“But you won’t feel the way I’m feeling’ now, Until you have a boy…”
This is the line in a popular country song, “Boy” by Lee Brice. It describes the trials and tribulations of parenting a son.
I heard it as I was listening to music while getting ready for work this morning. I thought how heart wrenching this song must be to someone struggling with infertility, pregnancy, or infant loss. Music can be uplifting and boost our mood, but it can also feel like a punch in the stomach and lead to an emotional grief burst when we are struggling.
Yes, we see a lot of pink in October, but it is also Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. President Ronald Reagan declared it in 1988. On that day he said: “When a child loses his parent, they are called an orphan. When a spouse loses her or his partner, they are called a widow or widower. When parents lose their child, there isn’t a word to describe them. This month recognizes the loss so many parents experience across the United States and around the world. It is also meant to inform and provide resources for parents who have lost children due to miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, stillbirths, birth defects, SIDS, and other causes.”
Raising awareness is an important goal of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month. Statistics show that 10-15% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. The CDC states 1 in 175 births are stillbirths and the infant mortality rate (2020) is 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“I know you will, ‘cause you’re a part of me,
And a part of you will always be my boy”
They will always be our babies. My heart goes out to all of you yearning to experience the “difficulties” of raising a boy or girl.
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