Podcast appearances and mentions of erica mcafee

On August 2, 2017 we released our first episode of the Sisters in Loss Podcast.  Today, we celebrate 5 Years of this podcast and community. In today's solo episode, Erica McAfee, Sisters in Loss Founder shares: The History of Sisters in Loss Black Maternal Health Crisis and Roe vs. Wade Community Building in the last 5 Years What's Next for Sisters in Loss? Her personal journey and how this podcast saved her This podcast is for you to listen to find out where Sisters in Loss is going in 2023 and beyond. Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep265 Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here Living Water Doula Services Book Recommendations and Links Below You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social Join our Healing Collective Online Support Group Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel Sisters in Loss Instagram Sisters in Loss Facebook Sisters in Loss Twitter You can follow Erica on Social Erica's Website Erica's Instagram Erica's Facebook Erica's Twitter

Today in the guest chair we have Erica McAfee, one of my Podcast Moguls students who's here to share her journey of growing her podcast, Sisters in Loss, through the lessons learned inside of the Podcast Moguls accelerator program. Erica is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, a maternal child health hub that helps Black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility.  Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement doula, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss. Its self-titled podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories.  Sisters in Loss has been featured in Forbes, BBC News, Black Enterprise, Women's Health, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and The White House.  In this episode she shares: How her interest in alternate methods of growing a family inspired her to start podcasting  What attracted her to join Podcast Moguls and her journey within the program Her top lessons learned from Podcast Moguls + so much more! Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube  This episode is brought to you by:  Trade and Travel Through Trade and Travel, you can learn how to trade as a side hustle and supplement your income with trading. Sign up for the Trade and Travel program at sidehustlepro.co/tradeandtravel Links mentioned in this episode www.sistersinloss.com Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss Announcements Join our Facebook Community If you're looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebook Guest Social Media Info Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro #SideHustlePro Sisters in Loss- @SistersInLoss

I so enjoyed chatting with Erica McAfee founder and podcast host at Sisters in Loss. Our conversation explores the racial disparities in our healthcare system that lead to vastly disproportionate rates of stillbirth and maternal mortality. To learn more about Erica's work and the Sister's in Loss podcast visit them on Instagram @sistersinloss

(Recorded in the fall of 2021, released in Jan 2022) Ajira and Keelia wrap up the season by sharing what they've been up to, and recommending their favorite birth/reproductive justice-related podcasts and resources. If you want to follow along on Ajira's or Keelia's personal journeys or learn more about their offerings, you can find Ajira @ajira on IG or on their website (www.ajiradarch.com), and Keelia is @doulakeelia on IG and their website is doulakeelia.com Ajira & Keelia's favorite podcasts (in no particular order): - Birthright, hosted by Kimberley Seals Allers: birthrightpodcast.com - Masculine Birth Ritual, hosted by Grover Wehman-Brown: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/masculine-birth-ritual/id1435005594 - BirthBruja, hosted by Eri Guajardo-Johnson: https://www.birthbruja.com/birth-bruja-podcast.html - Birth Stories in Color, hosted by Laurel Gourrier and Danielle Jackson: https://www.birthstoriesincolor.com/ - Sisters in Loss, hosted by Erica McAfee: sistersinloss.com All feature BIPOC birthworkers being amazing. Some use gendered language. If you want more doula stories, check out Romper's Doula Diaries available on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RompersDoulaDiaries/ Instagram accounts to follow for more amaazing BIPOC birthworkers and decolonizing birthwork (in no particular order): @sumistouch @queerbirthworker @birthbruja @bipocaspiringmidwives @theblackdoula @doctor_midwife Also check out the Irth app: "The only app where you can find prenatal, birthing, postpartum and pediatric reviews of care from other Black and brown women. The #1 “Yelp-like” platform for the pregnancy and new motherhood journey, made by and for people of color. Search doctor and hospital reviews from your community! Leave a review today to help inform and protect others!" Learn more at https://irthapp.com/ or download the app on iPhone or Android. Special thanks again to Cameron Sharpe, Chris Alder, Tali Perelman, and Alyssa Codamon.

