Below you will find valuable resouces. Please call or email any of the support group contacts to verify time and place before attending in case changes have been made. As you will notice, a list of support groups focused primarily in New Jersey is included, as I was struggling to find the help I needed when I lost my baby on a local level. References to great support groups on a national level are provided as well.
The following link contains national support resources for perinatal loss via National Council of Jewish Women of New York.
http://www.pregnancyloss.org/uploads/4/3/7/9/43794419/plsp_website_resource_list_june_2015.pdf
PREGNANCY AND NEWBORN LOSS SUPPORT GROUP
Support Group Meeting: Every 1st Tuesday of the month: 7 to 8:30 PM
Location: Hackensack University Medical Center. The meeting is held at the Pediatric Center, Ground Floor, Room PCG54, Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospital, 60 Second Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
Contact: Alissa Sandler, MSW, LCSW
Phone: (551) 996-5131
Email: alissa.sandler@hackensackmeridian.org
THE TEARS FOUNDATION – LOCAL CHAPTERS IN AL, FL, MA, NJ, PA, SC, & WA AS WELL
Below is only the details on the NJ location, please visit the website for the rest of the information.
Center for Pregnancy & Infant Loss
Support Group Meeting: 1st Thursday of the month: 7 PM
1924 State Highway 35, Suite 9C
Old Tudor Village, NJ 07719
Phone: (848) 469-8180
Email: NewJerseyChapter@thetearsfoundation.org
http://thetearsfoundation.org/support-groups/
REMEMBERING OUR BABIES
Support Group Meeting: Every 3rd Tuesday of the month from 7 – 8:30 PM
Address: 205 Pheasant Hollow Dr
Plainsboro, NJ 08536
Location: NJ Medical Rm, 1st Fl
Contact: Lisa Brown
Phone: 609-275-0866
SHARE-NJ SUPPORT GROUP*
Support Group Meeting: Every 2nd Thursday of the month: 7 PM
St Peter’s University Hospital
Social Work Department
254 Easton Ave
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
Location: Employee cafeteria conference room
Contact: Irina Mariano-Brown, LCSW
Phone: 732-745-8600 extension 8522 for information
Purpose: Serving those whose lives are touched by the tragic death of a baby through pregnancy loss, stillbirth or in the first few months of life.
*Affiliated with national organization
UNITE, INC
New Jersey & Pennsylvania only
Phone: 1-888-48 UNITE
Email: administrator@unitegriefsupport.org
http://www.unitegriefsupport.org/links-resources
Purpose: Provides support group for grief for those expecting a baby following the loss of a child through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, or newborn death, respectively. Please refer to the website for locations, dates, and times.
PERINATAL BEREAVEMENT SUPPORT GROUP
St Barnabas Medical Center
Group Meeting: Every 1st Wednesday of each month: 7:30 – 9 PM
94 Old Short Hills Road
Livingston, NJ 0703
Contact: Claudia Garrity
Phone: (973) 322-5745
The program is free, but advanced registration is required by calling Dorothy Kurzweil, LCSW at 973-322-5745 or 973-322-5055.
http://www.barnabashealth.org/Events-Calendar/Event-Details.aspx?Event=46
THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF JEWISH WOMEN
A wonderful organization that utilizes professionally-trained volunteers to provide in-person and telephone counseling, for parents who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn death, free of charge. All volunteers have been through the program themselves.
Phone: (646) 884-9464
Email: plsp@ncjwny.org
Pregnancy Loss link: http://www.pregnancyloss.org/
Main site: https://www.ncjwny.org/
MARCH OF DIMES
Mission: Helping mothers have full-term pregnancies and researching the problems that threaten the health of babies. This is carried out through research, services, education and advocacy.
National Phone: 914-997-4488
NJ Chapter Phone: 732-952-9010
http://www.marchofdimes.com/baby/loss_neonataldeath.html
*Contact for local chapter information and services
NJ RESOURCE-INTERNATIONAL STILLBIRTH ALLIANCE
Mission: Dedicated to reducing the risk of stillbirth and to enhance bereavement care for families who have experienced stillbirth, through public awareness, community engagement, promoting best clinical practice standards, and facilitating high quality research. This organization does not host a support group.
M.I.S.S FOUNDATION
An organization dedicated to providing support to families after the loss of a baby or child.
Phone: 888-455-6477