Giving birth can be one of the most transformative and emotional experiences in a person’s life. But for mothers who deliver angel babies—babies who pass away during or shortly after birth—it can be profoundly devastating. One labor and delivery nurse decided to ease the pain of grieving mothers with a deeply thoughtful gesture: handmade weighted heart pillows crafted from baby blankets.
In a now-viral TikTok, the nurse (@thelabornursern) shared her process for creating the pillows. “POV: your patient just gained an angel baby 🪽 and you make sure she doesn’t go home empty-handed,” she writes, showing herself cutting a baby blanket into the shape of a heart. “So you get to work. Measure out rice the exact birth weight of her angel. And start to make a casing out of her baby blanket.”
The video captures every process step: the blankets are carefully measured, filled with rice, and hand-stitched. “I use sutures to sew the fabric,” she shares, showing the precise stitching of the seams. “Then we fill the casing with rice, measured to her baby’s birth weight, so she will always have this to hold onto.”
The video concludes with the finished weighted pillow and the caption, “Time to give it to her ❤️🪽.”
@thelabornursern #grief #loss #fetalloss #pregnancy #labordeliverynurses #laboranddelivery #griefandloss #laboranddeliverynurse #nursing #nursesoftiktok #nursetok #nurselife ♬ Photograph – <3
Angel moms share their gratitude
The nurse’s heartfelt act resonated deeply with mothers in the comments, many of whom shared their own experiences of loss.
- “As a mama who left the hospital without my baby, thank you THANK YOU. I felt so alone leaving the hospital, held my belly the entire ride home then walked into a home full of baby stuff and no baby,” wrote @harleelovestulips.
- Another user, @jennifer_lilly_, shared, “As a stillbirth mama, leaving the hospital without my baby was torture. Having something weighted to hold would have brought comfort. You’re so sweet for making this!!! 💗💗”
- @babyangelmom reflected on the physical ache of loss: “My son was stillborn earlier this year. One thing I could have never anticipated was how much my arms literally ached to hold him. Our bodies do not understand our baby died, and we instinctually need something to hold. This is such a beautiful gift.”
The response was immense, with TikTokers expressing gratitude and offering support to help grieving families. “As a momma of an angel baby, you are doing so much more than you can ever think by doing this! Bless you ❤️,” commented @gracefully_gone.
Related: A mother’s journey after loss
Growing support for grieving moms
The outpouring of gratitude inspired others to get involved. Several TikTok users asked how they could help, with some offering to donate sewing machines. In response, the nurse posted an update sharing her plans to keep the project going.
“I ordered a portable sewing machine to keep in my locker! And a few of my coworkers want to get together once a month and premake these for our unit,” she wrote. She added in another video, “So many of you wanted to jump in and donate, and that is faith in humanity restored. Thank you to each and every one from the bottom of my heart.”
While the sewing machine proved challenging to use initially, her determination remains unwavering. “Here’s an update on the portable sewing machine that I got. It actually is really hard to use…it will definitely take some practice, but I’ll get it,” she said in a voiceover.
The nurse’s act of kindness has comforted grieving mothers and sparked a ripple of empathy, with the TikTok community stepping in to support her mission. As one commenter, @rachel_wagner, put it, “This restores my faith in humanity.”
Related: 6 lies I believed about pregnancy after a loss