Meg Walker joins me to talk about navigating milestones and important dates after the loss of a baby due to a life-limiting diagnosis. She shares with us what those milestone and important or difficult dates are for her. Specifically we spend some time talking about her son's diagnosis day and what that looks like for her every year -- as Meg says “that's the before and after for me -- the day everything changed.” Meg talks about what has surprised her about navigating those milestone days, how she plans for those days and how she cares for herself amidst the more difficult seasons in her calendar year and practically what those days look like for her. How she celebrates her son's birthday, why she doesn't sing happy birthday and how she grieves on the anniversary of his diagnosis.  She also shares helpful wisdom about knowing when to include others and inviting them into these days.  And as you heard at the beginning of this episode, my favorite part of this episode is when Meg reminded all of that no matter what we as grieving moms do, whether we plan elaborate events or cry in our bed or do nothing out of the ordinary at all on those milestone or important days, what we do or don't do doesn't take away from how important and meaningful our babies are.  This conversation is honest and candid and very tender to both of us as you will hear -- we both share what we have learned over the past few years and how our view of milestone days have changed, mistakes we have made, false pressures we have put on ourselves, what still feels hard but also the beautiful moments we have experienced.    FREE GUIDE Last week, in episode 125, Erica McAfee talked about how she writes her son a letter on his birthday as a tangible way to mother him and celebrate him and also to grieve on that day. This was such practically helpful and tangible advice that I wanted you to be able to incorporate it into your milestones and important dates too. I created a writing guide for you that you can download and use on days that feel particularly important -- this is not just for birthdays but for any date where you want to intentionally spend time reflecting on your baby or processing your grief or simply to spend time tangibly mothering your baby. Download the guide here: www.themorning.com/letter   SHOW NOTES www.themorning.com/blog/episode126 JOIN THE PRIVATE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community    

In this episode I am talking with Erica McAfee. Erica is a mom who has experienced considerable loss throughout her motherhood journey. In Episode 98 she shared her story with us and today she is back on the podcast to chat with me about navigating milestones like birthdays, due dates, anniversaries and all those important dates after the loss of a baby.   She shares with us what her important dates are, what they look like for her, how they have changed over the years, and how she and her husband navigate those days differently. Erica's wisdom in this episode offers a ton of freedom as well as practical insight for navigating those important dates and milestones that we as grieving mothers have.    At the beginning of the episode you heard a snippet of Erica talking about how she writes her son a letter on his birthday as a tangible way to mother him and celebrate him and grieve on that day. This was such practically helpful advice and I wanted you to be able to incorporate it into your milestones and important dates too. So, I created a letter writing guide with more than 10 journal prompt ideas that you can download and use on those days. (This is not just for birthdays but for any date where you want to intentionally spend time reflecting on your baby or processing your grief or simply to spend time tangibly mothering your baby.)You can download that letter writing guide at themorning.com/letter.   SHOW NOTES: www.themorning.com/blog/episode125 JOIN THE FREE COMMUNITY: www.themorning.com/community DOWNLOAD THE FREE LETTER WRITING GUIDE: www.themorning.com/letter  

Erica McAfee is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, a maternal child health company that helps Black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement doula, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss. It's self-titled podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories. Sisters in Loss has been featured in Forbes, Black Enterprise, Women's Health, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, and The White House. Erica McAfee went through 9 months of pregnancy, 16 hours in the hospital with 13 hours of labor, a couple hours of pushing to have a C-section to deliver a baby and then to be told the baby has died. She said we were excited to meet our baby boy but instead we were catapulted into planning a funeral for our baby who's lungs had never developed. She then became pregnant again only to lose a little girl at 18 weeks due to an incompetent cervix. After the 2nd loss Erica said she took time off from trying again to conceive and worked on doing things differently within herself. She talked about making a lot of changes so she could pour back into herself to become whole again. She mentally had a yearning to have a baby in her arms but she knew she needed to be whole mentally and emotionally to navigate through another pregnancy. Erica talks about the work she put in to become mentally and emotionally whole again. Erica's words of advice and encouragement: Your journey is your own and you should not compare where you are currently to the person next to you or your friend. Also that you should seek out 2nd, 3rd and 4th opinions. You should not rely on one answer or diagnoses when it comes to infertility or loss, seek out multiple providers for answers to form a healthcare team to help you. Every path to motherhood is different, though this journey may not be what you expected it to be, embrace and honor it. Be assured that you are doing everything in your power to get the answers you need and that you're making the right decisions. Know that there is not only one way to become a parent and you do not need to push a baby out to be a mom. Connect with Erica: https://sistersinloss.com/ or @sistersinloss on Instagram or Facebook Connect with me: EMAIL teresa.womenconnect2019@gmail.com Facebook https://www.facebook.com/.womenconnectsupport/. Phone # 1-618-560-8484

