- the parents may be grieving
- Give the family appropriate privacy
It Does Not Mean the Baby Is Sick
One of the most important things to understand is that a purple butterfly does not necessarily mean that the newborn is ill.
The surviving baby may be perfectly healthy.
The symbol is primarily about the family’s circumstances and the loss of a sibling.
This distinction is important because visitors may otherwise misunderstand the meaning of the sticker.
The Emotional Experience of Losing a Twin or Sibling
Losing a baby during pregnancy or shortly after birth can be devastating.
When the loss occurs during a multiple pregnancy, parents may experience an especially complicated form of grief.
They may simultaneously:
- Hold their newborn
- Celebrate the surviving baby’s arrival
- Grieve the baby who died
- Imagine what life would have been like with both children
- Deal with physical and emotional recovery from childbirth
This mixture of
