Honored Babies Press offers publications providing support and resources for families (and their communities) grieving the death of their babies from miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy termination, stillbirth, neonatal death & infant death.

Really, the mission here at Honored Babies is simple: Provide publications that support women and their families after the death of their babies AND provide information in the same form to the communities around them. and, very importantly... To not be silent. To not be silenced. There are many women who choose to keep their babies and their grief to themselves and/or within their support system. Others wish to share to a larger group. Both Honored Babies, the support & resource organization, and Honored Babies Press provide support, resources, and publications for all women, their families, and their communities, no matter how they choose to journey. Who is behind Honored Babies Press? I'm Paula Long, mom to Alexandria (born 1995), Christian (born 2002), Kadin (born still July 29, 1998), and 4 miscarried babies (July 2000, September 1994, July 1992, November 1987). My husband Scott keeps me sane (most of the time). We've been together for 24 years. If you don't want to read all about me, me, me... skip this section and continue below (where it says "Continue Here!") Along with the reponsibilities and blessings afforded to motherhood, I do many other things... let's just say it nicely... I'm a multi-tasker. I don't sleep much (what a waste of time!), and I loooove to be involved in lots of things at one time. For example, right now, I'm writing this (and working on the Honored Babies Press web site), creating postcards to mail out to healthcare professionals about Honored Babies & Honored Babies Press, painting a mural on Christian's room's walls (I'll post a picture when I'm done), painting the entire house (inside, for now) along with making minor repairs along the way (re-mudding walls, scraping "those damn bumps" off of other walls, fixing cracked ceiling drywall, etc.), moving around rooms of the house (office to breakfast room to make a room for Christian, breakfast room combined with family room, etc.), garage saling (had one and am participating in a family on mid-May), gathering things to sell on eBay (got the tub full of stuff right here, under my desk), refinishing a few pieces of furniture, AND, I'm building a couple of pieces of furniture (a huge curio type thing for a collection my husband has, a bookshelf type stand for Christian's toys, and an entertainment center for our family room - yes, I'll post photos when completed... however, don't expect everything to be complete in a month or two!). In addition, my active (that's such a mild word in this case) 3 year old Christian likes to get into things when I've turned my back for just a minute - like to put laundry in the dryer. In fact, just a mere year ago, he dumped an entire gallon of charcoal grey paint on the floor and all over himself (oh yeah, that reminds me, I need to copy that onto a DVD and send it to "America's Funniest Videos"). Needless to say, I have never left paint out with my back turned again! I'm constantly cleaning up messes, changing his clothes, and reminding him to head to the toilet before control is lost! If that's not enough... Alexandria has bipolar disorder and has extreme anger issues. Watching and living with my child's mental health challenges breaks my heart every day. I'm constantly reading about juvenile bipolar disorder, talking with others about it (uh, there goes that "I'm not silent" thing again), and searching for ways to help her and us. If you'd like to talk about any of the above, don't hesistate to contact me! Continue here! Oh yes, and I loooove to talk. Specifically, I would really welcome the opportunity to speak to groups about "The Reality of Grief." That's my specialty. I don't know much about laws and lobbying and therapeutic stages, and such, but I do know what we women go through. I do know what often happens in healthcare settings (the good, the bad, and the ugly), and I do know what it feels like to hold my dead son and walk away from the cemetary after burying him. I know what it's like to hate my husband for an entire year afterward, and I know what it's like to pull myself up, literally, day after day. I know what it's like - well, to go through grief. I can talk to hospital staffs, funeral homes, OB/GYN's, midwives (I'm a homebirth advocate), support groups. Email me if you'd like to discuss a speaking engagement. Back to the Mission... The book Honored Babies, learning to live with a broken heart... exists because nothing like it did when I needed it. In fact, nothing like it exists still. There is no other book with full color photos of babies who were born still on the cover(s). There is no other book where a number of women get to tell their entire story. I wanted that book desperately in the early darkness after Kadin died. I created Honored Babies, the support and resource web site, as a way for me and women who were grieving to find one another and get the book off the ground. The site grew from its original purpose into a far-reaching online organization filled with support and a host of resources... in fact, its been the light for many women - women who quite possibly would have committed a most horrific act if they had not found other women in their same situation to connect with. Today, there are well over 1,000 visitors to the site every month. Honored Babies Press grew out of Honored Babies because there was need for a separate entity for publishing. My background in graphic design, my love of reading, my intense grief and love for Kadin, and my sheer determination allowed me the ability to step out and self-publish the first book. The success of the first book and the many encouraging words of women around the world gave me the courage to continue gathering stories and publishing. I look forward to providing an outlet and a resource for those who are often silenced in their grief. If you'd like to share your journey or if you have resources you'd like to share, please do visit the Works in Progress area on the home page. My heart is always with the babies who have died, the mothers whose hearts are breaking, and those who absolutely refuse to be silent or silenced... Hugs, ~Paula 281.337.1822 or 832.656.8404 April 30, 2006

This site uses Adobe Reader for many of its documents. Get it here. Honored Babies Organization | Email Paula @ HBPress | Honored Babies Press Home Contact: Paula Long / 281.337.1822 or 832.656.8404 page last updated April 30, 2006