Birth Ease Loss Support

This time of year can bring a sense of magic and joy and at the same time, the holidays can also bring feelings of overwhelm and stress.  Michelle shares this special holiday guided meditation which is designed to help release the stress and strain you may be feeling and gain a sense of clarity regarding what you value in your life as you prepare to enter the New Year.  As a gentle reminder: this guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during pregnancy, birth, postpartum, or beyond. Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation while engaging in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are the passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone's safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle. Connect with Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Pregnancy and infant loss can often be the first experience of grief that parents face. Because we live in grief illiterate culture, we often lack the experience and knowledge of what is normal and expected as someone grieves and mourns. Education helps to provide a roadmap through the rocky terrain of grief. Michelle shares the different types of grief bereaved parents can experience such as disenfranchised, traumatic, ambiguous, cumulative, and delayed grief. Resource: www.grief.comConnect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

As a Certified Grief Educator with David Kessler and Grief.com, Michelle explains the Five Stages of Grief™️- denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance as well as the sixth stage- meaning through the lens of pregnancy and infant loss. She shares that unfortunately over the years the 5 Stages of Grief™️ have been misinterpreted by many, including mental health professionals. These six stages reflect where we are in our journey of grief at any given moment. They are about change we do not want. The stages are unconscious and natural responses to loss. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross explicitly stated that the stages “are not stops on some linear timeline in grief."  Not everyone goes through all of them or in a prescribed order. Everyone's grief is unique.  These stages can provide a roadmap for grief's rocky terrain and help us to be better equipped to cope with life and loss. Michelle invites you to also listen to Season 1 Episode 3 for an overview of the Four Phases of Bereavement for Baby Loss.Resource: https://grief.com/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithHolding Space for Pregnancy Loss Training:  birtheseservices.com/training-for-professionalsThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.  

Michele Benyo, founder of Good Grief Parenting shares with Michelle the 4 keys for parents with young children navigating perinatal loss. These 4 keys are self-care, accurate words describing death, inviting conversation, and honoring child-sized grief. She also explains why we need to avoid telling children euphemisms such as “He went to sleep.” or vague words such as ‘gone' or ‘passed' when explaining that someone has died. Dead and died have a very specific meaning and those are the only words that accurately tell children what happened. Young children won't understand death, but they still have the accurate word and they are going to grow into that understanding. She also explains why it is important to tell children in an age-appropriate way about the death in an honest and accurate way without too many details. Parents can follow the child's lead if they ask to know more. Michele also shares that children can internalize 4 messages when they lose a sibling: I don't understand, I hurt inside,  I don't belong, and I am not enough. She provides tips to help parents grief with their child in healthy ways. "I just think that when we are a bereaved parent and we have other young children to raise, we are being asked to do two of the hardest things we'll ever have to do in our lives at the same time. And that is to grief a loved one which is such hard work and parent a young child in those formative early childhood years."—Michele Benyo About Michele: Michele Benyo is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, parent mentor, and founder of Good Grief Parenting, whose purpose is to support parents who are raising young bereaved siblings after child loss. Her mission is to be a voice for the youngest of grievers and to help parents nurture and understand the unique needs of children who have lost a sibling in early childhood.When Michele's six-year-old son died of cancer, her daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." She was just 3 1/2 years old. Even though Michele was teaching early childhood parenting classes and had a Masters in early childhood education, she didn't know how best to help her daughter. This inspired her to become the support she had needed most during that time so that parents like her wouldn't have to go it alone. She's spent more than 20 years learning all she can about early childhood sibling loss, its lifelong impact on the surviving sibling, and how parents can help their bereaved child grow up whole and happy.Michele equips parents with tools to help their family heal after child loss, to foster hope, and to build resilience. Parents who work with Michele tap into their own wisdom and gain the insights, skills, and confidence to live forward toward a future bright with possibilities and joy. Connect with Michele Benyo: Website: https://goodgriefparenting.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/goodgriefparentingLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelebenyo/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/goodgriefparenting/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Anna Humphreys, co-director of Calm Birth, and Michelle explain the last practice in this series of 3 meditations for healing during or after an abortion. This meditation, Renew, is based on the practice of Giving and Receiving, a practice from ancient wisdom. It is tong len, compassionate breathing, applied to the ending of a pregnancy. It's a practice of breathing healing for self and others.  Please note, when practicing compassionate breathing, we are breathing in the awareness of challenges or suffering (our own or others) without taking in the suffering and exhaling an intention for peace, healing, or compassion, etc. towards ourselves or others.  “I believe that there is a subtle, but profound, effect when we do direct our attention and our intention toward healing ourselves and others.” -Anna HumphreysFor those of us at Calm Birth meditation that have been working on this Calm Abortion project, it is our hope that these meditations help to invite healing for whoever chooses to listen, no matter how long ago they experienced an abortion for any reason or circumstance.Learn more about the Calm Abortion meditations at Instagram @calmabortion   and  Facebook @calmabortion Learn more about the practice of Tonglen:Pema Chödrön : Tonglen Meditation Resources: ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Statement on Abortion BansWorld Health Organization's statement on abortionEvidence Based Birth: Abortion Research Resource GuideGrief After Abortion: healing from unspoken loss  

Anna Humphreys, the co-director of Calm Birth, shares why this project of healing meditations for abortion is essential.  Restore, the second meditation in the series is based on the practice of opening, a healing progressive relaxation meditation. The method is based on Progressive Relaxation techniques developed by Edmund Jacobson, M.D., at the Harvard Medical School and the University of Chicago Medical School in the 1920s and 1930s. A wide range of medical problems were successfully treated by healing corresponding problems in the nervous system. The method was then further developed in the University of Massachusetts Medical Center's medicine/meditation program beginning in 1979. The body responds to stress with muscle tension, which can cause pain or discomfort. In turn, tense muscles relay to the body that it's stressed. That keeps the cycle of stress and muscle tension going. Progressive muscle relaxation helps break this cycle by reducing muscle tension and general mental anxiety.  This practice is useful for sleep and rest."I've seen abortions be incredibly difficult decisions for people whether it's something they know they want or their life circumstances didn't allow for a child at the time. Either way, it is a challenging physical experience to release a pregnancy and the healing is rarely honored. That's why I am so glad that we had this practice of progressive relaxation to draw from that I'm intimately familiar with from the Calm Birth program but that applies so well to recovering from an abortion, especially at a time when the female body is being increasingly commodified and criminalized. ...Abortion meditations won't fix the systemic problems that allow these laws to pass, but I think it's an important drop in the bucket. I also love that they're gender-inclusive, because we know abortion is non-binary. These meditations are for everyone, and I hope they reach anyone who could use some extra support."—Anna Humphreys For those of us at Calm Birth meditation that have been working on this Calm Abortion project, it is our hope that these meditations help to invite healing for whoever chooses to listen, no matter how long ago they experienced an abortion for any reason or circumstance.Learn more about the Calm Abortion meditations at Instagram @calmabortion   and  Facebook @calmabortionResources:ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Statement on Abortion BansWorld Health Organization's statement on abortionEvidence Based Birth: Abortion Research Resource GuideGrief After Abortion: healing from unspoken loss 

Michelle shares the first of 3 meditations intended for healing during or after an abortion. This first meditation, Connect, is based on the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Vase Breathing or Complete  Breathing.  It's an invitation to tune into the body, recognize the tendencies of the mind, and release unwanted or intrusive thoughts. It teaches the listener to return to their breath when their thoughts are not serving them. The benefits of this meditation extend beyond healing after an abortion.  This type of breathing helps with anxiety, depression, managing stress, improving focus, better sleep, and faster recovery from exercise or exertion. Slow breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, also called the “rest and digest” system. It activates the vagus nerve which oversees things like mood, digestion, and heart rate. It will also send more oxygen to the brain and other organs.  This practice is meant to be used throughout life.For those of us at Calm Birth meditation that have been working on this Calm Abortion project, it is our hope that these meditations help to invite healing for whoever chooses to listen, no matter how long ago they experienced an abortion for any reason or circumstance."Abortion is the medical term for the ending of a pregnancy, whether that is a spontaneous miscarriage or medically induced. This term encompasses the termination of all pregnancies. I realize and want to acknowledge that even the term abortion can be quite triggering, especially for someone that has experienced pregnancy and infant loss. And, in my experience of working in the perinatal field for over 20 years and holding a space for grief and trauma with my clients, the ending of a pregnancy has never been taken lightly. I carry their stories with me. Stories of relief, ectopic pregnancy, forced abortion, intense grief and pain when their baby in the womb will not live once they are born and/or will be living in extreme pain for their short life, twin to twin transfer, a mixture of sadness and relief when ending a pregnancy they were unprepared or happened at a difficult time in their life, guilt and shame, feelings of not deserving the baby they are now pregnant with, the belief that they had a miscarriage because they terminated a pregnancy, the decision to end a wanted pregnancy because their partner is abusive and she needs to leave the relationship before she and her other child are killed. Abortion is a part of perinatal loss and bereavement.  And as Sunni has shared in our episodes, adoption is not an easy answer or quick fix. There are so many vulnerable and intimate stories that I have been entrusted with and honor fully. "—MichelleLearn more about the Calm Abortion meditations at Instagram @calmabortion  and  Facebook @calmabortionResources:ACOG (The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists) Statement on Abortion BansWorld Health Organization's statement on abortionEvidence Based Birth: Abortion Research Resource GuideGrief After Abortion: healing from unspoken loss 

