I wear a teddy bear in a baby sling because I couldn't stop sobbing

"It helps with the 'empty arm syndrome'." Please note: sensitive content.

A mum who recently gave birth to her has found a unique way to deal with both the emotional and physical loss of her baby boy.

Cora Bryant has shared a heart-wrenching video about how she manages her grief after experiencing a stillborn birth at 37 weeks. She shares her journey on her TikTok, where she details her daily sorrow and attempts at living a life she never expected.

One item that has brought her much comfort in this agonising time is a weighted teddy bear that she wears in a baby carrier when she wants to feel the physical presence of her son, Weylyn.

It’s an unique way to honour her son and to help fill a void in her heart.

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"My baby is not here"

With over 8 million views, the video starts with Cora saying, "Another day of bear-wearing because my baby is not here."

"Low-key, I love the wrap," she continued. "I would recommend it. I can't wait to wear it with a living baby in it because I think I'm a pro at this."

"It's actually very comforting," Cora adds.

She had put it on because she "couldn't stop sobbing" and that it regulated her nervous system so much that she was unable to cry anymore.

"I couldn't stop bawling my eyes out," she shared and added that nobody wanted to see her looking that rough when she showed up at her brother-in-law's engagement party.

"So, it's one of my first outings that is not about me and Weylyn; this is going to be really hard. I have another one tomorrow, and we'll see how I cope," she ends the clip. 

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"There's no timeline on grief"

Her video touched the hearts of so many parents who also had suffered from pregnancy loss. 

One mother shared her experience, commenting, "My sweet daughter Isabella, who was also stillborn at 37 weeks, and I have my weighted Molly bear that is SO special to me. There's no timeline on grief."

"I just bought myself a moon pal! It's very similar to the weight of a baby, and you can wrap its weighted arms around you to feel like a hug. It really helps me cope! Thank you for sharing," another mum added. 

Someone else shared, "Finally, someone on my timeline I can relate to. I lost my baby at 32 weeks, and I had to give birth to him."

"I wish I did this. My little girl was stillborn at 39 weeks, and I was too worried about what people would think. The empty arm syndrome was torture. Proud of you," one grieving mother wrote. 

After her stillbirth, Cora now wears a weighted bear for comfort. Source: TikTok

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"You are not alone"

This video follows another post Cora shared with her followers documenting the loss of her son with photos of Weylyn, whom she called her "little bear."

"Any level of stillbirth is so traumatic and so horrific, and none of us are prepared for it, and nobody talks about it," she says. "If I'm going to scream this from the rooftops, you are not alone if you've gone through it, and I'm so sorry."

Originally published as I wear a teddy bear in a baby sling because I couldn't stop sobbing