Who: Angela Lewis, Mother, Actress, ActivistErica McAfee, Founder of Sisters in LossEpisode Description (short/two sentences)There can be joy even after disappointment, shame and loss. It often requires the right perspective and a supportive birthing team that still honors your vision even when plans change. This week, actress Angela Lewis, a star of FX's SnowFall, shares her birth story including how prior miscarriages shaped her experience. Our special guest, Erica McAfee, founder of Sisters in Loss, shares the facts about miscarriages and why we are so bad at processing pregnancy loss as a society/as a people. In the end, Angela's birth culminates with a moment of true star power. Resources/ReferencesWatch Angela Lewis as #AuntLouie on #SnowfallFX. Follow along on IG @luvangelalewis & @snowfallfxLearn more about Erica M. Mcafee https://www.ericammcafee.com Sisters in Loss a digital media platform where Black Women replace Silence with Storytelling around Pregnancy and Infant Loss and Infertility.Natural Birth Center Midwives in LA; Doula, Nina Phelan of The Soulful Birth Learn more about having a safe and empowered birth by downloading the free ebook: Birth with Irth: A Mini-Manual to Pregnancy and Childbirth for Black People Get full episode details and transcripts (posted by midday) on www.BirthrightPodcast.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Erica from @sistersinloss joins Arden to talk about the course that Sisters In Loss offers for those who feel called to be bereavement doulas. Arden is a certified birth & bereavement doula through Sisters in Loss and shares how she found the course, what she thought of the lessons, and how she uses it in her practice. This episode is for you if you've considered becoming a bereavement doula, have had questions about what a doula does, or just want to learn more about Black history as it pertains to infertility and loss community. Follow Erica: @ericammcafee Follow Sisters in Loss: @sistersinloss For more information on the course: sistersinlosstraining.thinkific.com/ Follow us on Instagram: @themiscarriagedoula Leave a review on Apple Podcasts! (this helps others find the show) --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/arden-cartrette/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/arden-cartrette/support

Erica McAfee is the Founder and CEO of Sisters in Loss, a maternal child health company that helps Black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy and infant loss and infertility.  She is also a Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula, Doula Trainer and Mentor, and Mom to 2 babies in heaven and one rainbow baby Maxwell also known as Super Mighty Max. Sisters in Loss provides pregnancy, birth, postpartum, bereavement, and grief services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss.  It's self-titled podcast spotlights resilient Black mothers who share intimate details of their journey to motherhood through painful, but inspirational loss and infertility stories. Links for more resources Learn more about guest: Sisters in Loss, Erica McAfee Learn more about our podcast: Fertility Cafe Learn more about our surrogacy and egg donation agency: Family Inceptions Learn more about independent surrogacy: Surrogacy Roadmap Rate, Review, and Subscribe! We would be honored if you took the time to rate and review our podcast! And of course, don’t forget to hit that Subscribe button to have new episodes delivered straight to your feed!