Ann Pearson  and author Margaret Scofield  share with Michelle  the story behind the much-needed book  I Love You Still: A Memorial Baby Book which was inspired by the loss of Ann's daughter, Riley, due to miscarriage. I Love You Still is a first-of-its-kind baby memory book made for moms experiencing a miscarriage, stillbirth, or newborn loss- no matter how long ago that loss took place. It is a treasured keepsake to create a tangible way to document  and honor the baby's life, no matter how brief. Margaret explains the obstacles that were holding her book—and other books on perinatal bereavement—back from mainstream publication. Shockingly, there is not a literary categorization code (both medical and popular) on the topic of perinatal loss.  These codes are the system through which all print and digital materials are categorized. The BISAC codes list is the preeminent literary categorization tool that is used to organize everything from online search results to bookstore layouts. About Margaret & Ann:Author Margaret Scofield created I Love You Still: A Memorial Baby Book—a first-of-its-kind baby memory book made for moms experiencing pregnancy and infant loss—after her friend Ann Pearson lost her daughter, Riley, due to miscarriage. In 2019, a local news story about the book quickly spread across mainstream outlets such as NBC, CBS, FOX, TODAY, MSN, People Magazine, and HuffPost. Yet, Margaret struggled to find a publisher because her book didn't “fit an existing genre.” After selling out in 3 days at the #2 spot on the Amazon Best Seller List, landing on the shelves of all major US retailers, and shipping to over 30 countries, Margaret decided to find out exactly what was holding her book—and other books on perinatal bereavement—back from mainstream publication. Now, Margaret is on a mission to change the literary landscape for loss moms by 2023—but she needs our help. Margaret is joined today by her friend and inspiration for the book, Ann Pearson. Ann discusses the events and emotions connected to her pregnancy with Riley, and the role Margaret's book has played in her grief journey. The two friends now come together to raise awareness for the missing literary categorization for all books (both medical and popular) on the topic of perinatal loss. The system through which all print and digital materials are categorized is called the BISAC codes list: as the preeminent literary categorization tool, this list is used to organize everything from online search results to bookstore layouts. However, in 2022, there is still no categorization for books about miscarriage or perinatal bereavement. That means there is no central spot wherein these resources are compiled—it also means that those looking to provide them are turned away at a much higher rate. Margaret now asks for our help to change that by reaching out directly to BISG, the organization responsible for voting on changes to the BISAC literary codes list each year. Help Add a BISAC code for Perinatal BereavementThe link to the BISG's full Subject Headings list (with a link to the Contact Form) can be found here: https://bisg.org/page/BISACEditionThe direct link to the Contact Form can be found here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/K9CH9MD Connect with Margaret: Instagram: @iloveyoustillbook Website: https://www.iloveyoustillbook.com/Email: margaret@iloveyoustillbook.com Connect with  Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Drawing upon her experience as an OB/GYN and as a mother that has felt the sorrow of pregnancy loss, Dr. I. Cori Baill shares with Michelle the journey of writing her beautiful and much-needed book, Why is Mommy Crying-explaining early pregnancy loss to young children.  Dr. Baill provides suggestions and guidelines when experiencing a miscarriage. She reminds grieving parents of the importance of not blaming themselves and or feeling shame regarding their miscarriage, doing their best to overlook the well-meaning but often hurtful things that people can say, and remembering they are not alone in this experience. So many others have experienced baby loss, as well. As a professor, Dr. Baill is working to instill the skills of humanity, empathy, and compassionate care in the next generation of physicians. "There is just too much silence about miscarriage. Women have grieved way too long in silence and have been told, 'You'll get over it, just move on.' And, I don't think that's the appropriate message. We should have the time, and the permission and the support to grieve the loss of a pregnancy." —Dr.  Cori Baill About the Book:This beautifully illustrated story helps recipients as young as three years of age. Written by an experienced physician, Why is Mommy Crying -explaining early pregnancy loss to young children comforts in the context of family and the larger universe.  The young protagonist, Max, using his imagination, and accompanied by his stuffed animal, Mink, begins to understand what has made his mother sad. His imagery and ideas offer a gentle springboard to discuss broader concepts surrounding grief and recovery, including religion. Why is Mommy Crying -explaining early pregnancy loss to young children helps to end the all too pervasive silence surrounding miscarriage. This inclusive book offers age-appropriate comfort, consolation, and reassurance. Its themes are universal and non-denominational.   Connect with Dr. Baill:Twitter:  @wimcbookInstagram @wimcbookFacebook: @whyismommycrying About Dr. Baill:I. Cori Baill, MD is a board-certified OB/GYN. She completed her OB/GYN residency at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institute, then practiced for many years. She is now a Professor at the University of Central Florida, College of Medicine. In addition to many years of caring for women and their families, she is an award-winning short story author and the mother of two.  She hopes that Why is Mommy Crying? comforts those who have known the grief of miscarriage, especially the family's youngest members.  About the Illustrator:Heather Bell, SCWBI illustrator, https://heatherbellbooks.com, added immeasurably to this project.  She holds BFA in Painting from the Kansas City Art Institute, is a member of SCBWI, a participant in the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, and a Children's Book Academy graduate. When not illustrating and writing, she searches out story ideas as an undercover school bus driver. Heather Bell is an author/illustrator represented by Kaitlyn Sanchez at Olswanger Literary Agency. Connect with Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Laura LaBelle and Michelle discuss how children are often overlooked as grievers when death and loss occur. They remind us when death and loss occur children are learning how to manage their grief and that they must adjust to a new identity that this loss brings. Laura stresses the importance of conversation and creating an empathetic space where pain can be absorbed. Laura provides tips for communication and helping kids to process their grief such as memory jars, breath and grounding exercises, models of grief, observing how animals grieve, discussions about grief and playing out scenarios, and involving the deceased by creating traditions that remind the bereaved it is ok to still talk about that person. They explain why it is vital for adults to become more comfortable with death and grief. Laura also shares signs to look for regarding if a child is having difficulty coping with the loss.  "It's a heightened, heightened, heightened anxious time.  And so, oftentimes we don't say anything to kids right away. But they know something is up. They feel it. They can feel it. We think we are hiding it and it's like NO. No one's hiding anything other than the fact that we all see that everyone's kinda freaked out right now. Like nobody knows what to do."—Laura LaBelle  Resources:The Invisible StringTenth Good Thing About Barney Why is Mommy Crying? -explaining early pregnancy loss to young childrenBambi IIBereavement Reactions of Children and Young People By Age Group:https://www.kidshealth.org.nz/bereavement-reactions-children-young-people-age-groupSesame Street:https://sesamestreetincommunities.org/topics/grief/Dougy Center:https://www.dougy.org/grief-support-resources/kidsNew Hope for Kids:https://newhopeforkids.org/Children's Grief  Center:https://childrensgrief.org/ National Alliance for Children's Grief:https://childrengrieve.org/ About Laura:Laura LaBelle holds a Doctorate degree from the University of San Francisco in Education, Organizational Leadership, and has worked extensively with relocated people groups in varying parts of the world who have been displaced by their governments, war, and history of colonization. Over the last 20 years, Laura has been a credentialed teacher working in K12 education as an educator, mentor, and consultant including working with students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Laura frequently consults with groups to create curriculum, experiences, and gatherings on a variety of topics they need help organizing and implementing. Laura is the owner of Life Shifts Companion working as a full spectrum doula, 1:1 companion, support group leader, speaker, and workshop/retreat facilitator. Much of their time is focused in the realm of working in a trauma-informed manner with the birthing, the dying, and those who find themselves in the midst of life changes. High interests are exploring healthy ways of mourning and grieving, and helping those experiencing perinatal loss. Laura's background with kids and loss began in middle school as a hospital volunteer filling in on the children's floor in the playroom. Eventually, as a teacher in a high needs, short personnel funded area, Laura gained much experience in the moment often during science when children who'd experienced intense loss would boldly ask questions about how those life cycle lessons connected to the loss of their family members. Learning to navigate those conversations and not leave the students fearful or questioning their familial beliefs, proved to be some of the most important lessons Laura learned. While teaching, Laura began to volunteer with the sick and dying and returned in part to the children's floor at the hospital they first experienced grief and children. Laura has since worked throughout Thailand and Lao PDR with relocated people groups, often finding themselves listening to the stories told by the traumatized women and children regarding unbearable pain and loss. These relationships that still exist are part of the foundational belief that what people want, including children, is someone to listen, create and hold space, to just be with—a companion. Today, Laura runs a sibling grief group for kiddos who have lost a sibling, and conducts workshops on similar topics. A long term goal of Laura's is to help communities create public mourning spaces to help normalize our relationships to grief and death. Laura feels deeply that this is one way to help us contextualize and manage our collective grief as a nation, while helping to address our fearful attitudes toward death and grief so that we may truly begin to heal and live. Laura is committed to working with people who have experienced discrimination, trauma and/or loss due to some aspect of identity such as  gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and religion. They have created numerous educational products, and have trained professionals for close to two decades.  Connect with Laura:Website:  www.lifeshiftscompanion.comTikTok: @Let'sTokAboutDeath Instagram:  @spaceforgrief,  Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Mother's Day can be quite painful for those who have lost their mom or for those that have struggled to become pregnant, experienced pregnancy and infant loss, or the death of a child. For many, the day may bring feelings of sadness, isolation, loneliness, unworthiness, and pain. They may feel left out and forgotten on Mother's Day. Michelle provides a brief history of Mother's Day and the creation of International Bereaved Mother's Day in 2010 by Carly Marie Dudley after the loss of her stillborn son, Christian. Many in the baby loss community have embraced this day and events have been designed around it such as this year's 3rd Annual Bereaved Mother's Day Conference - A Healing Collective, on May 1, 2022, which is available online.  Yet, just as each person's journey of grief is as unique as their fingerprint, it is understandable that International Bereaved mothers day would bring up differing feelings for parents that have experienced the unfathomable loss of their baby or child. The beautiful thing is that as International Bereaved Mother's Day becomes more recognized, mothers and families can honor one or both days in the way that is best for them, even varying it year by year. Michelle shares tips to support someone that is grieving their child on both Mother's Day and Bereaved Mother's Day. Michelle closes this episode with a short meditation for Bereaved Mother's Day.  References:https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-52589173https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/mothers-day#:~:text=The%20official%20Mother's%20Day%20holiday,mothers%20made%20for%20their%20children.https://stillstandingmag.com/2016/06/02/international-bereaved-mothers-day/https://www.gpshope.org/know-sunday-may-6-international-bereaved-mothers-day/https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.org/can-we-talk-about-bereaved-mothers-day-and-mothers-day/https://www.joincake.com/blog/bereaved-mothers-day/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.  

