We, too, suffered a miscarriage with our fifth child. What was different for us was how our family and, especially, our friends, handled the news.

The child was due on my fortieth birthday and our next oldest child was then almost 5. At the news of the pregnancy, a few family members expressed surprise but were wonderfully good-humored and no one had to ask if we were happy, because our faces and expressions spoke for themselves. However, 4 1/2 months into the pregnancy, a routine prenatal visit to the doctor found no infant heart beat, and within a week I miscarried, naturally, though at a hospital. For the next weeks we were absolutely blessed by our friends' providing meals, calling, taking care of our other children, and sending cards and Mass cards. In short, I have rarely felt so protected and taken care of by God.

Perhaps you need more pro-life friends!! I met many of mine through a Catholic mom's group when my older children were toddling — now we compare notes on our teens. Look for a pro-life charity in your area and do some small thing to volunteer — even as simple as stuffing envelopes for a fundraiser or making telephone calls or whatever. The people you meet will be the kind who will support you as you continue to lead a pro-life family, whether you have more children, or not.

— D.W.