Podcasts about infant loss awareness month

Send us a textHOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie's website, join the podcast's Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.About this week's episodeWelcome to a special series of podcast episodes in honor of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple, published in 2014. To mark this milestone, I'm reconnecting with the same parents I initially interviewed for the book, offering a unique opportunity to revisit their stories and gain a deeper understanding of their journeys—now, with the perspective of a decade. The month of October was Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, this series is dedicated to showcasing how grieving parents have coped with their loss and trauma over the years. These episodes aim to offer a long-term view of life after the loss of a pregnancy or infant, providing comfort, insight and hope to those who may still be navigating their grief.Additionally, I'm excited to offer Healing Steps, my audio course, at 25% off. I decided to extend this offer for another two months until the end of December. Use the coupon code HSOCT24 to access the course and begin your journey toward healing.About this week's guestAlexa Bigwarte is Kathryn's mother. Here is what Alexa shared in response to the biggest things that have changed about your grief over the 10 years: “Everything. My loss was relatively new when we first talked, now it's been almost 13 years. I see grief through a different lens. It's not raw anymore; my focus is completely on healing and continuing to heal, not staying stuck in the pain.”Alexa Bigwarfe is an author, speaker, publishing consultant, and community builder. Her writing career began after her infant daughter passed away at two days old, and she turned to writing for healing. Her first book, Sunshine After the Storm, A Survival Guide for the Grieving Mother, has helped thousands of grieving mothers. Her most recent tool for grieving mothers, Sisterhood of the Healing Hearts: Permission to Thrive, A 6-Month Guided Journal for GSupport the showFind support: Transforming Your Grief Course Support the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBook Book a Discovery Call Leave a review Follow on socials: Instagram Facebook Website

Whether you have lost a pregnancy, an infant or an older child, or you know of someone who has, this episode is for you.  Today, we honor Infant Loss Awareness Month with a very moving conversation with author, Chris Manion.   We answer questions like: How do you incorporate the loss into your life? What are good strategies for seeking support? Which commonly held beliefs around pregnancy and telling the family may need to be re-considered? What do you say to someone who has lost? About Chris: Chris Manion is an award winning speaker and author of three books. You can find her book, The Light We Cannot See here: https://a.co/d/3ERa1r9 More resources for pregnancy and infant loss: Postpartum Support International (PSI) has pregnancy and infant loss support groups. Loss & Grief in Pregnancy & Postpartum | Postpartum Support International (PSI): https://www.postpartum.net PSI also lists resources such as · Compassionate Friends - comfort for loss of any child/grandchild; (has Spanish/other language versions) · Miscarriage Matters community, · M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death) is a Christian non-profit, · Miscarriage for Men, · Hope MOMMIES non-profit, · Rachel's Gift · helpline 800-944-4773, · tool to track your symptoms to discuss with a medical provider, · Sisters in Loss replaces silence with storytelling around pregnancy infant loss, and infertility of black women · Stay Legacy Foundation – virtual grief support groups including Spanish

Today's top headlines: Dorchester School District Two to update policy regarding electronic devices  Charleston Co. schools agree to Union Pier TIF with conditions  Berkeley Co. officials meeting with community to discuss old St. Stephen schoolNorth Charleston introducing skate park near Park Circle  FEMA to open disaster recovery center in Beaufort County this week  Berkeley County to add voting machines to ease early voting lines  Man sentenced for burning, cutting body of Georgetown man  Former SC State student charged in 2023 shooting  Lowcountry community honors Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month 

Send us a textIn this episode, we sit down with Dr. Ari Baratz to discuss recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. Dr. Baratz discusses the incidence of RPL, its causes, the emotional and medical impact on patients, and what RPL means for your family-building plans. At Fertility Matters Canada, our hearts are with everyone who has experienced the profound loss of a pregnancy or infant. We honor the strength, resilience, and love that carry you forward, and we're here to support you every step of the way.About Dr. Ari BaratzDr. Ari Baratz has been dedicated to women's health and reproductive medicine for over twenty years. He is one of a select few physicians in Canada with the accreditation and advanced level of training required for caring for people with infertility and recurrent miscarriages.Upon joining CReATe, Dr. Baratz assumed a faculty position in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Toronto. Dr. Baratz has played an integral role in the Department of Gynecology at the New Women's College Hospital, University of Toronto. He is a leader in Ambulatory Gynecology and Surgical education and has mentored many students, residents, and fellows in reproductive medicine.Through CReATe, Women's College Hospital, and the University of Toronto, Dr. Baratz continues his research in medical education and several aspects of clinical infertility and reproductive endocrinology. Focused on providing ‘patient-centered' fertility care, Dr. Baratz's clinical interests include providing all forms of assisted reproductive technologies, reproductive endoscopic (minimally invasive) surgery, and Reproductive Telemedicine (Ontario Telemedicine Network). A compassionate practitioner and dedicated researcher, Dr. Baratz has presented his research at several national and international forums. Dr. Baratz has a special interest in all forms of third-party reproduction, including anonymous and known egg/sperm donation and surrogacy. He has provided consultations on reproductive medicine matters for intended parents throughout Ontario, across Canada, and internationally.Dr. Baratz is an active member of the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Ontario, the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada, the Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists of Canada, the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Canadian Fertility & Andrology Society, and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Baratz has been an Executive Board member for the Women's College Hospital, Medical Staff Association, the Women's College Hospital Alternate Funding Plan, and Chair of the Ontario Medical Association Reproductive Biology Section.First Response Canada Afynia Laboratories, a Canadian biotechnology company, is pleased to announce the availability of EndomiR, the first validated diagnostic blood test for endometriosis. Afynia is currently offering EndomiR to Canadian fertility clinics for patients with unexplained infertility and/or symptoms suggestive of endometriosis. EndomiR shortens the diagnostic pathway by providing physicians with actionable data to inform safe and effective treatment options. This episode is sponsored by First Response Canada.

