Expecting Rainbow

This week I welcomed one of my closest mom friends to the show, Emily McConnell. I wish we could say we met at a “mommy and me” class or that our kids went to the same daycare, but no, we met because our children died. We were mom friends before we had living children to show the world, mom friends through PAL, and now mom friends who are parenting after loss. Tod ay, Emily shares about her daughters Margaret and Elyse, what it was like to go through a PAL during a pandemic, and the importance of counting kicks. Resources mentioned in this episode:Read more about Margaret's story on Emily and Dustin's blog at https://www.stillourmaggie.com/ Learn more about Count the Kicks at https://countthekicks.org/If you are currently pregnant, download the free Count the Kicks app, available for both iOS and Android, to keep track of your baby's kicks! Use this app every day during your third trimester of pregnancy to track your baby's movement patterns. Be sure to alert your provider immediately if you notice significant changes in your baby's movements. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

March is Pregnancy After Loss Awareness month! In this episode, I briefly share how I wanted to feel more control over my rainbow pregnancy and why I decided to do things differently. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I'm proud to welcome my very first guest, Kate Joseph, who is a mother of three beautiful boys. We cover a lot of topics, including her experience going through pregnancy after loss (both planned and unplanned), experiences with great MFM's and some doctors who could do better, trying our best to ensure our earthside babies know their siblings.Visit Kate's blog at https://hellocade.wordpress.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, I talk about what it was like to TTC after Steven's death and thoughts I had deciding to get pregnant again after loss. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We got some sad news about my grandma last week and I’ve been processing what it means to lose loved ones and how that has affected me.

We got some sad news about my grandma last week and I've been processing what it means to lose loved ones and how that has affected me. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My rainbow baby Everett’s first birthday is coming up this weekend, and I wanted to share some of the thoughts I’ve been processing as we get ready to celebrate. I didn’t mention this in the episode, but I have had moments of overwhelm thinking of how to best celebrate Everett’s birthday and I keep wondering, […]

My rainbow baby Everett's first birthday is coming up this weekend, and I wanted to share some of the thoughts I've been processing as we get ready to celebrate.I didn't mention this in the episode, but I have had moments of overwhelm thinking of how to best celebrate Everett's birthday and I keep wondering, am I doing enough? Because there is so much I want to do to show him how grateful I am that he's here. But ultimately, there is no better way I can think of spending his birthday than for us to enjoy his presence, to play his favorite toys with him, to watch him entertain himself with the springy doorstop, and to watch him experience his first bite of cake. So here's to your first year, babe, we're going to have such a fun day. Happy birthday, my son! See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, I offer my thoughts on what it feels like to start a new year with my sweet baby Steven. I reflect back a bit on 2020 and share my hopes for 2021.

In this episode, I offer my thoughts on what it feels like to start a new year with my sweet baby Steven. I reflect back a bit on 2020 and share my hopes for 2021. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why holidays can be hard See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, I talk about why I struggled with the phrase “rainbow baby” and why we need to be thoughtful when using this phrase.

In this episode, I talk about why I struggled with the phrase "rainbow baby" and why we need to be thoughtful when using this phrase. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today I wanted to share more about why I started Expecting Rainbow, what I’ve learned from working on this podcast, and what you can expect for future episodes. Listen to Cathy Heller’s episode on her loss: https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/episodes/vulnerable-story?rq=loss

Today I wanted to share more about why I started Expecting Rainbow, what I've learned from working on this podcast, and what you can expect for future episodes.Cathy Heller's episode on her loss: https://www.dontkeepyourdayjob.com/episodes/vulnerable-story?rq=loss See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sometimes, mom guilt creeps in and tells us we’re not enough. And mom guilt isn’t exclusive to moms with living children; it can be easy to feel guilty as a loss parent, too.

Sometimes, mom guilt creeps in and tells us we're not enough. And mom guilt isn't exclusive to moms with living children; it can be easy to feel guilty as a loss parent, too.Have a comment? Want to share your story? Visit our website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is a compilation of resources – keepsake shops, awareness organizations, links, websites, services, nonprofits, books, podcasts, etc – that I found during my loss journey. Sharing resources is always tricky because most people don’t search out these resources until they need them, and sometimes by then, it’s too late. I encourage you to […]

This episode is a compilation of resources - keepsake shops, awareness organizations, links, websites, services, nonprofits, books, podcasts, etc - that I found during my loss journey. All of these can also be found on www.expectingrainbow.com/episode5. Sharing resources is always tricky because most people don't search out these resources until they need them, and sometimes by then it's too late. Find all the resources talked about in this episode on https://www.expectingrainbow.com/episode5. I encourage you to listen and learn about these resources so that you will know of them in the event that you need them. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There are so many ways to talk about pregnancy and infant loss and the words we use to acknowledge loss experiences and babies matter. In this episode, I share my view on words often used in “loss conversations” and how we can be more intentional when normalizing conversations around pregnancy loss and infant death.

There are so many ways to talk about pregnancy and infant loss and the words we use to acknowledge loss experiences and babies matter. In this episode, I share my view on words often used in "loss conversations" and how we can be more intentional when normalizing conversations around pregnancy loss and infant death.Have a comment? Want to share your story? Visit our website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When someone you know loses a baby, you want to comfort them, but you don’t know what to say. You want to help, but you don’t know what to do. In this episode, I talk about the wonderful things people did for me, and the things I would have wished they did. In this episode, […]

When someone you know loses a baby, you want to comfort them, but you don't know what to say. You want to help, but you don't know what to do. In this episode, I talk about the wonderful things people did for me, and the things I would have wished they did. In this episode, I share five ways you can show love and support to a friend who has experienced infant or pregnancy loss. These are just a few things you can do to show support, but by no means are they a "one-size-fits-all" solution. As everyone grieves and handles baby death differently, I encourage you to really listen to your friends when figuring out the best way to support them.Have a comment? Want to share your story? Visit our website. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The grieving process looks a little different for everyone that experiences it. Some people retreat, some need to be surrounded by people. When I lost Steven, I had to learn what grieving looked like for me. In this episode of Expecting Rainbow, I talk about the aftermath: losing my baby, how I felt, how I […]

The grieving process looks a little different for everyone that experiences it. Some people retreat, some need to be surrounded by people. When I lost Steven, I had to learn what grieving looked like for me. On this episode of Expecting Rainbow, I talk about the aftermath: losing my baby, how I felt, how I coped, and the little ways I started to heal.Thanks for listening. If you'd like to share your story, please visit expectingrainbow.com. ❤️ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Steven was only physically present in our lives for a moment, but he continues to be present in our lives. On this episode of Expecting Rainbow, I tell his story. As I mention on the podcast, it’s hard to not make his story my story, but in this episode I talk about the things I […]

Steven was only physically present in our lives for a moment, but he continues to be present in our lives. On this episode of Expecting Rainbow, I tell his story. As I mention on the podcast, it's hard to not make his story my story, but in this episode I talk about the things I know about him, from the beginning. Click here to join the Walk of Remembrance, we welcome you to sign up under our team "Strolling for Steven" See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Welcome to the introductory episode of the Expecting Rainbow podcast. Introducing the host Justine and explaining more about what you can expect from this show. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.