Michelle and Sunni VonMutius discuss a type of pregnancy and infant loss in which the grief and loss may go largely unacknowledged: that of placing a baby for adoption. Sunni shares her experience of becoming pregnant as a teenager and placing her son for adoption. Together they explore how the pregnancy and birth of her second child 20 years later has brought renewed grief along with the joy. In the sharing of her story, Sunni wants to support other birth parents and remind them that all of their feelings and emotions are valid and are to be honored. "But that's another way in which we're kinda forced as birth moms to… it never really goes away. It's always there.  And I know not every birth mom has lots of feelings about it. Some people have done the healing work, and like, they're very complete about it. And there's others like me, that is always there for them. But we don't get to just forget it happened, even if we want to."— Sunni VonMutius Connect with Sunni:Website: www.wildflowerstrategy.com"But that's another way in which we're kinda forced as birth moms to… it never really goes away. It's always there.  And I know not every birth mom has lots of feelings about it. Some people have done the healing work, and like, they're very complete about it. And there's others like me, that is always there for them. But we don't get to just forget it happened, even if we want to."— Sunni VonMutius Connect with Sunni:Website: www.wildflowerstrategy.com Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.  

When we are facing the loss of a baby, it isn't unusual to question one's faith. All the truths that we thought we believed can feel like a lie. We may even feel abandoned or punished by God. When grieving, reminders of God's Word can soothe the emotions and thoughts surging through our hearts and minds and relax our grief-weary bodies. For this last episode of Season 1, Michelle has recorded Bible verses for bereaved parents seeking comfort within scripture.And while this first season has ended, please follow and/or subscribe to the podcast to stay abreast of new episodes. It is Michelle's intention to release an episode approximately once a month.  Connect with Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle and her sister-in-law, Vicky, have a heart-to-heart conversation about Vicky's experience with breast cancer and the decision to enter into hospice care. Vicky shares some of the things that well-meaning folks may say to a cancer patient that can be quite hurtful or offensive. She also suggests relying on your faith, whatever that might be, and trying to keep a sense of humor when faced with cancer. "And, I made the hardest decision of my life.  I always thought that going into Hospice was giving up. I thought I had to have a longer life.  The quantity of life to spend with my family. What I didn't realize is that I also need to think of myself and my quality of life." —Vicky Kramer Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.  

In this very personal episode, Michelle and Susan Dascenzi, Licensed Psychotherapist, discuss the implications of the pandemic as it relates to grief and loss. While this episode was originally recorded in September 2020, Susan's wisdom regarding the journey of grief is just as relevant now especially for those grieving the loss of a baby or a loved one. Their conversation explores the multitude of losses the pandemic has brought us globally. Together they dig deep into the places where we may not even realize the amount of grief and loss we are experiencing due to the pandemic, where we may be in grief overload, and tips to walk with grief. Susan explains the differences between emotions and feelings and what can happen if we push our feelings aside as we work to get back some normalcy. They discuss why people often can have a difficult time supporting someone that is grieving.  {This episode originally aired as  episode 57 on The Birth Ease Podcast.}“It's so many little pieces that we give insignificance to, but they all are a part of it.”—Susan DascenziAbout Susan Dascenzi: As a Licensed Psychotherapist and Spiritual and Emotional Resiliency Coach, Susan Dascenzi bridges the gap between the East and West, Heaven and Earth. She is an author, Speaker, and Podcast Host. Susan has invested the last 27 years in guiding her clients in recognizing how their past negative conditioning creates their present and future and stops them from stepping into their infinite possibilities. As a highly regarded human behavior and emotions expert, she has become known as “The Possibilities Curator,” and co-authored an Amazon Ranked #1 International Best-Selling book alongside Neale Donald Walsch and Marci Shimoff.Connect with Susan:Website:  https://www.susandascenzi.com/Facebook: Susan DascenziTwitter: susandascenziInstagram: @sdascenzi1LinkedIn:  Susan DascenziPodcasts:  The Spiritually Expressed Human    Kick Your Buts  

