The following story includes mentions of pregnancy and infant loss.
If you spot a white pumpkin nestled amongst a neighbor's colorful fall decor this season, it could be more than a fashion statement.
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, while Oct. 15 marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, a day for families who have experienced a loss like miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth or infant death to reflect, grieve and honor their loved ones.
White pumpkins have become something of a symbol during this season, allowing members of the pregnancy and infant loss community to honor the children who are no longer with them. The act of choosing, placing and sometimes decorating the pumpkin allows the families of these children to include and remember them in their fall festivities and day-to-day lives.
"After our daughter was born, it was incredibly important to us that we figure out ways to include Patrick, our son who died, in our family’s traditions," Valerie Meek, a loss mom, wrote in the Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS) online magazine. "As Halloween approached that year, kicking off three months of holiday celebrations, I yearned for ways to include him. So, during our first trip to the pumpkin patch with our 9-month-old daughter, we chose a white pumpkin for Patrick."
