You probably saw the headlines, and if you’re a mom pregnant after loss in the US, (or any pregnant mom really!) they probably frightened you. USA Today did an investigative reporting piece on why the maternal mortality rate in the US is so high. The disturbing news is that approximately 700 women in the United [...]
Photo by Danielle MacInnes on Unsplash After a miscarriage or stillbirth the body grieves. There is the emotional and spiritual pain of loss as well as living in a no-longer pregnant body. Depending on the length of the pregnancy the reflection in the mirror may appear suspended between being pregnant and not being pregnant. Caring for [...]
Photo by Echo Grid on Unsplash When people hear that newborns sleep between 16-18 hours a day, there is a common misconception that this occurs all at once, or in longer chunks than the realistic 2-3 hours (maybe once a day a stretch of 4 hours, if you’re lucky!). There is the idea that postpartum is [...]
Do you have a partner yet feel alone in your pregnancy after loss journey? I have met so many wonderful, caring partners. There are men and women who attend my support group alongside loss mamas, and it’s clear by their presence that they want to support their partners in a very real way. And, yet, [...]
Photo by Francois Pistorius on Unsplash Losing a baby is never easy. However, remembering the baby can be just as intense. It is not uncommon for families to struggle to find ways to honor their little one’s memory on their annual anniversary. Here are a list of suggestions that appear to have worked [...]
In my support group for women who have terminated pregnancies for a medical reason (TFMR) we often talk about managing triggers, which include difficult questions from others. In a new pregnancy after loss, there are landmines everywhere. It would be impossible to avoid all of them unless you never left your house, but even then [...]
Recently, I was listening to Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle. This woman has been through a heck of a lot, mostly self-inflicted, but I will give her a lot of credit for having the courage to heal through the haze and pain of her own life. I was listening to the book and I almost [...]
Giving birth has nothing to do with pushing. It is not about the pain. I️t is not about the contractions. It is not about the birth location or the birth team. Giving birth is about GIVING. In pregnancy the mother GIVES. She does whatever is necessary to keep her baby healthy. In birth, she does [...]
You made it! You delivered a healthy baby that is living and breathing in your arms after a previous loss. You never thought you would get here as the road was long (or at least felt that way). With this tangible joy that you hold, you take a breath and are grateful that finally, your [...]
It should probably come as no surprise that women in pregnancy after loss (PAL) have higher rates of anxiety and depression during their pregnancy than women who’ve never been pregnant before or women who have never had pregnancy loss. There’s been plenty of research that about 20-25% of women in PAL have anxiety, and another [...]