Michelle shares her heartfelt conversation with  Sarah L. Dickey, grief recovery specialist and fellow Calm Birth Teacher. Together they discuss the importance of holding space for the messiness of grief. "What if we created ways in which we trusted our ability to grieve?"— Sarah L. Dickey  About Sarah L. Dickey:Hi friends, it's Sarah. I seek to create sacred, intuitive space for other women to embrace the evolution that life is. My hope is, the breakthroughs you experience are missing stepping stones to guide you gently through life's unique journey.My specialties have been developed over the last 10 years working with those looking to heal and grow. The variety of specialties I have pursued allows me a vast selection of resources I can pull from to provide the guidance women need to heal and grow, no matter what stage of life they are in.My Specialties: Pre & Perinatal Support, Birth Psychology, SSP Practitioner, IVF & Pregnancy Loss, Personal Transformation Sessions, Grief, Birth Imprints, Personal Birth Empowerment Sessions, Calm Birth Meditation for Pregnancy & Childbirth Support, Advanced Heart Centered Hypnosis, SSP Practitioner, Educational Seminars, and Workshops.Feedback from women who have been in a session with me seems to always include that they were offered a chance to experience something new about themselves—a deeper sense of connection to their knowledge, of slowing down enough to feel what needs to be felt, and discernment to inhabit their lives in new and empowered ways. This feedback guides my practice and encourages growth in myself continuously. I love supporting the evolving woman at every stage of her journey. From birthing a new life to birthing a baby, it is a joy to be on this journey! Big Love— Sarah  Contact Sarah:Email: Sarah@sarahldickey.comWebsite:  www.sarahldickey.comInstagram:  @sarahsouldoulaPublished Author:  Ode to Love,  Sweetly Seeking, Seasons: 31 Heart Offerings, Holding: The Conscious Art of Embracing Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle is a certified Calm Birth Teacher. She explains the Calm Birth  meditation practices and shares samples of the audio guides the organization designed for pregnancy and infant loss. "The loss of a pregnancy or infant is an incredibly common heartbreak. Yet, we are given so few opportunities to grieve a loss that is often invisible to those around us. Calm Birth for Pregnancy and Infant Loss presents an opportunity to move through emotions and to send life on its way with love. If someone you know has lost a pregnancy or infant, this can be a beautiful way of supporting them through this journey. If you lost a pregnancy or infant recently, or in the past, please use these audioguides for healing and moving about life changed but still whole."—Calm BirthResources:Calm Birth Meditations for Pregnancy Loss https://www.calmbirth.org/audioguidesProgressive Relaxation for Grief: https://www.futurity.org/grief-progressive-muscle-relaxation-2617232TONGLEN MEDITATION by Pema Chödrön: https://youtu.be/QwqlurCvXuM Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Since this episode airs on New Year's Eve, Michelle has created a healing meditation as we close out 2021 and enter into the New Year 2022. This meditation can be used anytime to release the heaviness of stress, strain, and grief. It is also useful for those times when you may feel triggered, especially by someone's insensitive remarks or a difficult situation. As a gentle reminder, this guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during bereavement or beyond. Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation recording while engaged in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are a passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone's safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle. In Need of Support? Connect with Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief.

