After a pregnancy loss, deciding if and when you will get pregnant again can be a big decision. Preconception counseling can really help you prepare physically and mentally for another pregnancy. Did you know that you have choices even before conception that may help you to have a healthy pregnancy? Before your conception, be sure [...]
The Australian government released their Report on Stillbirth Research and Education last month. It is a lengthy document, with 187 pages of research summaries, testimonies, and recommendations. The goal? To reduce the number of stillbirths and improve care to women and their families when they experience a stillbirth. While there was no specific focus on [...]
Supporting someone who is bereaved can be incredibly challenging—a different kind of challenging from managing the grief. Most people feel ill-equiped to be around someone else that is grieving. It makes them feel awkward and helpless (two feelings that human beings don’t do particularly well with). Automatically, their nurturing instinct kicks in with the drive [...]
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the role of gender in our society. In some cultures, gender is constructed as far more fluid than it is in the mainstream United States, where it tends to be seen as existing as a binary (either male or female). This blog has explored the meaning of gender [...]
I had a blighted ovum. What the heck is that anyway? This isn’t actually a medical term, but is used commonly to describe what happens when sperm meets egg and…nothing. A little egg sac develops, but nothing inside. I can’t say it was a baby, because it most definitely wasn’t. No heartbeat. No growth. Nothing [...]
I met a nice woman recently while I was on vacation and we chatted about our lives. When I told her what I do for a living—working with people who are suffering from infertility and pregnancy loss—she told me declaratively that stillbirth doesn’t happen anymore. I corrected her and told her that grieving women and [...]
When I first meet a client who is pregnant I am prepared to hear about their discomfort, nausea, fears about labor, and worries about the baby’s development. When I meet a client who is newly pregnant after a loss, I am also prepared to hear about guilt. There is often guilt about having wanted to [...]
Photo by Julie Johnson on Unsplash Everyone knows that stress affects the body. And being a rainbow parent adds a whole new dimension to fears and worries. Stress can affect your sleep, digestion, headaches, motivation, and mental health conditions. Stress lowers your immunity and makes challenging daily situations more intense. Pregnancy and bringing your newborn home [...]
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 [...]
