Each October, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month invites families, communities, and care providers to pause and honour the lives that ended too soon.

When a pregnancy or infant loss occurs, the emotional spotlight often shines on the birthing parent — understandably, as their body has carried the physical weight of the experience. But alongside that story, many partners quietly carry their own grief, rarely given a space to express it.

At VOX Mental Health, our therapists in Barrie have witnessed how fathers and non-birthing partners often gatekeep their pain in the hope of being supportive. They stay strong for their loved ones, organize logistics, and protect others from distress — but in doing so, their own emotions become buried deeper every time.

Why Partners Grieve Silently

Research shows that many fathers and non-birthing partners suppress their grief not because they feel less pain, but because they feel a duty to protect. Society often equates care with self-erasure — the belief that love means putting your own needs last.

Studies have found that partners experiencing perinatal loss are at increased risk for depression, anxiety, substance use, and relationship strain (Due et al., 2017; Pope, 2023). Yet these experiences often go unnoticed because the systems around them — family, healthcare, even cultural expectations — don’t always know how to invite men or partners into the conversation.

Identity After Loss

Pregnancy and infant loss can deeply impact identity. Many partners report mourning not only the loss of the child but also the anticipated role of “Dad,” “Mom,” or “Parent.” This identity disruption can feel like a quiet unraveling of one’s future self — the version that was preparing to nurture, guide, and love.

It’s common for partners to question what their role is now, or to feel uncertain about how to show up for their grieving loved one. Therapy can be a space to explore that.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy isn’t about replacing what was lost — it’s about creating space for what remains: love, longing, meaning, and connection.

At VOX Mental Health, our Barrie therapists use trauma-informed and evidence-based approaches to support individuals and couples through perinatal loss, including:

• Narrative Therapy – to help partners reclaim their story and identity after loss.
• Grief and Bereavement Counselling – to explore how grief evolves over time and how to carry it with compassion.
• Trauma and Attachment Therapy – to address emotional triggers, relational strain, and physical symptoms of trauma.
• CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) – to support coping, reduce intrusive thoughts, and manage anxiety.
• Group Counselling – to connect with others who understand this unique kind of loss.
  

Every voice in the family matters. Supporting partners doesn’t diminish maternal grief — it strengthens the entire family system and builds collective resilience through shared understanding.

Finding Support in Barrie

You don’t have to move through this in silence. If you or your partner are navigating the grief of pregnancy or infant loss, our team at VOX Mental Health in Barrie is here to help you find support that honours both your loss and your love.

Local resources include:

Bridget’s Bunnies Pregnancy and Infant Loss Foundation

Comfort Kits, Bridget’s Run, Little Loss Library

Bridget's Bunnies Pregnancy and Infant Loss Foundation

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network (PAIL Network)

Provides support at no-cost to families - Support is tailored/categorized by similar loss.

Peer Support, Online Support Groups, Resource Library

Families - Menu - PAIL Network

Peer support programs - PAIL Network

Postpartum Support International

(1-800-944-4733)

Offers a number of resources (including virtual support groups) for families who have experienced perinatal loss and for pregnancy after loss - Information about Perinatal Mental Health.

Weekly Online Support Group | Join a Free Group Today

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children (705-721-5437)

Grief support to children age 4-24. Peer support and groups

Seasons Centre for Grieving Children | Grief Support Programs for Children, Youth and Their Families

Indigenous Circle of Support Online Group (PAIL Network)

Fourth Monday of Each Month: 8 - 9 p.m.

Indigenous Supports - PAIL Network

Hospice Simcoe Ended Beginnings Program

Peer support at no-cost to families.

Grief and Bereavement Support - Hospice Simcoe

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Outreach of North Simcoe Muskoka

(705-325-0505 Ext. 209)

Provides practical and emotional bereavement support out of Hospice Orillia - monthly bereavement groups and one-to-one peer support.

Pregnancy and Infant Loss Outreach - Hospice Orillia

Chigamik Community Health Centre: Biidaaban Doula Collective

(705-527-4154)

Provides support to First Nation, Metis and Inuit women experiencing pregnancy loss or abortion.

CSC CHIGAMIK CHC

The Life Centre

(905-836-5433)

Provides faith-based support after pregnancy and infant loss or abortion.

Home - TLC

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At VOX Mental Health, we believe that grief deserves a voice — every voice.
If you’re seeking a Barrie therapist who provides compassionate, inclusive, and trauma-informed care, we’re here to walk alongside you.

References

Due, C., Chiarolli, S., & Riggs, D. W. (2017). The impact of pregnancy loss on men’s

health and wellbeing: A systematic review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(380),

1–13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1560-9

Pope, B. J. (2023). The impact and meaning of perinatal loss in men (Doctoral

dissertation, Alaska Pacific University).

Williams, H. M., Topping, A., Coomarasamy, A., & Jones, L. L. (2019). Men and

miscarriage: A systematic review and thematic synthesis. Qualitative Health Research,

30(1), 133–145. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732319870270