Postpartum Support Program: Navigating a New Normal

The goal of our Postpartum Support Program is to give parents a safe, supportive space to:

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• Explore their grief

• Connect with peers who share similar experiences

• Access resources to ease unexpected burdens

• Discover meaningful ways to parent and honor their baby

 

Every parent’s postpartum journey looks different, especially following pregnancy and infant loss. There is no rule book or one-size-fits-all approach. What we have learned, however, is that giving families access to others who have walked this path provides tremendous comfort and connection.

Below is an overview of our support offerings as well as additional providers who can walk alongside families during this tender time.

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Virtual Support Groups

Our virtual support group is open to anyone navigating the postpartum period after miscarriage, stillbirth, or neonatal loss. These groups provide both peer and professional support, led by our trained parent and family advocates.

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• Groups are generally held at 6 PM EST via Google Meet

• Cameras and sharing are always optional

• Couples and family members are welcome

 

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👉 Click here for upcoming virtual support options

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In-Person Support

For families in the Philadelphia and South Jersey region, Three Little Birds offers opportunities to gather in safe, compassionate spaces. These groups and events provide face-to-face connection, shared healing activities, and access to resources that can ease the postpartum journey after loss.

In-person support may include:

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• Quarterly in-person support groups in comfortable spaces in and around Philadelphia/South Jersey

• Seasonal events such as our Wave of Light ceremony or our Bereaved Mother's Day event and workshops designed to foster healing through art, writing, or nature

• Peer companion meet-ups, where families can connect directly with trained loss parents and advocates

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These in-person opportunities allow grieving parents and families to experience the power of community, reduce isolation, and build ongoing support networks.

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👉 Click here for upcoming in-person support options

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Legacy Projects

In the months following the loss of a baby, many families feel a strong desire to do something in their child’s memory. These acts of remembrance—whether small rituals or larger community projects—offer parents a meaningful way to continue parenting their baby in their hearts. Families often create traditions like lighting candles, writing in journals, planting trees, or donating to causes in honor of their child.

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Some parents take this a step further by developing Legacy Projects—ongoing initiatives that celebrate their baby’s life while also supporting the mission of Three Little Birds. Legacy projects vary widely and reflect the unique passions of each family, ranging from personal crafts to large-scale fundraisers.

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Examples of Legacy Projects

Families have honored their babies by:

• Creating comfort items for grieving families (Mira’s Banners of Love, Calvin’s Candles, Ollie Bears, Zara’s Tootsies, Seeds of Hope).

• Hosting annual fundraisers and events (Spencer’s Cornhole Tournament, Our Angel Anthony Cornhole Tournament, S’more Love for Rylan, Mila’s Fantasy Football League).

• Supporting hospitals and care programs (Cuddle Cots for Cash, Emerson’s Library of Love, Peanuts for Colin).

• Sharing talents and hobbies to create healing items or experiences (Xander’s Nursery plant crafts, Cade’s Creations vinyl decals, Grey Skies dream catchers, Aubree’s Adventures social events).

 

Purpose of Legacy Projects

• Provide families with ongoing ways to honor and celebrate their baby.

• Support other grieving parents with tangible resources and events.

• Raise awareness and funds to strengthen programs like Palliative Care and Bedside Bereavement.

• Build community while breaking the silence around pregnancy and infant loss.

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​Thank You to our Legacy Project Families

• S'more Love for Rylan - To honor Trisomy Awareness Month and Rylan’s birthday, the Walsh family hosts an annual fundraiser in March to support Three Little Birds’ Palliative Care Program. Rylan’s mom craved s’mores throughout her pregnancy and each year they sell cute s’mores packages in his memory to give back. Their family and friends have supported this fundraiser and it has grown each year!

• Mira's Banners of Love - Mira’s parents received a life-limiting diagnosis and was supported through our Palliative Care Program. In an effort to find healing and support others, they create personalized banners for other palliative care families in our nest to use in their complimentary maternity photographs.

• Spencer's Cornhole Tournament - The Walsh family hosted a corn hole tournament in memory of their daughter, Spencer Jean, for her first heavenly birthday. Money raised from that event supports our annual Gathering of the Grinches holiday event for the families in our nest!