In this episode, we explore infertility and pregnancy loss in the Black community with special guest Erica McAfee, Founder of Sisters in Loss, a community of black women replacing silence with storytelling. Grab a cup of tea and listen to this powerful message! Find Erica Here! Website: Sisters in Loss Special Offer: 35% Off Bereavement for Doula Training - simply click here and enter CODE 35OFF Instagram | Facebook | Youtube DISCLAIMER: The Savvy Black Birther Podcast host and guests do not give legal or healthcare advice, rather information derived from the evidence and/or extensive practice experience. No information recorded should be taken as advice about your personal situation or healthcare decisions. This information is disseminated for the sole purpose of education and empowerment. If you need legal or healthcare advice or information, seek out a well-vetted and suitably qualified professional. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thesavvy-blackbirther/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thesavvy-blackbirther/support

In this episode, Erica McAfee shared her grief journey, her different layers of grief, and how she used them and got inspired to create a maternal child health company for Black women, the Sisters in Loss.At the age of 14, She first experienced grief when her father died. For many reasons specific to her own grief journey, her grief didn't fully express itself until the death of her 2 angels. The grief that she had felt before somewhat accumulated. She realized that she needed to face grief. She was able to accept it and process her emotions. Episode Pointers:Grief is always there. Grief is with us forever. You need to face grief at some point.If something else traumatic does happen to us like a loss of someone, recognize the feelings that we were feeling at that time and how do we move forward with those feelings so that we can continue on with our life.Some people get stuck in grief, and really have this fog that comes over them. They just need additional help to get and remove that fog.Having trusted confidants, counselors and therapists that can help you move that fog away is so important. Grief is gonna come and it's gonna hit us. When it does;Do we recognize it?Do we understand what's happening?Are we okay to articulate how we feel in those moments?Are we just gonna be mad at the world because of the traumatic thing or the loss that is happening?You can connect with Erica through the following:Instagram:www.instagram.com/sistersinLossFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sistersinloss/Website:  www.sistersinloss.comYoutube : Sisters in Loss TVPodcast :  https://sistersinloss.com/blog/Recommended book :  The Big Leap by Gay HendricksIf you want more tools to help you, I have a workshop called Stop Talking Start Feeling, it's a workshop that dives into emotions, what they are, and how you can begin to feel and process them and get them out of your body instead of stuffing them down. It also goes specifically into processing and releasing the emotions of guilt and sadness. You can get access to this workshop and all the extra things I have in there for only $27. Go to www.stoptalkingstartfeeling.com to check it out. If you are a grieving mother and looking for others who know the pain of child loss, come join my free Grieving Moms Community Facebook group: www.meganhillukka.com/community

In this episode, I have a special guest, Erica McAfee, a grief specialist and doula, who really puts grief and loss and recovery into perspective. This is the perfect episode to end the 2020 year. You will hear Erica talk about how we have all lost something in 2020. We all lost the expectation of what 2020 would have been. She has some excellent tips that you can use in any stage of your life to cope with challenges and find your path forward.   I have not given enough attention to miscarriage and pregnancy loss on the podcast. Miscarriage and stillbirth can be a scary topic, especially if you are currently pregnant. The truth is that miscarriage and stillbirth are more common than you would think. The chances are that if you've never experienced this, that somebody close to you has, even if they haven't shared that with you. If you are listening to this episode and you experienced a miscarriage or a stillbirth, or any type of loss this year my heart goes out to you.   You can read the full article and resources that accompany this episode by clicking here.   For more evidence-based information, visit the Pregnancy Podcast website.

Listen in as I chat with Erica McAfee. Erica’s story of motherhood is incredibly difficult, she has experienced significant loss and yet she speaks with such hope and joy. Erica shares honestly about what someone who is new to this grief journey can expect, what she wishes she had known about grief and what misconceptions exist about life after loss. She also shares about the work she does for an organization she founded called Sisters in Loss, why she is passionate about doulas, what role they serve and why they are important. We also spend some time talking about the disparities that exist for women of color in regards to maternal health care -- she helps me understand how we can raise awareness about the staggering numbers that exist and what we can do to become advocates for these women. This episode is incredibly helpful and eye opening and full of so much hope as Erica finishes out our time together by saying “God has not forgotten you.”  -- QUESTIONS WE DISCUSS You have walked through so much in regards to maternal health and baby loss -- will you share your story with us? What would you tell a mom who is new to this grief journey about what to expect in regards to life after miscarriage or infant loss? What do you wish you had known or someone had told you? What do you think the biggest misconceptions surrounding baby loss and grief are? You are doing a great work advocating and raising awareness surrounding black infant and maternal mortality and health -- why is this an important topic we should be discussing and advocating for? You founded an organization called Sisters In Loss -- tell me about your work there. How can we get involved? How do we become advocates?  What encouragement would you give to another mom who is grieving? -- SHOW NOTES www.themorning.com/blog/episode098 YOU ARE NOT ALONE | Join the Community www.themorning.com/community  

