How to Stop Baby Related Mail

How to Stop Baby Related Mail and Marketing

The biggest reminder of my baby's death after I loss Ashley was my mail. It seemed like every other day, especially about a month after her original due date in August, I would receive life insurance offers, baby formula samples, Target coupons on diapers and clothes, and everything else that I would have love to received had Ashley lived after I gave birth to her

It felt cruel. It really got so bad at one point that I wouldn't even check the mail anymore and let my husband get it because I was tired and hurt about receiving items for my baby who is not here. I am sure many of you Moms and Dads share how I felt about the constant mail we receive after losing our babies. Then if it is not the physical mailbox overflowing with baby mail, your email also reminds you constantly of the baby that never made it home. It took some time for me to get it to stop but it can be done. I will share what I did and hopefully it will help you too.

1. Cancel all baby registrations you made while pregnant. I know I completely forgot that I still had my registration active at Target, Babies R Us, Wal-Mart, Carter, etc. (You can tell I was a first time mom, huh?).  But by having all those registrations with the baby's due date, if you do not cancel the registration the stores and sites automatically assume that the baby is still here. They use those registrations as marketing tools to send you coupons, flyers, samples, etc. Unless we tell them, they do not know and the mail will continue to come.
2. Cancel or modify accounts with pregnancy sites. Once again, I did not realize that all the sites I registered with while pregnant such as Baby Center, What to Expect When Expecting, etc. that still had Ashley listed as being born. It really hurt when I went to modify my account with Baby Center and it showed that Ashley should have been 7 months old had she been born on her original due date. But first, open your profile or account and see if the site allows you to change that your child is no longer here. If it does, make the change. If not, then you will need to cancel your account. Just like the baby registry stores, these sites are usually partnered with baby stuff suppliers and once again everyone assumes that the baby is still and alive. Therefore, by modifying or cancelling the account, this should help stop the marketing mail you receive. 
3. Understand that births and deaths is public information. Just like if you purchase a home or get married, having a baby and when the baby dies is public information. Therefore, if you are wondering why you are being contacted for a survey or how was I included in this marketing campaign when I did not sign out for any sites or registries, then the marketer may have found out through public record. It feels like an invasion of privacy, I know; but it is legal for them to get this information. However, you do have the right to opt-out of whatever they are offering.
4. Tell the marketer directly. Either respond during your call to be taken off the calling list or write back that you do not want to receive anymore mail. You do not have to go into why but this will help stop the calls and the mail too.  
5. Remember to unsubscribe the "baby" emails. If you continue to receive emails after cancelling your known baby registries, chances are word got around that you were expecting a baby and other companies are trying to win you over as a potential customer by filling up your email with baby ads, baby/parenting magazine subscriptions, and other baby related material. Usually, if you scroll to the bottom of the email (if you cannot deal with it, this is when you have a friend help), there will be a link you can click to unsubscribe to the emails, or an instructions to stop the emails. This is usually the fastest and easiest way to stop the email clutter. 
6. Sign up for do no call/do not mail services. Just like with telemarketers or other direct mail problems, you can register your phone number or address so that you will not receive calls or mail about baby stuff. Here are a few places to get registered:
• DMAchoice will register your name and address so you will stop receiving direct mail for baby items. Go to DMAchoice.org
• National Do Not Call Registry will not only stop baby related calls but all telemarketing calls. Go to National Do Not Call Registry
• For the UK, there is a service especially for stopping baby related mail. Go to Baby Mail Preference Service  

 I know once I took all of these steps, I do not receive anything baby related anymore. I hope you find this helpful to stop the mail from mocking you daily because I know for me it made my mailbox tolerable again.