Guest Author - Krissi Danielsson

I posted a review a while back of author Hannah Stone's first book Forever Our Angels, as well as an interview with Ms. Stone on what inspired her to write it. Ms. Stone's latest compilation has now been released. Remembering Our Angels, which is an anthology of personal stories and tips on healing from the experience of pregnancy loss.

The first chapter opens with professional advice, including short pieces written by mental health professionals and board-certified OB/GYNs, offering advice and analyses on how healthcare professionals can best support parents grieving the loss of a pregnancy. The second continues with words from moms who were inspired to found support groups after discovering the lack of support resources. The women write about how they founded the groups and what advice they offer to grieving parents.

In the next chapter, you find a selection of writings by women who found comfort in support groups after having a loss. Then, you can read pieces about how different moms decided to say good-bye to their lost babies in order to cope with what happened and find peace. Finally, chapter five includes some writings by parents who look back on their losses following giving birth to an "earth" angel.

Overall, Remembering Our Angels is a great addition to the literature out there about losses and I definitely recommend it. I found parts of it hard to read, having been emotional lately, and perhaps harder to read than Forever Our Angels which recounted the stories of how the losses took place. Although our experiences all differ, the emotions associated with the experience is generally similar, so reading writings by others who are reflecting on the emotional experience of loss tends to bring back more memories. It is surprising how hard these things still are to read after five years and two live births.

But hard doesn't mean bad, and as I've said before on this site, I think it is so important to say these things and to put these feelings out there. It's important to know that you're not alone and there can be something cathartic about reading stories of others remembering their angels when you are having a reflective moment of remembering your own.

Be sure to visit Hannah Stone's website at foreverourangels.tripod.com.