You Are Not Alone: A Gentle Companion for Enduring, Grieving, and Healing from Pregnancy and Infant Loss
"We, too, are postpartum after pregnancy and infant loss," says Eileen Santos Rosete. "And we deserve the same care all who give birth need, with an added sensitivity to our grief and our trauma."
Pregnancy loss. Infant loss. Womb loss. Such losses are as valid as any other, yet these experiences and the individuals who endure them remain largely unrecognized and unsupported. To Tend and To Hold honors survivors and the depth of what they've gone through with a reverence that has, until now, been missing.
Within this carefully crafted resource, Rosete emerges as a warm confidante, helping us articulate our experiences, understand our options, and tend to our unique needs as both postpartum and bereaved, helping you:
. Center Your Needs: Listen to what your body is calling for and honor what feels supportive in the moment
. Use Your Voice: Articulate your experiences with words that resonate and comfort
. Understand Your Journey: Gain insights that put your feelings and experiences into context
. Access Healing Tools: Utilize simple grief and trauma-informed practices tailored to meet your needs
Woven with threads of wisdom from a trusted collective of health and healing arts practitioners, comforting stories, nourishing postpartum recipes, and grounding embodiment practices, To Tend and To Hold is a heartfelt, holistic source of solace for all who bear loss.
About the Author :
Eileen Santos Rosete holds a master of science in marriage and family therapy from Northwestern University and is certified as a DONA International postpartum doula, yoga teacher, and grief educator. Her brand, Our Sacred Women®, is known for its elevated offerings that help women feel seen, held, and honored. She is especially passionate about supporting those who are postpartum-both after live births and after loss.
Review :
"To Tend and To Hold is not merely a book; it is a companion for those who have felt unseen and unheard in their grief. It encourages a discourse that is both more inclusive and more precise--a dual tribute to the nuances of bereavement and the resilience of the human spirit." --Jill Koziol, cofounder of Motherly and coauthor of The Motherly Guide to Becoming Mama
"To Tend and To Hold is a safe haven for those of us who know the depths of womb loss intimately. Filled with loving affirmations and gentle mindfulness practices, it invites us to soften and heal through our grief and trauma at our own pace and in our own way. Eileen is a matriarch of healing, and her book is a powerful and precious gift helping us to know our worth and make our way back home to ourselves." --Alex Elle, New York Times bestselling author of How We Heal
"So intimate in nature, so universal in scope. Eileen S. Rosete gives womb loss and grief all the emotional, physical, and collective attention we need and deserve. This book is a profound act of care." --Angela Garbes, author of Like a Mother and Essential Labor
"The essence of To Tend and To Hold can be likened to a warm, comforting embrace--a blend of therapeutic wisdom, medical insight, and the compassionate understanding of a close friend. As someone who has personally navigated the painful journey of womb loss, I approach Eileen's words with profound respect and appreciation. It is a resource I fervently wish had been available during my own ordeal and one I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone facing this heartache--or to supportive partners striving to comprehend and aid their loved ones through such trying times." --Charlotte Cho, cofounder of Soko Glam and founder of Then I Met You
"Pregnancy loss isn't talked about enough, even though one-quarter of women will experience it. Eileen is holding space for so many women navigating the heartbreaking realities of family planning in the twenty-first century. Her book, To Tend and To Hold, has put words to many of my own feelings during my bumpy road to motherhood." --Hannah Bronfman, activist, angel investor, wellness advocate, and author of Do What Feels Good
"This kind and tender book offers many ways of honoring and healing for those who have experienced the loss/death of a fetus or baby, no matter at what gestational age or how that loss occurred. Rosete speaks from the experiences of her own womb losses and from her work with those with similar losses. She has included a number of simple rituals and self-care practices that were created and shared by her friends in the healing professions. Partners, family members, and living children can be included in many of these simple but impactful rituals." --Jan Chozen Bays, MD, Zen teacher, pediatrician, and author of Jizo Bodhisattva: Guardian of Children, Travelers, and Other Voyagers
"To Tend and To Hold is a guide intended to swaddle and care for people who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. As a women's health leader and mother, I was deeply moved by the critical conversation on the importance of postpartum care for survivors of womb loss and the integration of somatic practice and storytelling that helps soothe wounds left behind by loss. Rosete invites readers to return home to their bodies with a grounding sense of empowerment and reminds them that they indeed are whole." --Latham Thomas, maternal health expert and founder of Mama Glow
"To Tend and To Hold is a balm for those who experience pregnancy and infant loss, and those who love them. This will be an important resource to have in the world." --Shannon Gibney, author and coeditor of What God Is Honored Here?: Writings on Miscarriage and Infant Loss by and for Native Women and Women of Color
