'Not Alone': October Is Pregnancy, Infant Loss Awareness Month

DENVER (CBS4)- October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month. Recently, celebrities Chrissy Teigen and John Legend shared they suffered a pregnancy loss. And they are not alone. Pregnancy loss can affect as many as 15% of confirmed pregnancies.

On CBSN Denver, Abby McFerron, co-founder of Denver Share, talked about the pregnancy and infant loss support group aimed at parents who have lost babies during pregnancy or shortly after birth.

"The whole purpose of Denver share is to be a safe place for families to come and talk about exactly what they want to talk about: which is their baby," says McFerron. "Any parent wants to talk about their babies and bereaved parents are no different. It's just that it comes with so many emotions when we lose our children. So we are a place where families come every month to share their most vulnerable feelings, which you can imagine, makes us very close group."

Like so many support groups, Denver Share has had to adjust to the pandemic. McFerron says they have done Zoom meetings, and had socially-distanced gatherings in parks. She says pregnancy and infant loss affects so many families, and all of us likely know someone who is impacted by this.

"The last thing we ever want is someone to face that in silence. We want them to feel like they can talk to their people. And if they can't, that they can find the support that they need."

McFerron says having celebrities like Teigen and Legend share their stories is important so people know they are not alone.

"For her to be raw and real, I hope that allows other people who might not feel the strength, to share. I hope that helps them realize they're not alone, and that there are places they can turn to."

If you'd like more information about Denver Share, visit their website: https://www.denvershare.org/