Erica McAfee is a birth and bereavement doula who works with women at every stage of trying to conceive. Not only is she a practicing doula, she trains doulas through her incredible program as well! She is the founder of Sisters in Loss, a podcast and platform that encourages black women to replace silence with story telling. I am sure you can guess her own experiences led her down this path and she tells us all about her story in the episode. It is as triumphant as it is heartbreaking. I’m in complete awe of Erica, her strength, and the love she brings to our community each and every day with her knowledge and gifts. Follow Erica Follow Sisters in Loss Listen to Sisters in Loss podcast 

It's Black Maternal Mental Health Week! Black mothers are much more likely to suffer a pregnancy or infant loss, and also more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth. The emotional and mental weight of these losses is heavy and ever present for Black mothers in America (and many other countries). There are many factors that influence these statistics, but the over arching truth is that it has to change. And the first step to change is awareness. At Smooth Stones Coaching, we are  here to support all our sisters who have endured loss.  I am honored to have as my guest Erica McAfee. Erica is a mom of two babies in heaven and one miracle child. She is an advocate for Black maternal mental health and grief support. She is an educator, speaker, and podcaster at Sisters in Loss, where she shares stories of loss and hope. Erica also trains birth and bereavement doulas. She is a classically trained violinist and lover of Jesus Christ. You can find out more about Erica and Sisters in loss here: www.sistersinloss.com Instagram.com/sistersinloss bit.ly/sistersinlossfb instagram.com/EricaMMcAfee www.ericammcafee.com The book Erica mentioned is Medical Bondage by Deidre Cooper Owens If you have any questions, let me know here: https://smoothstonescoaching.com/work-with-me If you would like to share your baby's story on the podcast, submit here: https://smoothstonescoaching.com/podcast-submissions For a free 30 minute session, click here to schedule:  https://smoothstonescoaching.com/free_mini Music provided by ZingDog / Pond5 Photo provided by Erica McAfee

In episode 26, we are joined by founder and host of the Sisters In Loss digital media platform Erica McAfee. Erica's journey to motherhood is a perfect example of turning pain into purpose. After suffering multiple losses, Erica began to question why she and her husband were victims to such tragedies and what it all meant. The birth of her premature son Maxwell, brought new meaning and a never-ending well of Joy into her life she never imagined.Erica is a grief specialist and Doula to families impacted by loss and fertility. Sisters In Loss podcast has been serving women since 2017 and is a place where black women replace silence with storytelling around pregnancy, infant-loss, and infertility.Join us as we connect and heal to turn pain into purpose!Tap here for show notes!Check out the discussion I had with Erica on Sisters In Loss here!(https://sistersinloss.com/ep145/)Subscribe, leave a review, and give this podcast a 5 star rating to help spread the message of Connecting & Healing Together through (In)fertility awareness and advocacy!!Episode Highlights:02:23- Multiple losses09:43- Ready to try again13:40- The joy of life15:49- Caring for Maxwell during COVID1919:29- Sisters In Loss is born

Some experiences are extremely difficult to talk about, some are hard to even think about. These experiences are sometimes described as being unspeakable, but when nobody speaks about something it can become difficult to heal, and it can be extremely lonely. This is what happens when someone has a miscarriage – also known as a pregnancy loss. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, an early pregnancy loss is common and occurs in 10% of all clinically recognized pregnancies and approximately 80% of all cases of pregnancy loss occur within the first trimester. Regardless of the timing of the miscarriage or how many, it’s still difficult. So how do you recover emotionally after a pregnancy loss? How do you find the strength to keep trying or move forward? In today’s episode, we hear from Erica McAfee, the host of the podcast, Sister’s in Loss. Erica suffered two devastating miscarriages during the early years of her marriage and now she’s dedicated her life to helping others who’ve had a similar experience. She’s building a community of women to, “talk about our relationships, treatments, medications, and a lot of the issues that a lot of black women and women of color are having in trying to get and stay pregnant.” Today’s episode is hosted by Selena Campbell, Manager of Member Services at Progyny. For more information, visit Progyny's Podcast page and Progyny’s resources on how to handle a miscarriage. Have a question, comment, or want to share your story? Email us at thisisinfertility@progyny.com