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie's website, join the podcast's Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.About this week's episodeWelcome to a special series of podcast episodes in honour of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple, published in 2014. To mark this milestone, I'm reconnecting with the same parents I initially interviewed for the book, offering a unique opportunity to revisit their stories and gain a deeper understanding of their journeys—now, with the perspective of a decade.In recognition of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, this series is dedicated to showcasing how grieving parents have coped with their loss and trauma over the years. These episodes aim to offer a long-term view of life after the loss of a pregnancy or infant, providing comfort, insight and hope to those who may still be navigating their grief.Additionally, I'm excited to offer Healing Steps, my audio course, at 25% off this month. Use the coupon code HSOCT24 to access the course and begin your journey toward healing.About this week's guestKiley Hanish is Norbert's mother. Kiley shares with us: “Ten years ago, I was just at the beginning of my healing journey. Everything has changed since then. I have processed my loss, integrated into my being, found community with other loss parents, and become an advocate for change through Return to Zero: HOPE.” (Check out the link.)Resources mentioned in this episodeThe Land After Loss metaphor appears in another episode (E81 and 82) and is part of my audio-guided course Healing Steps (https://bit.ly/HealingSteps). Support the showFind support: Transforming Your Grief Course Support the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBook Book a Discovery Call Leave a review Follow on socials: Instagram Facebook Website

In this episode of Hera Health Hub, Rach shares her personal experience with an ectopic pregnancy. She walks through each stage, from the initial surprise of a positive test to the need for emergency surgery. By opening up about her journey, Rach aims to bring awareness to Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, encouraging others to feel supported and informed about ectopic pregnancies and early loss.Rach also shares a “Kitchen Confession” in our segment where we share funny or embarrassing kitchen mishaps. From burnt dinners to culinary disasters, we embrace the imperfect moments and find humour in the kitchen. Send in your Kitchen Confession HEREIf you or someone you know is dealing with pregnancy or infant loss, there are organisations that offer support and guidance during this difficult time:The Pink Elephants Support Network: Provides emotional support and resources for women and families who have experienced pregnancy loss.Red Nose Grief and Loss: Offers 24/7 support for anyone affected by miscarriage, stillbirth, and newborn death.Bears of Hope: Professional grief counsellors, free of charge for those experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.Miscarriage Information Support Service: Miscarriage resources including free care packages and advice for family and loved ones to supportIf you are in a crisis situation, please call Lifeline (13 11 14), Beyond Blue (1300 224 636), or 000 immediately.Don't forget to like, follow and leave us a review on your podcast platform so we can reach and help more people just like you! Find Us: Instagram: Heranutrition_ Tiktok: Heranutrition_ Website: heranutrition.com.au Get in touch: hello@heranutrition.com.auHave you downloaded our freebies yet?Download our FREE Endometriosis Breakfast Recipe eBook HERE.Download our FREE Fertility Wellness Handbook HERE.Download our FREE Starting Solids Checklist HERE. Disclaimer: Information shared on The Hera Health Hub Podcast is general in nature and should not replace individualised advice from a health professional. Professional medical advice should be obtained before making any decisions regarding your health. Hera Nutrition absolves itself of any responsibility or legal liability for any harm or damages that may arise as a consequence of following any of the recommendations or suggestions presented in this podcast episode.Note: The music featured in our podcast intro and outro was provided by Suno.

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie's website, join the podcast's Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.About this week's episodeWelcome to a special series of podcast episodes in honour of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple, published in 2014. To mark this milestone, I'm reconnecting with the same parents I initially interviewed for the book, offering a unique opportunity to revisit their stories and gain a deeper understanding of their journeys—now, with the perspective of a decade.In recognition of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, this series is dedicated to showcasing how grieving parents have coped with their loss and trauma over the years. These episodes aim to offer a long-term view of life after the loss of a pregnancy or infant, providing comfort, insight and hope to those who may still be navigating their own grief.Additionally, I'm excited to offer Healing Steps, my audio course, at 25% off this month. Use the coupon code HSOCT24 to access the course and begin your journey toward healing.About this week's guestMartina Sandles is Hannah's mother, who would have been 39 years old this year. Here is what she shares with me all these years later: “Quite a few of my friends had weddings or became grandparents and are involved with a little once again. I am grieving the lost dream of all those milestones we didn't get to experience with her, and I still wonder what kind of woman she would have been and what path in life she would have chosen. We could see characteristics emerging and loved her personality, traits I feel we need in the world. It is more a dream of the 'what ifs' and wishing that her siblings would have had a big sister to go to or who would have modelled things for them. Hannah, and my/our living with her till her death, has shaped me and my development so much, I wonder what parts of me would have lived on in her. Not that this is passed on consciously, but by living with each other, sharing values and ways of living.”Support the showFind support: Transforming Your Grief Course Support the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBook Book a Discovery Call Leave a review Follow on socials: Instagram Facebook Website

HOW TO DEAL WITH GRIEF AND TRAUMA is completely self-funded, produced, and edited by me, Nathalie Himmelrich. Consider making a small donation to support the Podcast: bit.ly/SupportGTPodcast. Thank you! For more information, please visit Nathalie's website, join the podcast's Instagram page, and subscribe to the newsletter to receive updates on future episodes here.About this week's episodeWelcome to a special series of podcast episodes in honor of the 10th anniversary of my first book, Grieving Parents: Surviving Loss as a Couple, published in 2014. To mark this milestone, I'm reconnecting with the same parents I initially interviewed for the book, offering a unique opportunity to revisit their stories and gain a deeper understanding of their journeys—now, with the perspective of a decade.In recognition of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, this series is dedicated to showcasing how grieving parents have coped with their loss and trauma over the years. These episodes aim to offer a long-term view of life after the loss of a pregnancy or infant, providing comfort, insight and hope to those who may still be navigating their own grief.Additionally, I'm excited to offer Healing Steps, my audio course, at 25% off this month. Use the coupon code HSOCT24 to access the course and begin your own journey toward healing. (https://www.griefandtraumaacademy.com/healing-steps-course)About this week's guestHelping people through grief is Rachel's passion. After her twin baby daughters Aubrey and Ellie died in 2008, she made a promise to them that she'd learn how to heal after loss and share what she learned with everyone who wants to heal too. Rachel has spent more than a decade making good on her promise and has helped hundreds of clients build a meaningful and purposeful life after loss.Resources mentioned in this episodeOther episodes with Rachel:  S1 E1 Why and How Healing Is Possible S5 E50 Cultivating Healing Versus Coping Mechanism Support the showFind support: Transforming Your Grief Course Support the show: Become a supporter of the show! Starting at $3/month Join Facebook Group - Grief and Trauma Support Network Download the FREE grief resource eBook Book a Discovery Call Leave a review Follow on socials: Instagram Facebook Website

Summary In this episode, Jess shares a harrowing experience of a hospital visit with Amari, highlighting the importance of safety and quick decision-making in parenting. The discussion transitions into family dynamics, the challenges of managing health and medication, and the excitement of kids' sports activities. Jess also reflects on a birthday celebration for her partner, followed by a shocking dating story shared by Savanna, emphasizing the need for thorough research when meeting new people. Savanna and Jess reflect on their high school experiences, sharing nostalgic memories and humorous anecdotes about their time at a private Christian school. They delve into the eerie aspects of their old school, including its haunted history and the lack of supervision during their gym classes. The discussion transitions to the impact of their upbringing on their parenting styles, particularly regarding issues of modesty and gender expectations. Jess opens up about her personal experiences with pregnancy and infant loss, emphasizing the importance of awareness and support for those going through similar struggles. The conversation is a blend of humor, reflection, and heartfelt sharing, highlighting the complexities of growing up and navigating adulthood. For more resources for Pregnancy & Infant loss, go to https://www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancyandinfantlossmonth Follow, Like, Subscribe: @mrsjessicadurand @savannaosborne @thisisntapodcast

