your story and I'm so, so sorry to hear this news. I will be thinking of you today. Xxx

spiderlight · 22/04/2015 11:38

I am so, so sorry. I cannot begin to imagine your heartbreak Flowers

MarathonRunnersWife · 22/04/2015 11:42

We are all here for you Keiziah, virtually and, in truth, I think some of us would be with you physically.

If you wish to share where you live, I'm sure a mumsnetter would come and hold your hand for the evening.

I'm praying to you today and praying for those around you to support you and help you get through this.

No one should be on there own during a time like this.
I hope Dylan's funeral is beautiful Flowers
I hope that you will find peace today.

Teladi · 22/04/2015 11:55

Keziah I hope the presence of family and friends at Dylan's funeral does offer you some comfort. Flowers

StuffYouAllInTheCrust · 22/04/2015 12:14

I'm so sorry sweetheart. I know there is nothing that anyone can say to make you feel any better, words are just not enough. Just know that lots here are thinking of you and your wonderful little Dylan today. Life can be bloody cruel at times. Xx