Stephanie Smith, E-RYT, PRYT shares with Michelle how meditation and her yoga practice helped her to work through the grief, guilt, and fear of infertility, difficult pregnancies, and miscarriages. Together they discuss how pregnancy loss can shake one's faith, how unaddressed grief can impact us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spirituality, and the importance of finding support and practicing self-compassion. "The doctor pulls up the ultrasound and there's no heartbeat. And, it's one of those things where you are just kinda sitting and you are so excited. And to hear that silence in that room, there's… there's not a way to describe that silence."—Stephanie SmithResources:Calm Birth Meditations for Pregnancy Loss https://www.calmbirth.org/audioguidesAbout Stephanie Smith, E-RYT, PRYT:Stephanie is an Orlando based Yoga Instructor specializing in Pre and Postnatal Yoga. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Central Florida and is an E-RYT, PRYT Yoga Teacher with Yoga Alliance. Her love of Yoga and travel has taken her to Thailand numerous times where she has had the privilege of studying Yoga extensively at Centered Yoga. As a mother herself, Stephanie has an understanding of how the Yoga practice evolves both during pregnancy and postpartum. She strives to create an environment of support for fellow Mothers to know that they are not alone on the beautiful, yet sometimes rocky, journey that is Motherhood.  Connect with Stephanie Smith:  Instagram: @thetravelingyoginiFacebook: Stephanie Smith https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100003339931011 Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Tammy candidly shares her unexpectedly difficult journey to become pregnant. In her sharing, she provides the insights she gleaned as she worked with her obstetricians, reproductive endocrinologists, fertility specialists, registered dietitians, acupuncture physicians, her extensive research regarding her own fertility, and the importance of advocating for yourself. Tammy remembers the sinking feeling she got each time she got a negative pregnancy test each month, the grief and trauma of miscarriage, and the self-blame that infertility and pregnancy loss often brings. Tammy also shares with Michelle how her faith and maintaining hope lead to the miracles of her children.  "It is very intense and you go through a lot of grief. And yet, when you have a loss a lot of times it's kinda like, "Well, you know, a lot of people have miscarriages," is sometimes the attitude. And sometimes you are made to feel like it's not okay to grieve. And it is.  It's important to grieve. And it's important to recognize that life. I mean you are entitled to have those feelings. You deserve to feel those feelings and to get the support that you need during your journey."—Tammy SchaufConnect with Tammy:Email: tamaraschauf@gmail.com Tammy's Resources: Dr. Milton McNichol of Fertility Center of Orlandohttps://www.adventhealth.com/find-doctor/doctor/d-ashley-hill-md-1336164326  Dr. Angela Mazza, endocrinologist Dr. Fiona McCulloch of White Lotus Integrative Medicine in CanadaDr. Yin, Acupuncture PhysicianAngela Grassi of the PCOS Nutrition Center in Wayne, PAhttps://www.shadygrovefertility.com/resources/educational-resources/articles/monitoring-infertility-treatmenthttps://www.fertilityauthority.com/blogger/cathy-carlson-rink/2011/06/02/iron-and-fertilityhttp://margaretwertheimrd.com/vitamin-d-fertility-vitamin/https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22459633 Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Dr. Ankita Marjadi openly shares with Michelle how her book  "Knock, Knock, Let's Talk" was born during her second pregnancy as she searched for a way to lessen the fear and stress that threatened to consume her after losing her first child to stillbirth. This sweet book, which can be used at any time to receive a dose of motivation and positivity, is the achievement closest to her heart. We all need a guide to help us stay in a more positive and peaceful space for ourselves and our babies. Dr. Ankita Marjadi's book, "Knock, Knock, Let's Talk" is just that. This beautiful resource is for all expecting mothers. It is designed to reduce the fear and anxiety a mother may be experiencing during her pregnancy and to enhance bonding with the baby in her womb. It acts as an uplifting guide for mom during each week of her pregnancy and provides a passage to be read to the baby that teaches a virtue such as kindness, happiness, and honesty.  It also includes a space for journaling and sharing a mother's own thoughts and dreams with her baby.  {This episode originally aired as episode 21 on The Birth Ease Podcast.}“I conceived again with my rainbow baby and anxiety took toll right from the first day of seeing those 2 pink lines. As each day went on I was super anxious. Then I consciously realized that this anxiety is going harm my health and my baby's health. This anxiety is not right for me. This anxiety is going to create problems.”— Ankita Marjadi About Dr.Ankita Sapan Marjadi:Dr. Marjadi, Co-founder of Arogyada Online Homeopathy Clinic, is a homeopath,  psychotherapist, author, entrepreneur, blogger, social activist, and a doting mother of two beautiful girls. She blogs on topics such as health, relationships, life, and its mysteries, happiness, parenting. As a motivational speaker, guides women about life after 40, how to take your health in your hands, how to keep your mental health good and As a certified child health practitioner,  I also try to educate children regarding good touch bad touch, menstrual hygiene, how to develop good eating habits in children. Dr. Marjadi is the pioneer of the Need to talk Initiative, Starting a Smile Mile will You Join Me, I Choose to Happy and Healthy through Homoeopathy. She is the author of the book, “ Knock Knock Let's Talk”  which is on positive thinking during pregnancy which has been the achievement which is very close to my heart. Connect with Dr. Ankita Marjadi: Websites www.ankitasmetanoia.inwww.arogyadaclinic.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ankitasmetanoia/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankita_sapan/The Amazon USA link for the book:https://www.amazon.com/Knock-Lets-Ankita-Sapan-Marjadi/dp/9353473454/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1579241186&sr=8-1 Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Isa Gucciardi provides insights from her over twenty-five years of experience in supporting the bereaved. She shares the initiations that women experience throughout their lifetime which include our own birth, puberty, menses, the first sexual experience with another person, giving birth, menopause, and death. Isa explains the Great Mother as a source of wisdom, creative intelligence, and nurturing that can bring comfort and healing into the journey and complexity of grief. Isa and Michelle also discuss holistic ways to support the grief process such as plants, herbal sprays, homeopathic remedies, and meditation. "Why should there be shame [when we lose a child]? But you know the thing is that shame, again what we are dealing with is a set of cultural constructs. All these expectations about women, about what women should be able to do, how they should feel, who they are as a mother and what mothers are and what you are supposed to fulfill as a mother.  All of these cultural constructs are what women are up against. And when they can't fulfill them, they turn on themselves and they align with that negative view."—Isa Gucciardi About Isa Gucciardi, PhD:Isa Gucciardi is the Founding Director and lead teacher of the Foundation of the Sacred Stream. The workshops and training programs of the Foundation are part of her larger vision for helping people who are interested in stepping into greater consciousness and leading happier lives. Her primary focus is on teaching, writing, and curriculum development. Isa is also the creator of the groundbreaking therapeutic model Depth Hypnosis, and the author of "Coming to Peace" and "The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation and the Sacred Feminine". Connect with Isa Gucciardi:Discount Code for The Great Mother Meditation: BIRTHEASE2Website: https://www.sacredstream.org/Email: info@sacredstream.orgFacebook:  @sacredstreamInstagram: @sacredstream-Grief and Loss Podcast-Space Clearing Spray 1, Space Clearing Spray 2, and Space Clearing Spray 3-Merging Meditation-Grief and Loss ClassPurchase the books:The New Return to the Great Mother: Birth, Initiation and the Sacred FeminineComing to Peace  Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Jasmine Katatikarn shares her almost 6 year long fertility journey. Together, Jasmine and Michelle discuss how difficult and lonely infertility can be for so many, the importance of advocating for yourself, as well as finding someone to talk to or a way to process and release the feelings and emotions such as grief, loss, guilt, and shame that often accompany infertility. Jasmine also explains when she was at the lowest point in her fertility journey, she decided to apply the creative and strategic mindset that she uses in her career as an artist. From this mindset she created The FREEdom Method Fertility Training which assists other women on their fertility journey by helping them to  Find their core values, Reframe their challenge, Explore creative solutions, and Execute their plan.  "That's also like another part of the fertility journey. It's this roller coaster. It's this emotional roller coaster of like ups and downs where you get completely deflated after, you know, a failed cycle. Because you have your hopes up, and then, the big thing about fertility is, and that is why people often say fertility warriors, is cause we have to pump ourselves back up. It is like, not only are you alone in your journey but like you go through these huge devastations. You can't wallow in it…because you have to keep up hope. And, it's hard."—Jasmine Katatikarn{This episode originally aired as number 063 on The Birth Ease Podcast}About Jasmine Katatikarn: Jasmine is a computer animation artist and certified life coach living in New York City. After nearly six years of trying to conceive, she was given the crippling news that she would have less than a 1% chance of having a biological child. At one of the lowest points in her life, Jasmine realized that she could begin to approach her fertility journey from the mindset she uses as an artist. A mindset that combines creative reframing, problem-solving, and action always to ensure forward movement.  Now a mom to two miracle children, Jasmine now teaches this same artist's mindset to help others find control in their fertility journey. She is the founder of The FREEdom Method fertility training which helps women release the emotions, stress, and pure exhaustion of their fertility journey easily by approaching it with a mindset of an artist so they can live a life where no obstacle will ever get in their way of being “happy.”  Jasmine has been featured on various fertility organizations like @wearerobyn, and @resolveorg during Infertility Awareness Week 2020. Book a Free 30-minute Strategy Call (limited availability): https://jazzkatat.com/call/FREE Fertility Training: https://bit.ly/FertilityTrainingInstagram: https://bit.ly/jazzkatat_InstagramYouTube: https://bit.ly/jazzkatatYouTube Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Nazli openly shares her story of motherhood, the trauma she endured from her cesareans with the births of boys, and grief of her miscarriages. As a linguist, Nazli and Michelle reflect upon how the language and culture around women's bodies strip women of their power creating the guilt, shame, self-blame, silencing and the accompanying loneliness that so many women experience. Together they discuss transformative power and the personal nature of birth, loss, motherhood, and the exploration of our emotions as women. "How am I going to focus in the moment and be positive and meditative about, "Oh, life is so good. The sky is blue...?" When a mother goes through intense episodes of feeling grief, the feelings of grief, even the sky can make her weep. Even the trees can make her weep."—Nazli Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, this time of year can be magical, and at the same time there are the images and expectations of happy family get-togethers and the pressure to keep up with the parties, gift-giving, and years of tradition. Michelle has created this special episode for those of us facing the holidays after experiencing a loss. The experience of grief may take the form of the death of a loved one, it may be the loss of a relationship through a break up, divorce, or separation, it may be a move that now has you far from family and friends, or a major life transition. The grief may be from the wounding we experienced from past painful holidays. This episode is meant to create a space to simply relax into and honor what is there for you. Michelle shares 7 tips for facing the holidays when grieving or facing the challenges of stressful family dynamics. There will be a meditation at the end of this episode to help create a safe haven in a time of loss, grief and/or transition.“The holidays feel incredibly daunting... When you are grieving any sort of loss, now more than ever, be kind to yourself. Be patient and compassionate with yourself. You need only do what you feel capable of. Nothing more. It really is okay to put yourself first. I would suggest surrounding yourself when possible with those that can honor your grief and allow you the freedom and vulnerability to cry, laugh, be sad, leave early if you need to. Someone that allows you to be authentic.” —  Michelle Smith Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Brianne Griffis, Birth/Postpartum/ Bereavement Doula, and Certified Lactation Counselor, candidly shares with Michelle her journey of motherhood through pregnancy, life-threatening hyperemesis gravidarum, birth, and the loss of 5 pregnancies. Together they discuss how trauma and loss can take many forms. Brianne provides many valuable insights and resources for grieving parents as well as birth and bereavement professionals. "I will never forget the words he [Dr. O'Leary] said to me. He said, 'While don't know your space, I know this space.' Those words were just so impactful." —Brianne GriffisAbout Brianne Griffis:Brianne Griffis is a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) and birth/postpartum/ bereavement doula, with ten years of experience working with breastfeeding parents and babies and births. She has attended many additional training classes on topics such as pumping, flange fitting, lip and tongue tie, babies in the NICU, feeding multiples, pumping after loss, just to name a few. Brianne has worked in the industry with companies like Spectra Baby USA, Pumping Essentials, and Kiinde. She has been in both marketing, sales, and director of the lactation departments at all the companies she has been with.She has two boys and angel babies that she can't wait to meet one day. She lives in sunny Winter Garden, FL where she has a private practice seeing mom/baby dyads for breastfeeding, attending births, and supporting bereavement and loss. Connect with Brianne Griffis:Website: www.coastallactationandbirth.comFacebook: @coastallactationandbirth   Instagram: @coastallactationandbirth Resources: https://www.winniepalmerhospital.com/physician-finder/timothy-d-oleary-mdhttps://www.natera.com/womens-health/anora-miscarriage-test/http://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/birth/Nonviable_Birth/index.htmlhttp://www.floridahealth.gov/certificates/certificates/birth/Stillbirth/index.htmlhttps://www.etsy.com/listing/605918235/custom-infant-urn-size-extra-small-tall?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=vitrified+studio&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&frs=1https://www.mollybears.orghttps://thetearsfoundation.org/https://stillbirthday.com/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle has a tender conversation with Heidi Faith, president and CEO of Stillbirthday. Heidi shares her very personal journey that led her to found Stillbirthday Global Network, which is an internationally trusted benevolent organization whose philanthropic mission is simply to doula: to nurture sources of perinatal bereavement, strengthen skills of healthcare professionals and increase healthy engagement of perinatal related needs among communities. Together Heidi and Michelle discuss the depth of the resource that Stillbirthday is for families experiencing baby loss and for professionals alike, suggestions for supporting a bereaved mother,  the ways in which grief is like a tapestry, and a reminder that it is okay to be vulnerable and go slowly when navigating grief.  “A woman experiences a miscarriage literally every minute. Every minute in just the US alone.”—Heidi FaithAbout Heidi Faith:Heidi is an international speaker and the founder, president, and CEO of stillbirthday, which is the legacy of her fourth child, who died and was born in the first trimester on April 19, 2011. The vision for stillbirthday is not only deeply personal, intimate and closely special, but is here to spread our paradigm globally of truly understanding the importance and sacredness of the places where birth and bereavement meet. With a background in social work and counseling of abused and at-risk youth, when Heidi became pregnant with her first child she felt her calling shift to clinical perinatal psycho-spiritual therapy and birth support work.As an Emergency Services Chaplain and certified Grief & Loss Coach, Heidi completed her studies through the Assemblies of God Theological Seminary and is a member of the American Academy of Christian Counselors (AACC) Grief, Crisis and Disaster division.Heidi holds certificates through Cascade Christian Childbirth Association in birth education and labor support and is a member of the International Christian Childbirth Coalition.  As a double-certified crisis pregnancy counselor in pre- and post- abortive counseling, she began the Newborn Adoption Doula Network, which provides birth support to families experiencing the transition of fostering or adoption.  Heidi has received additional training through Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care, and Hospice Foundation of America's Hospice Clergy End-of-Life Education Project. Her long-term goal is to open Stillbirthday Palliative Birth Center. Contact Heidi Faith:Website: stillbirthday.comFacebook: stillbirthday.comInstagram: @stillbirthday