Erica McAfee is the host of Sisters In Loss and knows all to well how it feels to be a grieving mother and has gotten all sorts of comments that helped and didn't help during that time. Whether we are experiencing grief ourselves or know someone who is, it's helpful to know what to say and knowing that being a good listener will help address these situations appropriately. Erica is a founder of Sisters in Loss, LLC, a faith based Pregnancy Loss Grief Coaching & Doula Service Company that helps women replace silence with storytelling around miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and infertility. Sisters in Loss provides birth and bereavement doula services, infertility and grief coaching services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear and into trust and peace after loss.  Not all cliche's offer comfort Erica McAfee Follow Erica! Sisters In Loss Erica's Website

www.ericammcafee.com www.sistersinloss.mn.co @EricaMMcAfee @SistersinLoss

In episode 30, Erica McAfee shares her personal and professional life with us. She's experienced child loss and infertility- but has decided to use her experience to journey with other women going through similar circumstances in her roles as a podcast host, Doula, and Grief & Pregnancy Loss Coach. I love that she is so committed to this cause and to bringing awareness to such important issues.

***TRIGGER WARNING*** Miscarriage, infant loss, infertility...they all bring up strong emotions and an unbearable grief of what could have been and potentially of what is wrong with you. Erica McAfee, a grief and infant loss coach, the podcast host for Sisters in Loss, as well as a birth and bereavement doula speaks to offering a way to move beyond grief and find healing through storytelling and finding hope again. Self care is needed during those crucial moments and can be a source of healing and provide the ability to move forward. Apologies for the technical difficulties, hopefully they are not too distracting for your listening pleasure! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/themasterfulartofselfcare/support

Pregnancy loss and infertility can be so hard on a marriage. It can either tear the couple apart or bring them closer together. In fact it is said that almost 80% of couples who experience a miscarriage or infertility end up in divorce. In this month of love we will be featuring 4 couples showing by prayer, faith in God, and a strong commitment to stay together their marriages endured the hard times of pregnancy loss and infertility. In today’s episode I bring my husband Brandon O. McAfee on to talk about our challenges growing our family, raising a special needs child, and how we have weather the storm 7 years married and after our first loss. We discuss these last 3 weeks and how we spent 10 days in the hospital with our son fighting off a virus. How our village came to surround us with love, how we manage burn out, and ensure we are pouring into ourselves as well as into each other. Brandon’s BioThe Reverend Brandon McAfee is the proud Pastor of Gaskins Chapel African Methodist Church (A.M.E) in Onancock, Virginia where the Right Reverend James L. Davis is the Presiding Bishop of the Second Episcopal District and Rev. Chester W. Morris is the Presiding Elder of the Norfolk-Eastern Shore District. Pastor McAfee was born in Cheverly, Maryland to Kyle and Cheryl McAfee. He is married to Erica McAfee and is the father of two heavenly angels, and a son, Master Maxwell McAfee. He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Massachusetts- Amherst, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and in 2010 he earned his Master’s of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. It was at UMass, that Rev. McAfee joined B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), a ministry that would change his life forever. His first ministry assignment would be as a bible study leader at B.A.S.I.C. and a guest preacher at their Sunday Services. Through these experiences, he accepted his call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the age of 21. Rev. McAfee is guided by his favorite scripture, Proverbs 18:16, “A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.” Rev. McAfee has a heart to serve God’s people and is a humble laborer of God. His passion is to offer holistic ministry to meet the needs of all people. Join the Sisters in Loss in DC for the Annual Sisters in Loss Brunch on Saturday, April 13, 2019! Tickets are on sale NOW! Book Recommendations and Links Below You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations You can follow Brandon on Social Instagram @BrandonOMcAfee Facebook @BrandonOMcAfee Gaskins Chapel Website You can follow Erica on Social Join the Sister's in Loss Facebook Group Erica's Website Erica's Instagram Erica's Facebook Erica's Twitter