Welcome to Lady Bites, a short and sweet podcast hosted by three female doctors passionate about Women's Health. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and at 7pm on October 15th, candles, monuments, landmarks, and buildings around the world will be lit in memory of babies lost. In recognition of this, we continue our discussion on the often misunderstood topic of miscarriage.  In the second of two episodes, we focus on the emotional and psychological impact of pregnancy loss, including the grieving process, available support systems, and the journey of pregnancy after miscarriage. We'll also cover the management of miscarriage from a medical point of view, discussing treatment options and next steps. This is a topic that is rarely spoken about, leaving many feeling isolated in their pain. Our goal is to provide comfort, understanding, and to remind you that you're not alone.  Resources ⁠https://www.miscarriage.ie⁠ ⁠https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie/⁠ ⁠www2.hse.ie/conditions/miscarriage⁠ ⁠https://feileacain.ie/⁠ ⁠https://www.tommys.org/⁠ Tune in for an honest conversation about a subject that deserves more attention.  Special thanks to Jeremy Roske for the soundtrack, A Little Love, available on Spotify

For Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, Tara welcomes Michelle Valiukenas, a mother, advocate, and founder of The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation. After the loss of her angel daughter, Colette, Michelle started the foundation, which provides financial aid, education, and advocacy to support families navigating high-risk pregnancies, NICU stays, and loss. Michelle's mission is to create a world where every choice, parent, and family is supported and empowered. In this raw conversation, Tara and Michelle explore topics like infertility, pregnancy loss, infant loss, and the importance of community.  This episode is a must-listen for anyone who has experienced pregnancy loss or infant loss, or knows someone who has. Links: www.colettelouise.com Facebook: @colettetisdahl Instagram: @colettelouisetisdahl Twitter: @thetisdahl Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-colette-louise-tisdahl-foundation/

Stillbirth affects about 1 in 175 births, and each year about 21,000 babies are stillborn in the United States. This month is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Leslie Shannehan is a volunteer at Bridgeport Hospital, working with mothers who have lost an infant. She shared ways the hospital is helping parents grieve the loss of a child, including a recent donation of a bassinet-type device called “cuddlecot.” Image Credit: Getty Images

It's October...now what? This month is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and each one of us acknowledges it differently. In today's eisode I'm breaking down what this month is all about, what options are available, and the top 10 questions I see people struggling to answer when it comes to HOW the heck we "celebrate" thirty-one days that can seem to require a lot from our already broken hearts.   Get support from Amy! Click HERE Follow me on Instagram! @amy.smoothstonescoaching Visit my website. Photo by Canva Music by ZingDog on Pond5

Welcome to Lady Bites, a short and sweet podcast hosted by three female doctors passionate about Women's Health. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. In recognition of this, we aim to bring clarity to the often misunderstood topic of miscarriage. This is a topic that is rarely spoken about, leaving many who go through it feeling isolated and alone. Our goal is to shed light on this struggle, provide support, and remind you that you're not alone in this experience. In the first of two episodes, we cover the causes, types, and medical diagnoses of pregnancy loss. Resources https://www.miscarriage.ie https://pregnancyandinfantloss.ie/ www2.hse.ie/conditions/miscarriage https://feileacain.ie/ https://www.tommys.org/ Tune in for an honest conversation about a subject that deserves more attention. Stay tuned for part two, where we continue our conversation about a subject that deserves more attention, with focus on management options, emotional support and coping strategies. Special thanks to Jeremy Roske for the soundtrack, A Little Love, available on Spotify

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 10 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. It's no surprise that everything we do a Fresh Starts boils down to the concept of support. We are here to bridge the gap between those who need support and those who want to support others. This is especially true when it comes to supporting our loved ones experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. As we talked to these amazing women and experts, we asked them: how can we support someone experiencing loss? What should we say? What shouldn't we say? We have answers for you! (PS. You can find all of our Simple Scripts to Support People for free here!) On this episode, you will hear from: Emily Pardy, LMFT, PMH-C, founder and CEO of Ready Nest Counseling in Nashville, you can hear more from Emily HERE Katherine Aguirre, a OBGYN physician's assistant, Long Island, you can hear more from Katherine HERE Sarah Baroud, LICSW, with a focus on perinatal mental health, founder of Practice Makes Present, and a Fresh Starts Expert, you can hear more from Sarah HERE Katy Huie Harrison, PhD, founder of Undefining Motherhood, you can hear more from Katy HERE Anna Burgess-Yang, you can hear Anna's episodes HERE and HERE Kelly Schricker, you can hear Kelly's episode HERE Alexa, you can hear Alexa's episode HERE Ashley Spivey, you can hear Ashley's episode HERE Laura Malcolm, you can hear Laura's episode HERE, and check out Give InKind HERE Amanda Lauren, you can hear Amanda's episode HERE Jane Kramer, you can hear more from Jane HERE, and the song Child is from Valley of the Bones (2019).

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 9 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. As we learned throughout producing this season, miscarriage is incredibly common, and yet we're not talking about it. So, we're going to talk about it. We talked to four women with vastly different miscarriage stories about their experience with pregnancy loss, and how it impacted the way they moved forward through life. We talked to teacher Alexa about miscarrying during the pandemic lockdown with other children at home. We chatted with Amanda, a writer and interior design expert, about advocating for her own mental and physical health during her loss. Kelly shared her experience of miscarriage and how she grieved the loss of a child she so badly wanted. And, we talked to Jane about how she used music to heal her heart after multiple miscarriages. If you have experienced miscarriage, or are currently experiencing miscarriage, we are holding we close, and we love you. We hope these women help you feel less alone.