Michelle has a profound conversation with her mentor, Amy Wright Glenn. Through a series of serendipitous events, their conversation took place exactly a week after Michelle's stepmom passed away from liver cancer two years ago. This episode holds a very special and significant place for Michelle.  Because birth and death are intertwined, their conversation not only benefits bereaved parents but provides powerful insights to birth professionals as well.Amy reflects upon what healing means as it relates to loss and how the managed medical care model can do a disservice to the bereaved. Healing does not mean a return to what was, a fixing, or making it look like it never happened. Healing is an ongoing journey of keeping our heart open, and being compassionate and present to what is. It is an approach to learning how to walk in a world where we do reconcile with things we didn't want to occur. And yet, these things happened.Mourning is our personal expression of grief. Our inner experience of loss is the grief. That grief needs to be expressed through mourning. That can be public, it can be private, it can be a combination of both. That expression is unique to each person. Rituals can be a powerful tool at any time after a loss. It is never too late to utilize ritual to create meaning and process the loss.Amy and Michelle touch upon the importance of planning and preparing for the death of a loved one when circumstances allow so that decisions are made when the brain isn't in emergency mode and feeling rushed and overwhelmed. And at the same time, the emotional pain of the loss is difficult, intense, and raw; no matter how prepared we may be. Creating space to slow down and be gentle with ourselves is vital."Loss is a deep, deep [life] transition to integrate… We, over time, learn to reconcile with the losses we have known. But this may take many, many years." – Amy Wright Glenn About Amy Wright Glenn:As the author of Birth, Breath, and Death– Meditations on Motherhood, Chaplaincy, and Life as a Doula and Holding Space– On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go, Amy Wright Glenn weaves together scholarly research with the heartfelt telling of stories in her work. She founded the Institute for the Study of Birth, Breath, and Death in 2015 drawing upon her interest in exploring pregnancy loss, the work of facing fear, cultural attitudes about birthing, and what it means to be a doula for the birthing and dying. Amy offers innovative and inspiring professional development opportunities focusing on the self-care of teachers, doulas, midwives, chaplains, and all drawn to holding space for mindful birthing, living, and dying. Contact Amy Wright Glenn:Website: www.birthbreathanddeath.comInstagram: @amywrightglennFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmyWrightGlennFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/birthbreathanddeath Connect with Michelle Smith:Website: BirthEaseServices.comFacebook:  @birtheaselosssupport Birth EaseInstagram: @birtheaselosssupport @birtheasemichellesmithYoutube: Birth EaseThank You for Listening! 

Michelle and two student filmmakers, Taylour Marks and Candace Williamson, discuss their debut documentary film, a deeply flawed system, the disparities facing black mothers, and perinatal loss. Black women are twice as likely to experience a miscarriage than other races. African American infants are 3.8 times as likely to die from complications related to low birth weight, have 2.3 times the infant mortality rate, and in 2017 had over twice the sudden infant death syndrome mortality rate as non-Hispanic whites.Their film, In Between US  is an intimate portrait of black motherhood, a deeply flawed system, and the complicated beauty of life. The story was born from the alarming statistic that black women are three to four times more likely to experience pregnancy-related mortality than white women in America. If it's not about money, education, or pre-existing conditions, then why are black mothers and their babies still dying at higher rates?"There is so much power in your voice, and you have the right to speak up. You have the right to share your story. And when you do, it really brings people together."—Candace Williamson"I think that it is really important that we start prioritizing mothers. The first steps are to validate the feelings and the stories of these mothers by showing them that they aren't alone. There are so many other mothers that are going through the exact same thing. ...And we should trust Black women and what they have to say and their feelings and their pain. So I think it is a three-step process of listen, share, and trust and then make change off of what you have represented."—Taylour Marks {This episode originally aired in June 2020 as episode 040 on The Birth Ease Podcast.} About Candace Williamson & Taylour Marks:Candace Williamson is a Broadcast Journalism Student at the University of South Florida. Ever since the age of 6, Candace knew she had a passion for being anywhere near a camera. She has written and directed a number of broadcast stories and documentaries all with a message of hope and love. Her work has been shown across the globe from the Cannes Film Festival in France to the Geelong International Festival in Australia. Candace hopes to continue her journey as a documentary filmmaker to tell stories that become catalysts for change.Taylour Marks is an honors Telecommunication Student at the University of Florida.  As a writer, photographer, and multimedia journalist, she takes joy in telling the stories of others and empowering the public with information.  Taylour has experience working with photo, print, and broadcast journalism.  She has been recognized by BBC World News and the Aisthesis Undergraduate Honors Journal for accomplishments in photojournalism.  Taylour aspires to one day work as a local news reporter or a documentary storyteller. Resources:https://inbetweenusdoc.wixsite.com/mysitehttps://blackmamasmatter.org/https://4kira4moms.com/https://sistersinloss.com/https://rtzhope.org/grieving-black-parentshttps://www.annaya.org/home Connect with Candace:Twitter:  @heycandacemaeInstagram: @heycandacemaeLinkedIn: Candace WilliamsonWebsite: https://heycandacemae.wixsite.com/mysite Connect with Taylour:Twitter: @taylourmarksInstagram:  @taylourmarksFacebook:  @TaylourMarksNews Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle and Naima Bond discuss the experience of supporting families through pregnancy and infant loss as doulas. Naima shares her own story of pregnancy loss and how that inspired her to do additional training in perinatal loss as she became a birth professional. Naima explains some of the challenges that African American families can face in receiving compassionate care, understanding, and support when they are experiencing perinatal loss. She also shares tips for grieving families and for those supporting them. "So that's what I would say. The support of people who truly love you and just knowing, fortunately, or unfortunately, that other people are going through the same thing; and, that you are not alone [makes a difference]."—Naima BondAbout Naima Bond:Naima Bond, M.Ed. has been serving children and families for over 25 years in the area of early childhood and disabilities. She has recently shifted her focus to supporting mothers through the birthing process. She is a certified Birth Doula with the Matron and is also going through her DONA certification. She has been associated with Calm Birth and completed the program in 2017 and then became a Calm Birth teacher trainer in 2019. Naima was brought up with meditation as a child. She learned about Calm Birth through APPPAH and knew it was a practice she wanted to include in her birth business. She supports families in her private practice and is assisting Calm Birth in teaching Calm Birth to other birth and wellness practitioners. She resides in Atlanta Ga. with her sons Mashante and LaParish.Connect with Naima Bond: Website: http://www.oyabirthandwellnesss.com/Email:  Oyabirthandwellness@gmail.comInstagram: @naimadanita Resources:https://sistersinloss.com/https://rtzhope.org/https://blackmamasmatter.org/https://4kira4moms.com/ Nneka Hall: https://pailadvocates.mypixieset.com/about/https://www.annaya.org/about-us/nneka-hallNenka Hall's PAIL Summit 2021:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/advocating-pregnancy-and-infant-loss-conference-october-2021-tickets-172272059367 Episodes mentioned: Gary Vogel  S1 E11 & E12, Diana Kelley  S1 E7, and Amy Wright Glenn S1 E18.  Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle has an open and raw conversation with Matt, who lost his daughter, Rowan, to a stillbirth. Matt candidly shares the journey of baby loss from the father's perspective. He describes how grief, through no fault of your own, can create a sense of being ostracized by those around you. Because of the unique nature of perinatal loss, Matt explains how grieving parents inadvertently often end up comforting those around them. Michelle and Matt discuss how the loss of a child can shake the foundation of your belief system, how you understand the universe, and even your place in the world. Matt also points out that sharing unsolicited religious beliefs in an attempt to comfort someone mourning can often inadvertently have a profound effect on their grief — it can cause anger, sadness, increase their sorrow or compound the burden that they are already carrying. "Because to be honest, a loss of a child isn't fair. No matter how it happens, it just is not fair. And that is something to be angry about." — Matt, Rowan's father Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

