PREGNANCY and infant loss can too often not be talked about.
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But International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is doing its bit to break the silence and help people overcome the grief.
Parents and families mark International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day on October 15 when they honour babies who passed away from miscarriage, stillbirth or postnatal causes.
Port Macquarie's Claire Goldie has organised an afternoon tea and candle lighting from 3.30pm to 4.30pm on October 15 at Bittersweet Caf Patisserie.
Claire lit a candle at home last year after being unable to find an International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day event here. So this year, she made sure Port Macquarie had an event.
Claire encourages people to come along to meet others who understand what it means to lose a baby.
People interested in attending the event or being part of a support network should email Claire at remembermylittleone@gmail.com
Claire and her husband TJ lost their baby boy Wyatt during pregnancy.
She struggled with other people's reluctance to talk about Wyatt.
"I think it will be really good to get together with people who have had similar experiences to openly talk about things," she said about the afternoon tea and candle lighting.
The event is a chance for parents, family and friends to come together to remember their angel babies.
Claire also hopes to create a support network and regular meeting group for those who have suffered the loss of a baby.
"This would give parents a chance to speak openly with others who understand what it means to lose a baby and how special it is to speak of your child," she says.
Linda Polock was heartbroken when her son Kingsley was stillborn.
"It was a really, really hard time," she says.
Linda hopes International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day will raise awareness and understanding in the community and help grieving families.
The afternoon tea venue is significant as Bittersweet Cafe Patisserie last year donated a cuddle cot via Maternity Choices Australia Hastings Branch.
Linda says people can simply be supported or offer support during the afternoon tea and candle lighting.
Meanwhile, at Lake Cathie, Jayne Potts has put together a remembrance gathering from 10am on October 15 near the covered picnic tables on the north side of the lake near the main car park.
Jayne and her husband have gone through a harrowing time. After a number of miscarriages, they lost their baby son Oliver in July.
Born at 25 weeks, Oliver was only 440 grams when he entered the world on July 11. He had too many challenges to overcome and died on July 17.
Jayne wants to share International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day with as many people as possible.
She agrees it can help people, who are feeling a deep sense of loss, to know they are not alone.
"The gathering offers the opportunity for people who are in the same situation to connect with each other," she says.
Jayne plans to release balloons on the day and suggests others can do the same if they wish. She says International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is such an important day to acknowledge.
"This is a day set aside where parents/families and friends can openly take a moment to remember their little one in a comfortable and supported setting," she says.
Meanwhile, Blessing of the Angels is a service, staged late each year in Port Macquarie, open to anyone who has lost a baby through miscarriage, birth or shortly after birth.