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 7 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Laura Malcolm is an innovator, and inventor, a founder, and a mother. Laura is the founder and CEO of Give InKind, which is a incredibly necessary platform to help normalize support for hard life moments (and good ones, too!), by eliminating the overwhelm of supporters coming together to help people through these moments. As you can imagine, we're huge fans of Give InKind, so when the chance to talk to Laura came up for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I jumped at it. You see, Laura is a loss mom, her daughter Layla was stillborn on November 11th, 2013. And, it was Layla's death that ultimately became the impetus for Laura and her husband to found Give InKind. Laura and I talked about why community support is incredibly in tragedy, what it's like to leave the hospital without your baby, how she honors Layla's life and spends time with her these days, and the power of Give InKind to make sure no one feels alone during tragedy. I really appreciated Laura's perspective on grief and life and honoring Layla. Laura, thank you for using your experience with loss to make sure others don't feel alone. And, thank you for sharing Layla with us. We will remember her always. You can read more about Layla in Laura's own words here. You can learn more about Laura and Give InKind on their platform, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 8 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. It's no surprise that we're all about searching out support from Experts when people are experiencing hard life moments, so we turned to the Experts to chat about miscarriage - and why we don't talk about miscarriage. We asked all of the Experts we talked to the same two questions: how common is miscarriage, and if it is so common, why are we not talking about it more? Take a listen to their words and why they think we're not talking about miscarriage, even though it is so common. We talked to: Emily Pardy, LMFT, PMH-C, founder and CEO of Ready Nest Counseling in Nashville Katherine Aguirre, a OBGYN physician's assistant, Long Island Sarah Baroud, LICSW, with a focus on perinatal mental health, founder of Practice Makes Present, and a Fresh Starts Expert Katy Huie Harrison, PhD, founder of Undefining Motherhood

To close out Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I sat down with Tasha Ruholl. Tasha was kind enough to openly share the losses and subsequent grief that she and her husband have endured. She speaks about how it was her grief that drove her to make a difference and help so many other families. Tasha wanted to give the gift of time to any other parents who have to endure the unimaginable path of losing a child by donating cuddle cots to 10 local hospitals. Additionally, she continues to honor their son, Daniel and their other 2 losses by working on the White Lily Project. Along with 3 other mothers who have endured loss, they are raising money to fund an Angel of Hope Statue. The Statue of Hope and healing garden will offer parents/family members who have experienced a pregnancy loss or the loss of an infant/child, a place to honor their loved one and find a sense of community with others who have experienced a similar tragedy. You will not want to miss this episode as we discuss loss and grief, and how beauty and light can be restored within you after enduring a completely unexpected tragedy. Dr. Brown's Medical: https://www.drbrownsmedical.com Our NICU Roadmap: A Comprehensive NICU Journal: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/nicujournal/ NICU Mama Hats: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/hats/ NICU Milestone Cards: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/nicuproducts/ Newborn Holiday Cards: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/shop/ Empowering NICU Parents Show Notes: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/shownotes/ Episode 54 Show Notes: https://empoweringnicuparents.com/episode54 Empowering NICU Parents Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empoweringnicuparents/ Empowering NICU Parents FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/empoweringnicuparents Pinterest Page: https://pin.it/36MJjmH

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 6 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Ashley Spivey is like the older sister that you always wanted, and never know how much you needed, until you meet her, and you wonder how you ever survived without her. Ashley is one of those rare gem humans who is an actual angel on earth. She spends her time on the internet helping people, educating people, and making sure everyone feels supported, heard, and validated. I've been following Ashley for years, as she has wonderful book recommendations, and I remember how excited I was for her when she announced she was pregnant. And then, months later, Ashley shared that her son CJ had been stillborn on November 26th, 2020. My heart dropped. In true form, Ashley shared her experience of losing CJ with honesty, authenticity, and reverence for her grief and unconditional love for her son. When I think of Ashley, I think of the quote, “maybe you've been assigned this mountain to show others it can be moved,” and Ashley has dedicated her life to honoring CJ by changing the world in major ways, including working on bills to change policy for bereavement leave for parents, and education support on stillbirth. I talked to Ashley about leaving the hospital without her son, the impact of social media on processing CJ's death, pregnancy after loss, and how she connects with CJ every day. I'm so proud of Ashley for using her voice to honor CJ and to support so many people. It's an honor to know Ashley and hold space for CJ's story. This conversation will change you, as it has changed us. Ashley, thank you for sharing CJ with us. We will remember him always. You can learn more about Ashley on Instagram.

As we wrap up the month of October which is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, I wanted to take the time to acknowledge all those who have carried and lost a life. Check out this episode to learn not only about coping with pregnancy and infant loss but how to prepare for your next pregnancy after a loss. This is a topic we don't talk about enough. Know that you don't have to suffer in silence. Download the episode now, and feel free to join in the conversation by sharing your comments on the #pregnancypearls social media platforms or via email.

An estimated one in four women will suffer loss of a child during pregnancy or infancy, opening a well of grief and sorrow that touches parents, families and their wider circles. As Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month is now marked, Exit Strategy Host Stephanie Garry speaks with Perry-Lynn Moffitt — author of the influential […] The post The Silent Sorrow of Pregnancy and Infant Loss appeared first on Plaza Jewish Community Chapel.

In honor of October being Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, Michael joins Kathryn today for a quick chat on how father's and mother's grieve differently during a pregnancy loss. Tune in to hear their experiences after four miscarriages together. Follow me on Instagram:Kathryn @kathryn_benkoHeart + Sole @heartandsolepodcastSole Fitness @sole_fitnessSign up for the Sole Online Training App! Use coupon code 'SOLE20' for 20% off your first month!!Follow Taylor on Instagram: @michael_benkoEpisode sponsored by Magic Mind!Head to https://www.magicmind.com/sole and get up to 56% off your subscription for the next 10 days with my code: SOLE20

I am so honored to highlight my friend, Cass, and share her story of stillborn loss. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and I'm incredibly grateful to Cass for saying yes to sharing her story of resilience and hope. You'll hear her journey through multiple miscarriages, fertility treatments with IUI and heartbreaking loss of her stillborn babies. This episode touched me deeply and I hope it may for you as well.  Cass reflects on the joys she celebrates being a "Bonus Mom," the strength she embodies, the new joys she discovered that assisted in her healing and so much more. It's a rich conversation full of heart.  Enjoy xo Connect with Cass!https://www.instagram.com/janeandbeanltd/You're Invited!! JOIN the 2024 MOON MAGIC & MANIFESTATION community https://ivfmanifestingamiracle.com/moon-magic-2024CONNECT with Lisa & get IVF COACHING SUPPORT https://ivfmanifestingamiracle.com BOOK a complimentary DISCOVERY CALL: https://ivfmanifestingamiracle.as.me/20-min-discovery-callFERTILTIY HYPNOTHERAPY SUPPORThttps://ivfmanifestingamiracle.com/hypnotherapy-programORDER BOOK: ‘HOLD ON, BABY! A Soulful Guide to Navigating the Ups & Downs of Infertility & IVF.'https://ivfmanifestingamiracle.com/holdonbabyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivf.manifesting.a.miracle/LISTEN to the PODCAST on Apple and Spotify:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulful-ivf/id1661561097**Please Rate the show & Subscribe! THANK YOU so much for your Reviews of the podcast - It means the absolute world! Music Credit Closing Song by Sam Costigan. Follow her on Spotify and IG ...