When families experience pregnancy and infant loss, the focus and support is most often directed towards moms. Yet, this can leaves fathers to navigate their grief silently and with few resources. In this episode, Adam Angel, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, candidly shares about the loss of their first child at 22 weeks of pregnancy and how that inspired him to create an online support group for grieving fathers. Adam explains that men and women can grieve differently, how childhood trauma can impact how someone grieves, as well as tips for bereaved couples. "This birth loss, perinatal loss is really a *disenfranchised grief. It's one that no one wants to talk about. That it's difficult for other folks in the space to be there. There's no ritualization in general, no wider community. It feels hidden, in like, we don't want to burden others with it. Whereas, any other losses are recognized and even celebrated in some cultures, right? This is one that doesn't feel that. It feels so hard for anyone to be present with you."—Adam Angel, LCSW-C, LICSW*Disenfranchised grief is a term describing grief that is not acknowledged as legitimate by society. For example, a loss may be seen as too small or the relationship too distant to justify grieving. Traditional forms of grief are more widely recognized and supported. There are few support systems, rituals, traditions, or institutions such as bereavement leave available to those experiencing disenfranchised grief. Even widely recognized forms of grief can become disenfranchised when well-meaning friends and family attempt to set a time limit on a bereaved person's right to grieve.Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disenfranchised_grief About Adam Angel:Adam Angel is a licensed clinical social worker with 15 years of experience working with youth, adults, and families. His specializations include postpartum mood and anxiety disorders and developmental trauma. Adam completed his undergraduate at the University of MD and obtained his MSW at Howard University before working in the nonprofit world where he facilitated a number of groups including groups for men.You can connect with Adam Angel at adam@adamangeltherapy.com  https://www.adamangeltherapy.com/Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

The pain, stress, and trauma that can come with pregnancy and infant loss impacts even the best of relationships.  While grief is universal, everyone grieves at their own depth and pace. Men and women can grieve and mourn differently, which may be a source of misunderstanding and hurt feelings. Michelle provides an overview of grieving styles which can be thought of as instrumental and intuitive, as well as tips for couples to help navigate their grief together.   Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle honors October 15th: Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. She has created a guided relaxation recording geared towards parents grieving the loss of a baby or a child. However, it can be helpful for anyone walking through the journey of grief. The intention is to help release some of the heaviness of our grief and to provide an opportunity to feel the love and connection that we have with our beloved child or loved one.   If you would like a version of this guided relaxation session geared towards the loss of any loved one, please simply contact us through the website. We would be honored to send it to you.If you are interested in a short guided meditation for grief and loss, please listen to S1 E9 A Short Meditation for Baby Loss. As a gentle reminder, this guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during bereavement or beyond. Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation recording while engaged in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are a passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone's safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle.Resource:Holding on to Love After You've Lost a Baby: The 5 Love Languages® for Grieving Parents Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle continues her conversation with Gary Vogel, LMHC perinatal grief expert and founder of HEAL, a Central Florida support group for bereaved parents. Gary shares the beautiful story of The Angel of Hope and how we here in Central Florida acquired our own statue. Together they discuss the vital role of the validation of our grief experience, feelings, and emotions plays; the impacts of the word “should” and the shame it can create; how grief is transformational; and how our US culture no longer has outward signs of bereavement and the value that can bring.   "I think as a culture, we've gotten much, much better at recognizing that this is something that does take place. The reality is that every year in the United States approximately one million families will experience a pregnancy loss."—Gary VogelAbout Gary Vogel, LMHC:Gary is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and has been in private practice since 1980 in the Central Florida area. His specialties include dealing with anxiety and depression, addictions, grief & loss (especially the loss of a child), post-traumatic stress, and general "life adjustment".As a Clinical Psychotherapist and through his own personal experience of losing his daughter, Chelsea, to stillbirth, Gary has helped thousands of parents struggling with the loss of a child.Gary has been facilitating the support group HEAL (Helping Endure InfAnt Loss) for couples who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss since 1991. He has written three books on the subject of perinatal and neonatal loss. Gary has testified to House and Senate Subcommittees concerning legal issues surrounding these losses. He has lobbied in the state legislature for the passage of a bill to allow parents of a stillborn to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth. The bill was unanimously passed into law in 2006. Gary has appeared on national and local television, and has traveled across the country speaking on the unique issues experienced by parents who have incurred the loss of a child. Gary is proud to be a member of the Board of Directors for the SIDS Alliance of Florida.Gary feels his greatest achievement is bringing the Angel of Hope to Central Florida, which hosts two ceremonies a year at our site, one on October 15th, a National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy & Infant Loss, and December 6th, a day of remembrance at all Angel of Hope sites for parents who have lost a child. Resources:HEAL: Helping Endure infAnt Loss Support GroupLink:   Helping Endure Infant Loss (HEAL)Angel of Hope Central Florida: Facebook: @AngelofHopeCFLWebsite: https://angelofhopecfl.wordpress.com/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith Thank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle has a beautiful and inspirational conversation with Nydia, mother to Santiago and Mateo. Her insights will benefit anyone traversing the pain of losing a child, a loved one, or some sort of tragedy. During Nydia's eighth month of pregnancy, she lost her beloved older sister to cancer. Approximately a month later, Nydia experienced the stillbirth of her son, which almost cost her her own life, as well. Nydia sagely shares what she found instrumental in her ability to move forward from such intense grief.   "Suffering happens, I think, when you are in one place and wanting to be somewhere else." — Nydia, Santiago's mother Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith Thank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone. 

Michelle shares a guided meditation for baby loss that focuses on using  gentle breathing to help release stress, strain, and the heaviness that is a natural and normal part of grief. It guides the listener to focus on the love that they have for their child to assist in softening the places that they may be holding grief within the body and mind.  It is about 8 minutes long  and can be used daily or as needed. As a gentle reminder, this guided relaxation recording audio is for just that, relaxation purposes only. It does not constitute medical or mental health advice or treatment, nor does it imply a specific outcome during bereavement or beyond.  Please avoid listening to this guided relaxation recording while engaged in an activity that requires your full attention. Please stop the podcast and return to it when you can be safely seated or reclining in a supported position. Unless you are a passenger listening to this guided relaxation with headphones on, for everyone's safety never listen to it while driving or riding in a vehicle. Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith Thank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle has a two-part conversion with Gary Vogel, LMHC perinatal grief expert and founder of HEAL, a Central Florida support group for bereaved parents. Together discuss how the loss of a child disrupts our perception of the natural order of things, what grief is and isn't, and the 3 tasks of grieving. Gary shares that the trauma associated with the sudden loss of a child qualifies many bereaved parents for the diagnosis of PTSD and a part of their journey of dealing with their loss is working through that PTSD component. Because of the enormous impact perinatal loss has on a relationship, the divorce rate after the loss of a child is twice the national average. will either tear the relationship apart or make it stronger. Gary explains that everyone's journey through grief is unique to them, and couples can and do grieve differently. Understanding these differences helps prevent miscommunication and misunderstandings that can happen when one partner imposes their grieving style on the other partner. The experience of losing a child has the capacity to either tear the relationship apart or make it stronger."And I think one of the biggest components of that [what grief is and what grief isn't] is that most people have the thought that grieving is about death, and it is not. That is actually a fallacy. That is actually a myth. Grieving is not about death, it is about loss. ...The intensity of our grief is directly proportional to the value to us of who we lost."—Gary VogelAbout Gary Vogel, LMHC:Gary is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and has been in private practice since 1980 in the Central Florida area. His specialties include dealing with anxiety and depression, addictions, grief & loss (especially the loss of a child), post-traumatic stress, and general "life adjustment".As a Clinical Psychotherapist and through his own personal experience of losing his daughter, Chelsea, to stillbirth, Gary has helped thousands of parents struggling with the loss of a child.Gary has been facilitating the support group HEAL (Helping Endure InfAnt Loss) for couples who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss since 1991. He has written three books on the subject of perinatal and neonatal loss. I have testified to House and Senate Subcommittees concerning legal issues surrounding these losses. He has lobbied in the state legislature for the passage of a bill to allow parents of a stillborn to receive a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth The bill was unanimously passed into law in 2006. He has appeared on national and local television, and has traveled across the country speaking on the unique issues experienced by parents who have incurred the loss of a child. Gary is proud to be a member of the Board of Directors for the SIDS Alliance of Florida.Gary feels his greatest achievement is bringing the Angel of Hope to Central Florida, which hosts two ceremonies a year at our site, one on October 15th, a National Day of Remembrance for Pregnancy & Infant Loss, and December 6th, a day of remembrance at all Angel of Hope sites for parents who have lost a child.  Resources:HEAL: Helping Endure infAnt Loss Support GroupLink:   Helping Endure Infant Loss (HEAL)Angel of Hope Central Florida: Facebook: @AngelofHopeCFLWebsite: https://angelofhopecfl.wordpress.com/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! Remember, you are not alone in your grief. 

