How to Support a Loved One Through Pregnancy or Infant Loss

Many parents report feeling abandoned by friends and family after their loss.

Training for Friends and Family Members

Use promo code "DOULASYNERGY" for 100% off this training for a limited time.

Hi, I’m Ashley Rose—mother, full-spectrum doula, grief coach, educator, and support group facilitator. I specialize in support families who are navigating the parenting journey during and after loss.

My work is deeply personal. I became a doula because of my own lived experience with loss. Losing my daughter changed everything—my body, my heart, my sense of safety in the world, and my understanding of what families truly need when grief enters the picture.

When I looked around for support, I quickly realized something that continues to shape my work today: most people want to help, but very few know how.

The Gap No One Talks About

One of the most common themes that comes up in my support groups and one-on-one work is this:

“The people I thought would be there for me weren’t.”

Friends and family members often disappear—not because they don’t care, but because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. Or they do show up… and unintentionally cause harm.

I hear stories like:

• Loved ones avoiding the topic entirely

• Well-meaning comments that minimize the loss

• Silence after the first few weeks, when grief is still very much alive

• Parents feeling isolated, misunderstood, or abandoned during one of the most painful seasons of their lives

  
  

Time and time again, I see how good intentions collide with a lack of education.

Why This Happens

Pregnancy and infant loss is not something most of us are taught how to respond to. There’s no roadmap. No script. No shared language.

So people default to:

• Trying to fix the pain

• Offering platitudes to ease their own discomfort

• Staying away entirely because they’re scared of making things worse

And the result? Grieving parents are left feeling even more alone.

Why I Created This Free Training

I believe we can do better.

I also believe that friends and family members want to do better—they just need guidance.

That’s why I created a free training:

Compassionate Support Through Loss: For Friends and Family Members

This training is for anyone who loves someone who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss and wants to show up with compassion, confidence, and care.

In this free training, you’ll learn:

• The true impact of pregnancy and infant loss

• Your role within the circle of support

• Five meaningful ways to support someone through loss

• How to be present without trying to fix the pain

• Simple, heart-centered communication tips that help—not harm

  
  

This training is gentle, accessible, and grounded in both lived experience and professional practice.

Less Fixing. More Presence.

You don’t need perfect words. You don’t need to make sense of the loss. You don’t need to have answers.

What grieving parents need most is presence, consistency, and compassion.

If you’ve ever felt unsure how to support someone through loss—or if you want to be the kind of person who shows up when it matters most—this training is for you.

👉 Click here to access the free training: Compassionate Support Through Loss

And if someone you love is walking through grief right now, please consider sharing this with them or with those in their support circle.

Because showing up for friends and family matters, no one should navigate loss alone.