** WARNING** During this episode, we discuss infant loss, suicide, and grief **PROCEED WITH CAUTION** On a recent Sunday morning in October, I sat down with my long-time friend and colleague, Angela Gonzales. The month of October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and we brought awareness to this all too common and often minimized topic by remembering Angela's son, Daniel. Daniel was born to Angela and her husband David on June 9th, 2010 at 32 weeks gestation and lived for just three hours, dying from polycystic kidney disease. This tragic event started Angela on a path that she never asked for but has ultimately proven to be the best healing medicine she never knew she needed. It was Fred Rogers who said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'" And that perfectly personifies Angela. She had a long history of helping families as a postpartum nurse but she took it one step further and founded her non-profit, A Legacy of Love, and began helping women weather the storm of infant loss. We didn't just talk about Daniel that Sunday morning in my closet; we celebrated him. Yes, you heard me right, I said celebrated. Though Daniel lived just a few short hours, his legacy of love lives on in his family and in the work Angela does to ease the suffering of others who have experienced this deep loss. In the five-minute snippet: Angela is going to need more land! For Angela's bio and bookshop, visit my website (link below).A Legacy of Love websiteALOL Facebook GroupContact The Conversing Nurse podcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconversingnursepodcast/Website: https://theconversingnursepodcast.comGive me feedback! Leave me a review! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/leave-me-a-reviewWould you like to be a guest on my podcast? Pitch me! https://theconversingnursepodcast.com/intake-formCheck out my guests' book recommendations! https://bookshop.org/shop/theconversingnursepodcast Email: theconversingnursepodcast@gmail.comThank you and I'll see you soon!

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 5 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Jena Graham is an academic coordinator for special education programs. She's a mother, and a wife. And, to me, Jena is the cool older girl on my dorm freshman year of college. That's where I met Jena, 20 years ago. When I found myself feeling lost and confused those first few weeks of school, Jena, with her cool and collected confidence, and her roomate, Leanna, took me under their wing. Jena was a year older than me, and she had an attitude about her I admired. She didn't care what people thought of her, she just did her thing and everyone else could either get on board, or get out of the way. Jena and I had many sociology classes together, and over the next 3 years, became great friends. Jena was like the older sister I never had, and I adored her. As life continued on, and Facebook let me know, that Jena married a man named Geoff, she had a son, named Max. And then, in January of 2020, she had a son named Charlie. Charlie was born January 8th, 2020, and passed away 3 days later. My heart simply broke for Jena, and I thought of her and Charlie often. I had been posting on social media about producing this series about infant loss, and Jena reached out to thank me for using our platform to share these stories. I asked if she would like to come talk about Charlie, and she did. I'm in awe of Jena's strength, her honesty, and her desire to keep talking about the hard stuff so that other people don't feel alone. We talked about Charlie's life, how he inspires her, and her advice for anyone experiencing infant loss is profound, to say the least. Jena, thank you for sharing Charlie with us. We will remember him always.

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in this episode we have a very special conversation with Brianne Edwards. Bri talks about the unexpected loss of her son and the depths of grief that followed as part of her mission to bring connection, comfort, and hope to other grieving families. Bri is a wife, mother of six, and founder of Lach's Legacy, a nonprofit created in memory of her son. She comes to the table with a Bachelor's in Psychology, a Master's Degree as a Physician Assistant, and a Compassionate Bereavement Care Certification. Bri lives with her family in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Bri's book: A Thousand Pounds: Finding the Strength to Live and Love Under the Weight Of Unbearable Loss is available here: www.athousandpoundsbook.com Find out more about Lach's Legacy here: www.lachslegacy.org Follow Bri on social media: Facebook: @lachslegacy @briedwardsauthor Instagram: @lachslegacy Don't forget to rate and review our podcast, and spread the word so that more people know it exists. We'd love to help as many grievers as possible through this hardest time of their lives. Visit our websites: carolyngowercoaching.com & johnpolocoaching.com to learn more about our work. For added support in a caring community, join our FREE Facebook Group by clicking here : https://www.facebook.com/groups/696138811624151/?ref=share WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP US KEEP OUR PODCAST GOING? MONTHLY SUPPORTERS receive the following: $4.99 USD - Receive our deepest gratitude for your support & buy a coffee for John and a green tea for Carolyn to keep us going while we're recording.  $9.99 USD - Receive our deepest gratitude PLUS extra perks that will only be available to our supporters. Visit johnpolocoaching.com to become a My Person Died Too supporter.

Kacie and Gianna have the pleasure of interviewing Ashley Gordon who tells her journey through unexplained infertility and multiple rounds of IVF before welcoming a little boy. Using both the scientific tools and knowledge from doctors as well as opening her own spiritual toolbox, parenthood was a long time manifestation for Ashley but it wasn't without heartache along the way. The three discuss:  Ashley's life pre-parenthood and the curveballs she was thrown as a teenager What her IVF journey revealed to her that required healing The difference between IUI and IVF The worst parts of IVF (both mentally and physically) and the parts that aren't so bad Self-advocacy and its importance in fertility and working with healthcare providers Utilizing plant medicine and spirituality And more Ashley takes us on a powerful journey through her three-year struggle with infertility and her ultimate triumph in becoming a mother. This episode is more than just a story of resilience and perseverance. It's a lesson in manifestation and the power of embracing both the light and darkness within ourselves. Mentioned in this episode: Hold On, Baby!: A Soulful Guide to Riding the Ups and Downs of Infertility and IVF https://springfertility.com/ Connect with Ashley: https://www.instagram.com/thequantum.coach/ https://www.thequantum.coach/ Connect with Kacie & Gianna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ View full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠ Great offers for you from our sponsors: Looking for something that makes life a WHOLE lot easier with the tap of a few buttons? YOHANA is it. We are happy to be a YOHANA ambassador and bring you a concierge service for families– think, planning meals and grocery lists, ordering birthday cakes, sourcing and sending gifts, finding qualified vendors in your area, etc.-- for one low price a month. Get your first month of services for just $49 (hello, no brainer!) when you use the code YOMOTHERUP. Check it out here: ⁠⁠⁠https://glnk.io/5w2qk/motheruppod⁠⁠

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Today Emily, Joanne and Lisa come together in conversation about their personal experiences with miscarriage in an effort to help moms in our community feel less alone. If this topic is heavy for you, our hearts are with you. Thank you to our team members for sharing their stories, and to each of your for listening.HELPFUL LINKS:Get to know Lisa, Joanne and Emily from our contributor team.Follow Lisa Payne on InstagramFollow Joanne Ruelos Diaz on InstagramFollow Emily Roark on InstagramClick Here to find a therapist in your area. There's a search bar that makes it really easy to search by issue and location. Resources on Loss & Grief In Pregnancy and Postpartum by Postpartum Support International.Additional resources:Share Pregnancy And Infant Loss SupportSisters In LossReturn To ZeroEpisodes from the archives featuring more on this topic include:Loss, Hope & Healing: One Family's Story Of Turning Grief Into AdvocacyBONUS: A Conversation About Pregnancy Loss With Leeann DearingOTHER HELPFUL LINKS:Visit our websiteCheck out deals from our partnersFollow us on InstagramJoin our private listener group on Facebook (be sure to answer the membership questions!)Sign up for our newsletterSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In honor of October being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, today we are discussing how we can support others through this very hard chapter of their important story.

