Grief and Happiness Can Coexist (Jackie)

Christine has been pregnant 5 times in the past 4 years, but three of those pregnancies ended in a devastating loss. She tells her story while capturing real and honest emotions that come with pregnancy after loss, processing a loss, and parenting after loss. She shares her experience with her son Liam, who was diagnosed with irreparable illnesses in utero, making him incompatible with life and forcing Christine into a medical termination at 18 weeks.

Jen Marr is the Founder and CEO of Inspiring Comfort, and author of Showing Up: A Comprehensive Guide to Comfort and Connection. I am so honored to have Jen as a guest, as she lends her expertise to offer guidance on how to show up and comfort the people in your life who have experienced a trauma or devastation such as a pregnancy loss. She talks through the importance of knowing how to act on your feeling of empathy as it relates to ultrasound technicians, employers, and the people who surround those suffering a loss. Jen's book is available now. Click here to get your copy.

Courtney lost her son Luca at 23 weeks pregnant due to his life-threatening diagnoses of Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Courtney's powerful outlook on her devastating experience is nothing short of inspiring. She talks through how she aimed to find the beauty throughout the trauma, and shares essential tips and resources for how to prepare for the immediate aftermath of a loss.

Annette details her harrowing history of recurring pregnancy loss. She relives the trauma of waking up from anesthesia after an emergency surgery to learn her baby had died and she'd lost her uterus. She talks about her resilience and how she hasn't given up on her journey to welcoming another baby into the world, which she hopes to pursue through surrogacy.

Aaron shares his journey with infertility and pregnancy loss, having experienced several failed embryo transfers with his wife after multiple IVF cycles. He discusses the gender inequity that's present and how he approached his role as the non-birthing partner to ensure his wife felt the support she needed, while also navigating his own emotions. Aaron expresses his disappointment with the current bar that's set for men and how he feels there's a great opportunity to improve.

Sky takes me through her history of recurring loss and details the trauma of losing her daughter, Lennox, to a medical termination in her second trimester, due to significant brain abnormalities. She talks about the importance of giving yourself a chance to grieve, and how she's channeled her grief into writing a book and hosting a support group to help others who have suffered from similar experiences.

Arielle has had to relive her nightmare time and time again. She and her husband are both carriers for a rare genetic disorder known as Tay Sachs, leading to a 25% chance that both of them would pass the gene down to their child which would cause the child to be incompatible with life. The odds, however, were not in their favor, as 75% of their pregnancies resulted in a baby with Tay Sachs and, ultimately, a medical termination. They turned to IVF to increase their chances of having a healthy baby, but that road hasn't been easy either, as Arielle has suffered two miscarriages after successful implantations. As she tries to make sense of the cruel, unfair hand she's been dealt, she's doing her best to show up as a mom to her healthy 3-year-old daughter while also trying to come to terms with the idea that her family of 3 that she hoped to continue to grow may actually be complete. Join our community on Instagram

Ash from Darwin, Australia has suffered 5 pregnancy losses in just two years. Two of these losses were due to partial molar pregnancies. The chance of experiencing a partial molar is just 1 in 1200, and the grim diagnosis can progress to become dangerous and cancerous. Ash and her partner are navigating the recurring grief while also showing up for their 4-year-old daughter, who yearns for a baby brother or sister. 

Annie relives the devastating heartbreak of experiencing back-to-back miscarriages. She identifies a major flaw in our education system that forces people to navigate pregnancy loss blindly, and talks about the psychological pressures that women face when preparing their bodies for gestation. Join our community on Instagram

Jackie shares her story of losing her son, Richard, during pre-term labor at nearly 35 weeks, due to a fetal maternal hemorrhage. She describes the unfortunate mishandling of her treatment and the shock and trauma of waking up from (non-consented) anesthesia to learn her baby had died. Jackie shares the beautiful and inspiring ways she honors Richard, and how she's channeling her energy into advocacy and giving a voice to others in similar situations.