• Cuddle Cots for Cash - A local family raised funds to purchase cuddle cots for two hospitals in NJ and PA. Their ultimate goal is to place a CuddleCot in each state at a hospital in need to spread their son Cash’s love around! At our Wave of Light event, Cash’s parents shared how much value the CuddleCot on their experience and it allowed them to spend days parenting him before saying goodbye.

• Calvin's Candles -To honor her cousin, Three Little Birds volunteer Melissa puts her crafting skills to work to create personalized memorial candles for families to light at our annual Wave of Light ceremony in October in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month!

• Aubree's Adventures - The goal of Aubree’s Adventures is to give parents experiencing a difficult family building journey to find safe spaces to socialize and connect with others. Often times, we feel like we become the big pink elephant in the room after we experience loss. Aubree's events offers a safe space for loss families to socialize with others who "get it". 2023 activities include a chocolate tasting, a rage room event, and a family game night!

• Cade's Creations - Cade’s mom uses her talent and love for her Cricut machine to create customized vinyl decals for loss families to proudly sport on their cars as a reminder that our baby’s love goes with us wherever we go! This product generated funds for Three Little Birds and offers validation for families in shattering the stigma of pregnancy and infant loss. You can order one here! Also, the Miller family is hosting a motorcycle cruise fundraiser to benefit Three Little Birds!

• Xander's Nursery - Xander’s mom is a craft and plant enthusiast and she saw how the two go hand in hand while healing from infant loss and wants to spread her son’s love and memory with all things plant related. She created items for our Etsy store, facilitates our signature Craft & Heal events and wants to focus her efforts in finding support for young siblings experiencing perinatal loss.

• Zara's Tootsies - Zara's mom is putting her Cricut talents and big heart to use in creating personalized footprint decals for families in our nest who lost their baby. She also made custom items for our Etsy store to help raise funds and awareness for perinatal loss families! Most recently, they hosted an ornament party for the end of year holidays.

• Grey Skies - Luca's mom is a volunteer bereavement doula with Three Little Birds but also hosts an annual event around Luca's birthday to celebrate and share his love. After losing him to stillbirth, she began making dream catchers and found healing in making them for other loss parents. She now hosts and support group each year where she helps families make their own dream catchers, personalized in memory of their baby!

• Emerson's Library of Love - To honor their tradition of reading to Emerson leading up to her birth and their healing journey after losing her, the Loggia family supports our free lending library at the Healing Nest. This includes copies of grief support books, many of which are out of print and pricey to purchase second hand. Also, Emerson's family will be donating books to local NICUs through Three Little Birds to encourage bonding and tradition with babies and their families. Read more here.

• Ollie Bears - Many times the hospital issued teddy bears experience wear and tear very easily. Ollie Bears, similar to Molly Bears, were created to support families in our nest with a personalized 9" teddy bear to help support them remembering their baby.

• Peanuts for Colin - Colin and Peanuts mom nominated Three Little Birds through an internal employee program and was awarded a donation from Shoprite/Wakefern to support families in our nest. This gift will be used to support our Bereaved Father's Day event at the Phillies!

• Our Angel Anthony Cornhole Tournament - Anthony's parents, family and friends gathered to host an annual cornhole tournament to raise funds and awareness for Three Little Birds. Their first event saw dozens of participants and hosted a large basket auction!

• Mila's Fantasy Football League - Mila's dad, Quinnzel developed this legacy project in memory of his daughter, Mila, but to also support other loss dads/non-birthting parents through perinatal loss. A virtual draft party was held and the League winner will receive a large flat screen TV at the end of season party!

• Seeds of Hope - Marci lost her daughter Hope Ann, as a result of a termination for medical reasons. She was very loved and very wanted, but unfortunately was very sick with a poor life prognosis. After her loss, Marci found gardening as a way to be productive with her grief. Hope’s ashes are in a butterfly urn and it only made sense that she fell in love with planting a butterfly garden in her honor. She created these seed packets to honor her and to bring other families comfort in their grief through gardening!