Womeness Community is honoring Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month with a special and raw conversation with Womeness team member, Amber. In this deeply heartfelt conversation, Amber shares her experience with loss as she has navigated her way through grief, miscarriage and stillbirth, and being stripped away from her identity, job, friends, and purpose. What has now become one of the most transformative soul experiences of her life, was first met with forgiveness of self through compassion and curiosity, sitting with grief, self-love, and being a "unicorn in the medical world".  She shares how she honors the lives of her children she lost and lets us in on the aftermath of fear, hope, and profound love as she shares the light her daughter, Meadow, has brought into this world. She also gives us a sneak peak on a special project she's working on that will provide support to any woman on their TTC or life after loss journey.  Resources from today's episode:   Womb to Soul: Cards For Healing - Coming Soon   Womeness Website   Womeness Events

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 4 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Nikki Dinki is a chef, author, mom, TV Host, and comedy writer. I was first introduced to Nikki when she was on Food Network Star in 2013. She seemed so lovely, relatable, and sweet (spoiler alert: she is). She seemed like someone I'd be friends with. I was pregnant with my first son at the time I watched her on Food Network Star, and so when she announced that she too was pregnant on the season 9 finale, I was so excited for her. My son was born in August, and in the flurry of new parenthood, I forgot that Nikki's child was also due. Months went by, and I started to worry, where was Nikki? Where was the baby? And, then I saw this post on her website. Willa had been stillborn, on her due date, November 25th, 2013. I will never forget reading about the Lemonade Cheesecakes for Willa, and I never forgot Nikki or Willa. My heart broke for her, and I thought often of her and Willa. In the years since, Nikki and I bopped around the same media circles and when it came time to produce this series, I knew I had to talk to Nikki. I wanted to know more about her journey after loss, and of course, about sweet Willa. Almost 10 years later, Nikki describes every moment so honestly, and with such grace and reverence for her daughter. We talked about the quiet that comes with a stillbirth, and how she kept going after Willa's passing, with work – and the incredible importance of mementos. We chatted about how she feels so connected to her daughter and how Willa is with them every day. Nikki's courage, humor, and love for her daughter is palpable, and I was so grateful to get to spend the time with her and Willa. You can read some of Nikki's recipes and stories here: Willa's Lemonade Cheesecakes Pregnancy after loss: Little Baby's Caramel Apple Monkey Bread Nikki, thank you for sharing Willa with us all. We will remember her always. You can find Nikki on Twitter and Instagram, TikTok, and her website. Check out her newest cookbook, More Veggies Please!

October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, and I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on the last ten years as a bereaved mama. I wouldn't say this is a sad episode - even I didn't cry recording it. It is an insight into what the last ten years have looked like for us as we've navigated this path as bereaved parents since our daughter Harlynn was stillborn in 2013.Val's blog post after Harlynn was delivered Watch on YouTubeVisit The Motherhood Experience WebsiteFollow us on InstagramFind us on Facebook

This week we're joined by NFL Network reporter and mom to twins, Sara Walsh. After spending several years committed to growing her career, Sara and her husband were finally ready to jump into parenthood. The problem? Sadly, her pregnancies always ended in miscarriage. In this episode, we talk to Sara about her experience of loss over and over again and the darkness that came with it (she gets HONEST and we love it) as well as her decision to do IVF which resulted in twins.  Sara shares what she grieves from her last pregnancy, the paralyzing fear that comes with pregnancy after loss, how she was able to keep going, advice for anyone going through infertility or even just a rough time in life, balancing a career and motherhood (and grappling with loss while working) and a whole lot more.  Connect with Sara: https://twitter.com/Sara_Walsh https://www.instagram.com/sarawalsh10/ Connect with Kacie & Gianna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ View full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and it's a time to support those who have “angel babies,” or babies who did not survive the womb or passed as an infant. Coping with pregnancy loss can be an arduous journey that nobody can fully understand unless they have experienced it.

In today's episode, and in honour of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, Kirby shares her story. After her first two pregnancies and births, she experienced her first miscarriage but knew it was a common experience and wasn't perturbed by it. However, what followed was a period of infertility and the devastating loss of her two boys, Walt and Alby. Kirby worked with a fertility specialist and reproductive immunologist to prepare for her next pregnancy and after one round of IVF and the transfer of her only viable embryo, she conceived baby June who is now four months old.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are joined by Samantha Payne, co-founder and CEO of The Pink Elephants Support Network, for Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Sam shares the impact of miscarriage, how to support yourself and others, and how she's advocating for change.Join our grief support membership waitlist here.Buy our book Good Mourning: Honest Conversations About Grief and Loss, here: linktr.ee/goodmourningpodcastCheck out our affirmation cards for grief and loss at www.goodmourning.com.au Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 3 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Rae Hoffman Jager is a poet and writer, yoga teacher, former doula, and currently, in nursing school. I first met Rae on Twitter, actually, it was this tweet, the one about birthing a dead baby, which came across my Twitter feed, and made me stop in my tracks. Rae and I break down the tweet - her word choice, how it supported her, and the backlash, and why she even Tweeted during the delivery of her son in the first place. Rae's son Fox was stillborn on Thanksgiving Day, 2021. Rae walks us through the journey of finding out he had passed during a routine visit, and what laboring and delivering a dead baby was like. Rae discusses how her Judaism was intertwined with the moment she met her son, and what it's really like to hold your dead baby. We talked about the support she received in the days after, what pregnancy after loss is like, and how she and her family connect and spend time with Fox today. Rae is honest, brave, raw, and fiercely determined to move through life while honoring Fox's life every step of the way. His death was the impetus for a major career shift, and we're so proud of her determination. You can read some of Rae's work here: Sitting Shiva, Atticus Review, August 2022 There Was No Jewish Way to Mourn Stillbirth — So We Created Our Own, Kveller, May 2022 Pregnancy Loss Taught Me This Important Jewish Value, Kveller, July 2022 Three Poems, Contrary Magazine Rae, thank you for sharing Fox with us all. We will remember him always. You can find Rae on Twitter and Instagram, and her website.