Michelle has the privilege to have a conversation with Diana Kelley, the director of Infants Remembered In Silence © (IRIS) a 501(c)3 Nonprofit organization that she founded in 1987, following the full-term stillbirth of her son. Together they discuss how the care parents experiencing baby loss receive has become more compassionate throughout the years and the extreme value of having someone to sit with us in our grief and give space for the power of silence. Diana shares sage advice for bereaved families, how IRIS's services have grown and evolved over the last 33 years, and IRIS's project to invite cities across the nation to light up buildings, statues, and monuments on October 15th in honor of Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day. Thank you cities of St. Cloud and Orlando, Florida for your support!We invite you to share photos of your cities remembering our babies gone too soon. We would be honored to have you tag us on Facebook and Instagram @birtheaselosssuport and @Infants Remembered in Silence "Well, it used to be that people thought that you're not going to remember if you don't get to see, hold, and touch. We discovered that wasn't real. Then we discovered that people forget, and even if they can't communicate with you very well, their body still remembers. They still know themselves that this is when my child died passed away. And I think that is something that is really hard to comprehend.  But at a certain point, your thinking changes from being, "I am never going to be able to forget this. This is a huge impact on my life." to things changing to where you're afraid you're going to forget it and then it becomes your mission to make sure others don't forget." —Diana Kelley About Diana Kelley:Diana Kelley uses her personal and career experiences to help grieving parents through their birth process and in the years of grieving that follow the death of a child. Diana provides grieving parents with the support they need when their life seems unfair and more than they can handle.  As a bereaved parent herself, she knows how grief can affect every aspect of one's life, as well as the lives of their loved ones and friends.Diana became involved in Childbirth Education following the birth of her first child in 1981. By 1984 she was a Certified Childbirth Educator working in her local hospital with hundreds of families each year and training/certifying new instructors. In 2012, after 31 years, she left the organization to expand her teaching and certifying instruction with Infants Remembered In Silence © (IRIS) a 501(c)3 Nonprofit organization that she founded in 1987, following the full term stillbirth of her son. Today IRIS services include: Bereavement Support Materials and Burial Clothing Sets designed by Diana and several other IRIS volunteers. (These Clothing Sets fit infants from 10 - 42 Gestational weeks and include matching blanket and hat, along with everything needed to work directly with the child in the hospital and funeral home settings). IRIS offers Support Group Gatherings, Special Events including the October 15th Memorial Service at the IRIS Office - in front of an Angel weeping over an empty cradle – a bronze, life sized statue, arranges for countless buildings, monuments, bridges, etc. to be lit for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day,  Holiday Service of Remembrance and more. These supplies and countless other resources, including the book, Sharing the Tears by Diana Kelley, are available on the IRIS website. Diana services as the executive director of IRIS. She lives in Faribault MN along with her four surviving children and one grandchild.   Connect with Diana Kelly:Email: diana@irisRemembers.comInfants Remembered In Silence © (IRIS) website: www.irisRemembers.comFB Business Page:  https://www.facebook.com/InfantsRememberedinSilenceFB Infants Remembered In Silence Private Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/163068716993 Angel of Hope Central Florida: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelofHopeCFLWebsite: https://angelofhopecfl.wordpress.com/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith

 1 in 4 women have experienced pregnancy or infant loss. Because of the silence surrounding the loss of a child, it can cause the necessary grieving to be a lonely and isolating experience. Even if you, as the listener, were blessed to have never personally experienced perinatal loss, the chances are quite high that you know someone that has. The silence surrounding this type of loss can leave us unsure of how to really support grieving families, which can sometimes lead to well-meaning comments inadvertently cutting a grieving parent to the core. Michelle shares best practices and helpful ways to support families experiencing the devastation that perinatal loss brings.“It is time to break the silence surrounding pregnancy and infant loss so that families are no longer grieving alone.” —  Michelle Smith References:Handouts and materials from Gary Vogel, LMT and Bereavement Services: Resolve through Sharing Connect with Michelle Smith:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithThank you for listening! 

Michelle defines grief, mourning, and bereavement. Shock & denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are a part of the framework of the stages of grief. These stages help define what we may be feeling.  Yet, they are not definite steps on a linear timeline as we move through grief. We travel in and out of these stages and revisit them, often in no particular order. Michelle shares the four phases of bereavement: shock and numbness, searching and yearning, disorganization, and reorganization that we can experience as it relates to baby loss. Understanding these phases of bereavement provides helpful guideposts along the intense journey of grieving the loss of your baby.  Resources:https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/in-an-emergency/https://grief.com/the-five-stages-of-grief/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Grief, of all kinds, requires self-care. And, for families experiencing pregnancy & infant loss, the need is even more acute. In this episode, Michelle shares self-care suggestions and tips recommended by grief experts. She shares the benefits of practices such as prayer and mediation, massage and bodywork, acupuncture, and yoga for the bereaved.  Michelle also includes holistic remedies for navigating grief and loss, discussing essential oils, homeopathy, and Bach Flower Essences.  Resources:https://www.birtheaseservices.com/self-careHomeopathy:  https://www.boironusa.com/Bach Flower Remedies:  https://www.bachremedies.com/Essential Oils:  https://www.originalswissaromatics.com/ Grief Support Organizations:https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/in-an-emergency/https://stillbirthday.com/https://sistersinloss.com/https://rtzhope.org/https://www.irisremembers.com/https://www.2020mom.org/pregnancy-loss-infant-death Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith

When we experience pregnancy and infant loss, there is a myriad of emotions and feelings that we may go through. Because baby loss is often shrouded in silence, it is uncharted territory. You may question if what you are feeling is normal.  In this episode, Michelle explains the shared experiences we can have when grieving the loss of our  child as well as our hopes and dreams. Resources:https://www.postpartum.net/get-help/in-an-emergency/ Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle SmithTHANK YOU FOR LISTENING! 

Michelle has a beautiful and healing conversation with The Radical Rabbi, Elisheva (Emily) Brenner. Emily shares her own journey of perinatal loss, which she describes as the tsunami of her soul. She retells the sacred wisdom story that helped her create a Divine Reframe and quiet the storm within her own heart. Emily explains the foundational five-step program she teaches, based on the journey of the Israelites in the desert, which can assist anyone in weathering the most difficult of circumstances. As a divorce lawyer, a psychologist, and a rabbi, Emily shares insights that can help couples to traverse the extreme grief of losing a child and support any other children they may have that are also grieving as well. Michelle and Emily discuss how even in our deepest sorrow, in our deepest pain, we can still find peace. We can still find moments of joy. (This episode originally aired on The Birth Ease Podcast  on October 23, 2019)“You are living in this world for a reason and your journey as a parent has a reason.” — Rabbi Elisheva About Rabbi Elisheva:What do you get when you combine a veteran divorce lawyer, a psychologist, and a rabbi?...The Radical Rabbi!!! Rabbi Elisheva (Emily) Brenner is known for the rich multidisciplinary perspective she brings to dealing with life's problems. As the host of The Radical Rabbi podcast and creator of the Radical Rabbi Online Academy, Emily encourages every person to embrace the unique psycho-spiritual journey that is his or her life so they can find meaning, purpose, freedom, self-empowerment, and authenticity.Connect with Rabbi Elisheva:website: theradicalrabbi.comTwitter: @myradicalrabbiLinked In: radicalrabbiInstagram: @radicalrabbiFacebook: @radicalrabbi Connect with Rev. Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith 

Grief can be lonely and isolating, especially for those experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. At times, it may even feel as if the sorrow might consume you. Michelle Smith, Certified Grief Counseling Specialist, Birth & Bereavement Doula/Chaplain, and host of The Birth Ease Podcast, holds a much-needed space for grief, remembrance, and your unique journey of healing through conversations with grief experts, the sharing of stories of loss and love, and guided meditations. Welcome to a place where your baby and you can feel seen, heard, and held.  "My intention with this podcast is to create a space where you feel less alone in this journey because there are those walking beside you and those that are ahead of you, pausing to hold you up in those moments when the grief feels as if it may swallow you completely.  Please, be gentle and kind to yourself. Remember, there is no right way to grieve the loss of your baby or loved one."— Rev. Michelle A. SmithConnect with Michelle:Website:  BirthEaseServices.com /loss-supportFacebook:   Birth Ease Baby Loss SupportInstagram:   @birtheaselossssupportLinkedIn:  Birth Ease Michelle Smith