Welcome to the Perinatal Loss Project
Perinatal loss is a devastating experience that can feel isolating and lonely, despite the fact that many families and individuals go through it. It is an experience that merits support and attention; spaces of healing and open dialogue about its many complexities. This project has been a long time coming, and is a result of many conversations amongst birth professionals, community workers and mostly people with lived experience. It is with immense anticipation that we come together with many partners and supportive community members in order to fill a gap that has been identified by so many and for so long. If perinatal loss is something that has touched you personally, feel free to donate following the link below. If you would like more information on the project, connect with us on social media for updates.
Perinatal Loss Peer Support Group
Our mandate is to provide a place where parents who have experienced loss can go to talk openly about their grief. There is still much stigma attached to perinatal loss and still much discomfort around grief. We are happy to offer this space every Tuesday evening from February 11th - April 28th, 2025, 6:30 - 8:30pm. This is a peer support group led by Laura Aguilar and Millie Tresierra, both experienced facilitators, and will be structured around sharing our stories, then exploring further with 2 prompts per session, and a closing prompt to carry us into the week and allow us to continue to explore different aspects of this complex journey.
Please email info@familycarecollective.org for info and to confirm attendance.
Perinatal loss is experienced by a significant number of families. In Quebec, an estimated 23,000 families are affected by the death of a baby each year. The numbers are almost quadrupled for Canada. The impact of this is immense and merits support and community.
Perinatal loss includes infertility during the preconception period, fetal death during pregnancy (leading to miscarriage, induced abortion and/or stillbirth), fetal death during the process of birth, and infant death in the first year of life. Suffering the loss of a baby affects not only the birthing parents, but also their extended family and friends, and care is needed in order to support the physical, emotional and mental effects of this loss.
Grief is expressed differently by everyone, a suitable container is needed in order to hold all the manifestations and iterations of perinatal loss grief. As community and healthcare workers, our role is critical in supporting families experiencing loss any time during the perinatal care journey.
It is with this in mind that FCC, The Centre for Reproductive Loss, and Women on the Rise are coming together to launch a pilot project to support families that have experienced perinatal loss.
To donate please fill in your information, select IN HONOUR OF, and write “Perinatal Loss Project”.
A receipt will be sent to you automatically. Thank you.
Meet our Team and Partners
Millie
As the ED of The Family Care Collective and a long time community advocate, I am a passionate supporter of community and believe deeply in its ability to impact our physical, emotional and mental health. On a personal note regarding perinatal loss, my mother suffered three losses: a baby that passed away in utero, and two who lived for several days and died in hospital. My mom has also passed away since then, but I know she carried these losses all her life. My name is Milagros in Spanish. I was named after the miracle of LIVING … a rainbow baby. Professionally as a doula, I have supported many families through perinatal losses, and each experience lives in my heart, is honoured yearly and I continue to be in touch with these dear families. I know there are insufficient resources, I know the grief that seeks to be held and seen, and I feel the frustration of a community that needs support and resources. It has been a long time coming, and I am finally honoured to come together with Women on the Rise and Laura to offer something special: a space to grieve, to be uplifted, to be seen, to learn together and to find community.
Laura
Reproductive loss support is a cause that is profoundly close to my heart. With 20 years of experience in education, including master's degrees in Neuropsychology and Psycho-pedagogical Intervention in Educational Contexts, I am certified in reproductive loss grief care, trauma care, birth and reproductive trauma, and perinatal mental health. My personal journey of loss—having lost three babies—opened my eyes to the harsh reality faced by thousands of individuals who experience reproductive loss every day. Many of these individuals have no support or resources available to them during their time of grief. This has driven me to dedicate my career to building a culture where grief due to reproductive loss is no longer neglected, avoided, nor misunderstood.
I am committed to providing the support and resources that bereaved parents need, helping them navigate their grief, and advocating for a society that acknowledges and understands the profound impact of reproductive loss.
Women on the Rise continues to be a great advocate for services and resources for women in our community. We are grateful for their partnership and support. For more information on their programming and community offerings follow this link: https://www.womenontherise.ca/