In this episode Adelaide shines a light on mental health while trying to get pregnant. She very rawly shares her darkest days. She also honors all pregnancies and embryos that didn't make it and infants that are no longer with us. 

Welcome back to the Healing Her podcast! Today, we are going to be talking about a topic that continues to make many people uncomfortable and that is pregnancy and infant loss. If you didn't know, October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and so we'll be touching on the feelings that come after losing a pregnancy or infant as well as how you can support a friend or family member who has gone through this. I have learned how empowering it is to put words to how we're feeling so in this episode, we'll be discussing why we experience certain feelings after pregnancy loss, including betrayal trauma, grief, disenfranchised grief, and guilt. Besides this, I'll also be providing you with tangible ways you can help a family member or friend deal with their grief. From helping with everyday tasks like cooking to supportive phrases and more, I'll guide you through this difficult time. Keep listening to learn more and don't forget that you are not alone in your grief. The Healing Her podcast will dish out practical tools, a touch of humor, and a whole lot of heart to help you uncover your way back to yourself and your peace. We will dive deep into the world of healing in a way that's as relatable as chatting with your best friend. I'm Ashley LeMieux, a grief expert whose personal journey and masters degree in health and wellness has provided a whole new view on the world. Let's break down the walls that are keeping us from finding the peace and transformation that we all deserve. Find more resources, Ashley's books, and submit your own question to be answered in an episode here: https://ashleylemieux.com/healing-her/

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 2 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you as they have changed us. Anna Burgess Yang is a freelance content marketer and journalist in the suburbs of Chicago. I met Anna on Twitter, and she was a guest on the first season of A Fresh Story. When I was editing the podcast episode she was originally on, I noticed that she left out a huge part of her story on the interview: her two daughters that had passed away. I reached out and asked if she would someday want to come back on the show to talk about being a loss mom, and how to support people going through child loss. So, she's back. And she's sharing her raw, honest, and beautiful story of her daughters, Nelle Claudia Dej (born 09/04/2015) and Iris Madeline Hnub (born 02/13/2016). Anna discusses the moments she found out that there was no heartbeats, how she processed her grief in the early days, and the support she received and sought out that helped her keep going. We talked about the things people said to her that hurt her feelings, and the things people did to help her feel loved and seen. And, we talked a lot about how she honors Nelle and Iris every day, in big and small ways. I was appreciative of Anna's honesty in discussing her pregnancy after loss, and why having a rainbow baby can bring up so many emotions you wouldn't often consider. I'm grateful for Anna's advocacy work to support other loss parents, and most of all, for her tender and honest musings about her daughters, her grief, and her relationship to loss. You can read Nelle's birth story here, and Iris' birth story here. Anna, thank you for sharing your sweet girls with us all. We will remember them always. Here are some of the resources Anna mentioned in the episode: Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support (national support org with local chapters) Refuge in Grief  Some books Anna recommends: It's Ok That You're Not Ok - Megan Devine (Refuge in Grief is her website) There Is No Good Card for This - Emily McDowell Cry, Heart, But Never Break - Glenn Ringtved (for children) You can find Anna on LinkedIn and Instagram. You can read more of her beautiful writing on Musings Out Loud by Anna Burgess Yang.

Continuing on the Mother Up Child & Infant Loss Awareness Month series, Gianna and Kacie are joined by Naturopathic Doctor, Chief Medical Officer, and co-founder of Clockwize, Katherine Zagone. Dr. Zagone has been supporting women and couples to conceive their healthiest babies for almost a decade. She brings effective science, a warm heart, and an industry changing approach to the world of fertility. The company she co-founded, Clockwize, is dedicated to supporting women in optimizing and extending their reproductive windows through accessible testing, education, empowerment, and data integration. Katherine shares topics such as: Understanding epigenetics Biological vs chronological age The many complex factors that can play a role in infertility Markers for predicting how long it could take to get pregnant Ways to rewind your biological clock Unexplained infertility, male factor infertility and miscarriage The mind-body connection and mind-body medicine Clockwize testing: how it works and who it's for How to find a practitioner to go deeper in understanding your own health And more Get $49 off your Clockwize FertilityWize Test by visiting www.clockwize.com and using code MOTHERUP at checkout! Mentioned in this episode:  The Institute for Functional Medicine - https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/ Connect with Dr. Zagone: https://www.instagram.com/drzagone/ https://www.instagram.com/clockwizefertility/ https://clockwize.com/ Connect with Kacie & Gianna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ View full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠ Great offers for you from our sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. We believe in the power of therapy!! Get 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp by using the code MOTHERUP or signing up at this link: ⁠⁠https://betterhelp.com/motherup⁠⁠.Looking for something that makes life a WHOLE lot easier with the tap of a few buttons? YOHANA is it. We are happy to be a YOHANA ambassador and bring you a concierge service for families– think, planning meals and grocery lists, ordering birthday cakes, sourcing and sending gifts, finding qualified vendors in your area, etc.-- for one low price a month. Get your first month of services for just $49 (hello, no brainer!) when you use the code YOMOTHERUP. Check it out here: ⁠⁠https://glnk.io/5w2qk/motheruppod⁠⁠

