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For bereavement midwives and those supporting baby loss charities
Thank you very much for visiting
I'm Lisa and I created A place in my heart, Baby Memorial Grief Journal with the wonderful support of bereavement midwife, Kelly Harris. I've created this page to offer some options of working together and to tell you a little more about my baby memorial grief journals and me.
A brief snapshot about me
The journals don't mention my story at all (for reasons stated further on), but I understand you'll want to find out a little more about me and why I came to create these journals to help bereaved parents.
Why I feel so passionately about these journals
Writing has helped me so much over the years with my grief after losing my baby. I would love for others who are struggling to be able to untangle, release, find comfort or even just a moment's peace in their grief. Writing can help to solidify the realisations that hit us whilst grieving and to make conscious decisions to reach for something helpful on the worst days, rather than subconsciously reaching for things that end up bringing us more pain.
Here's a snapshot timeline about me to scroll across and the relevant experiences that have culminated to create the journals. You can read the full story behind them here.
We hear the devastating words "I'm so sorry, there's no heartbeat" for our firstborn baby. Our worlds change forever and we begin our lifelong journey of grief.
I begin a local peer to peer support group for bereaved parents. Myself and others work together, fundraise and provide resources to hospitals for bereaved parents.
After finding a previously unknown creative streak during grief, I start a Graphic Design course to make a complete change in my career (previously a Family Mediator).
I work for a pregnancy safety charity with a focus on working with previously bereaved parents, midwives and expectant parents to help save future babies' lives.
At the end of 2019, I burn out. I step away from all things baby loss related for a while, as the anniversary this year hits me harder than ever and I realise I'm not coping well.
I reflect on my burnout, my grief and set to re-building my life in a way that helps me to carry and honour my grief in a much healthier way and having gratitude for all I have.
I set up my business with a focus on writing for self-care. It naturally falls towards helping with grief. I reflect on my grief journey and design my first guided journal for grief.
Bereavement midwife Kelly Harris contacts me about my grief journals. With Kelly's support and encouragement, I design a baby memorial version of my grief journal.
What the baby loss journals contain and why there are no stories
You can find out what's inside the journals below and take a peek of some sample pages via a digital flip book too.
I do not share mine or anyone else's story within the journals, just a couple of experiences purely for context.
I know from being a part of the baby loss community just how tough parents can be on themselves. Sharing stories can be really amazing and reassuring in helping others to feel less alone; but I think sometimes they can also make us feel even more alone. If I shared my detailed story, it would make those who have had a different type of loss at a different trimester feel like perhaps this journal wasn't meant for them.
It is. The journals are self-led for anyone who has lost a precious baby under any circumstances and would like to explore their own individual grief through writing ❤️
More info and sample pages
How we can work together
As these baby memorial journals were inspired with the support of a wonderful bereavement midwife, I would love for them to become a comforting bereavement suite resource to be given to bereaved parents (those who would like one) to take away as they begin to gradually navigate their grief.
A note about branding or "In memory of" cards
The journals themselves are already printed, but if you are a charity, you are completely free to add your own branding to these baby memorial journals by way of packaging, a stamp, a bookmark with your details on... whatever you'd like.
I can add a little card saying:
"This journal has been donated to you in memory of baby xxx"
for families who are raising funds. Let me know if you have any more ideas.
I'm sorry, but it is NOT possible personalise the journals themselves (e.g. with a name)... They are too precious for the days where things don't work out well and journals would have to be thrown away. The whole journal itself though is designed to be personalised by a parent in memory of their baby ❤️🩹
FAQ's
Is The Self-care Journal co. a non profit organisation?
No, but it is a business with a strong sense of purpose.
I'm a one woman band who has chosen to combine my professional skills and personal experiences to set up my business to inspire/help others as my full time job.
Can you provide a sample journal?
Absolutely! It's important that you get to see and feel the quality and love that has gone into creating the journals.
Once you're in the position to order a batch of journals via the Pages of Hope Project 15, please send me all the details and I'll send a sample out to you.