Erica McAfee, creator of Sisters in Loss — a community that serves as a safe space for Black women to share their experiences, their grief, or whatever they need to and to get support after the loss of a child -- shares her journey after losing her own child, what some women go through when they have their “rainbow children,” the importance of creating a space for support and what it means to create a business that reflects your personal experience.

Infertility, pregnancy loss, infant and maternal mortality----none of these are topics that we enjoy talking about, but the number of women and families affected by these obstacles is astounding. For African-American women, there is a stigma attached to these issues, and the compounding problem of their voices not being heard.Today’s show addresses these topics and more in honor of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.   Erica McAfee is the founder of Sisters in Loss, LLC, a faith-based grief and pregnancy loss coaching company that helps black women turn their pain into purpose after loss.   Sisters in Loss provides consulting and coaching services to help women step beyond anxiety and fear into trust and peace after loss. The Sisters In Loss goal through courses, retreats, and conferences is to help women minimize regrets, maximize memories, and manage their path forward after loss. Their self-titled podcast spotlights faith-filled black women who share miscarriage, infant loss, and infertility stories and testimonies to heal, gain clarity and peace, find hope, and become victorious after loss. Launched in August 2017, the podcast has a community of 5000+ Sisters in Loss.   Erica is a Grief and Pregnancy Loss coach, pastor’s wife, and Mom to two angels in heaven and one rainbow baby, Maxwell, also known as Super Mighty Max. She is an alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned a BS degree in Chemical Engineering.   Show Highlights:   How Erica found podcasts a few years ago when she had a long commute to work each day, but she couldn’t find one that told the stories that aligned with what she and her friends had experienced with traumatic loss The year-old podcast shares weekly stories of real women of color and how faith helps them gain clarity, peace, and learning Erica’s coaching work with those still early in their loss experience or those in pregnancy after loss How loss affects everyone around you How the podcast helps African-American women know what questions to ask their medical professionals, no matter where they are in their journey to parenthood The example set by celebrities recently who have shared their pregnancy and birth stories The power of storytelling in healing the pain of loss How the podcast helps support women through the grieving process by building a community Seeing success stories of others helps people in their personal experiences How Erica and her guests share their faith on the podcast and the role faith plays in the journey to healing How the podcast gives scripture, tools, and resources for support How some people going through loss cling to faith and others push it away Sometimes the grieving process isn’t “over and done” and we tend to shove those feelings down because we feel guilty holding onto them What we should know about supporting women of color through loss: Maternal and infant mortality is an issue that African-American women face 3-4 times more than other races Why black women are not taken seriously by their medical providers and their voices aren’t being heard Erica’s message to friends and family of those who have lost: Continue to check on loved ones who have gone through loss, because they may have deep, dark moments. Be a listening ear for your loved ones. How healing requires you to do the work   Resources:   Find Erica and Sisters in Loss: www.ericammcafee.com www.ericammcafee.com/podcast www.sistersinloss.com www.instagram.com/ericammcafee www.facebook.com/ericammcafee’   https://www.ericammcafee.com/summit   Find out about Erica’s free healing and prayer summit, Oct. 15-19   Therapy for Black Girls, a podcast by Dr. Joy Harden Bradford

In Virginia, black women die in childbirth three times more often than women of any other race. Is there a racial disparity in medical care? What is the cause and what can we do about it? Cathy will be talking to Dr. Lea Porche of EVMS, Virginian Pilot reporter Katherine Hafner, and community activist Erica McAfee about this critical issue. We hope you'll join us at noon on 89.5 WHRV-FM. You can always get your questions in to the show early by emailing, tweeting, or calling us at 440-2665 or (800) 940-2240.