Pregnancy loss is traumatic and the grief process that follows is complex. And when you are Autistic, the way you express grief and loss might not meet the expectations of society, which can result in feeling ashamed and isolated.  In this episode, Patrick Casale and Dr. Megan Anna Neff, two AuDHD mental health professionals, speak with Dr. Kiley Hanish, a neurodivergent occupational therapist specializing in mental health during the perinatal period, about autistic grief and loss while focusing on pregnancy loss. Both Dr. Neff and Kiley, who are both Autistic, experienced pregnancy loss and they talk about their experiences personally, within the medical system, going through pregnancy again after experiencing loss, having to parent their children after pregnancy loss, then sensory overwhelm that comes with pregnancy and parenting, and the ongoing process of grieving. Top 3 reasons to listen to the entire episode: Hear about the profound grief associated not only with losing a child but also with the loss of one's identity when becoming a parent. Understand some of the many ways that grief can manifest, and learn how to incorporate rituals and practices into the grieving process to honor your loss that is tailored toward the needs of autistic individuals. Identify the ways that the healthcare system can improve the responses to individuals experiencing pregnancy loss to help create safety and reduce trauma in difficult times. When experiencing loss, it's not realistic to just “get over” the grief and move on. There are many complex emotions and often misunderstandings about what is the right way to deal with grief, especially when autism is brought into the equation. If you are experiencing this loss, you're not alone and your experience is valid regardless of whether other people say you are “doing it right.” More about Dr. Kiley Hanish: Dr. Kiley Hanish is a neurodivergent occupational therapist specializing in mental health during the perinatal period, which includes pregnancy, postpartum, and perinatal loss. After suffering the stillbirth and loss of her first child Norbert, Kiley co-created the Emmy-nominated film Return To Zero to break the silence and stigma around pregnancy and infant loss for parents around the world. The film's success and critical acclaim led to her non-profit organization Return to Zero: HOPE. This organization provides inclusive and compassionate education and support for bereaved families after pregnancy and infant loss. In addition, they provide training and support for health providers in order to foster more confidence when working with these families. Return to Zero: HOPE Website: https://rtzhope.org Kiley's Instagram and Facebook: @rtzhope Additional Resources Mentioned Worden's Four Tasks Of Grieving: https://whatsyourgrief.com/wordens-four-tasks-of-mourning    Transcript DR. MEGAN NEFF: So, Patrick, I don't know if you know this, but October is a busy Awareness Month, especially, for the topics we talk about here on this podcast. It is ADHD Awareness Month, it's OCD Awareness Month, it's Depression Awareness Month, Dyslexia Awareness Month, and it's Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, which is what we're going to be diving into today. So, I do want to just offer kind of a gentle disclaimer, if you are in the process of trying to get pregnant or recently experienced a pregnancy loss, do take care of yourself while listening to this episode because we will be talking about pregnancy loss. So, first, I just streamlined through the intro. Patrick, anything to add to the intro before I introduce our guest? PATRICK CASALE: I have nothing to add. I appreciate you laying the groundwork, so that's where [CROSSTALK 00:01:00]- DR. MEGAN NEFF: …role reversal, there's a role reversal happening here. PATRICK CASALE: [INDISCERNIBLE 00:01:05]. I told Megan and Kiley before we got started, been up since 3:00 AM. So, I'll be here in existence, but maybe also not… DR. MEGAN NEFF: Appreciate how you name how you can come into this space however you are. Yes, so we have Kiley on today, who is, do you go by doctor? Because you're a occupational therapist, right? KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: How do you introduce yourself? KILEY HANISH: Well, my students call me Dr. Hanish, but Kiley is perfectly fine. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Okay. So, Dr. Hanish or Kiley is an occupational therapist, autistic ADHDer, newly diagnosed, you mentioned. And you started a nonprofit around pregnancy loss I think to help families, but also to help educate the medical field around how they can be walking through families and people, walking through that process better. Do I have that right? KILEY HANISH: Yes, yeah. So, we're supporting families who have experienced different types of losses. And then there's a lot of trauma that can be done, like with health care providers, and especially, in the hospital, and so they don't receive training in their formal education. And so how can we kind of share information to help them be more confident working with bereaved families, and then therefore reducing trauma and other negative mental health outcomes. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that so much. I think I've mentioned it on here a few times, but I used to work as a therapist in an OB-GYN clinic. And this was an area where it was evident there was just so much growth for the medical community in how this process is handled. And yeah, I love your lens of reducing trauma. So, yeah, I'm backing up bird eye view a little bit, we connected because you emailed me. We were asking folks for like topic ideas and you emailed me with four or five wonderful ideas, but one that caught my eye was autistic grief. And we've heard other followers ask for us to cover autistic grief as well. I think it is a really important and complex topic. So, we're going to be looking at that today, we're going to anchor in the experience of pregnancy loss. Oh, partly you reached out because you heard me mention that I had had two pregnancy losses on the podcast, which you have a good ear because I think it was a really passing comment. But I also think once you've lived through pregnancy loss, you hear it when people talk about it. Okay, that was a long-winded intro. To anchor our conversation today, we do have a broad framework we're going to follow. I'm going make it explicit because I think structure can be helpful. We're going to talk through different phases of the pregnancy loss experience. And I think this is really important to think through it in phases in the sense that this is actually something we know helps people walk through the grief process is when they can story tell and narrate their experiences. So, we'll be talking about the acute phase of coming to know the processing around that, the postpartum experience, and then grieving itself. And when we get to that fourth part, we're going to globalize it to talk more broadly about autistic grief. Does that sound like I have that right Kiley of what we talked earlier? KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Okay. KILEY HANISH: And I think just so for other people who are listening that have not experienced pregnancy loss or maybe have but other types of loss, like loss, isn't only death, and that you can take what we're talking about and apply it to your own situation because it will be in some way relatable. It just may not be the exact same story. But I think there's a lot of lessons that can be just like, well, lessons learned, and then just like, exploring for yourself. Like, "Well, how did I react? And what, you know, my interactions with…?" I don't know, it's complicated for sure. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. So, Kiley, can we go back to starting kind of at the beginning for you of your experience around pregnancy loss, but then also how you got interested in this topic of autistic grief, and then supporting families, and people through this process? KILEY HANISH: Yeah, so yeah, I'll first start just by sharing, like setting the stage of like, my situation. So, 2005 I was pregnant with my first child. You know, everything was fine, you know, up until when I was 35 weeks pregnant, which is like five weeks before due date. And I started bleeding. And because it's my first child, like, you don't know what's normal, and what's not normal. And so my midwife was like, "Oh, you probably just lost your mucus plug." And so I didn't think anything about it. I had no awareness of baby movement because no one told me to pay attention to it. And there's this, like, myth that babies slow down when they're, you know, getting bigger because there's less room, which is not true. But you know, there was no talk about paying attention to baby moving or anything. So, I wasn't even aware of baby movement. But thinking back I'm like, "Yeah, I didn't really feel him move." So, when I went to the doctor the next day, they couldn't find a heartbeat, they did an ultrasound. And at that point, told me that he had passed away. And I went into immediate shock. I was by myself. I didn't know what to do, I didn't know what that meant. And it was just like, I feel like I really left my body. And so, like, I said to the provider, I said, "Well, what am I supposed to do?" Like, I wanted to understand, like, okay, my baby is there but then what happens, you know? And I know, I've mentioned this to you before, but then, you know, she says, "Well, maybe you could cry." And I was just like, "No, that's not what I'm asking." I'm like, "I'm asking for you to tell me what is going to happen?" Because when you're that pregnant, you have to deliver your baby. Unless there's, like, a threat to your life, they're not going to do a C-section. But I'm like, "How does the baby come out?" Like, I don't know. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. KILEY HANISH: So, there was… go ahead. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Maybe pause there just to, like, that feels really powerful of in that moment you needed to know what to expect to get back into your body, to get back to safety. And that probably really threw the medical provider off of like, where's the emotion? We should process the emotion and then talk about logistics, which I think would be a very allistic way of moving through grief. But for you, I almost wonder if you needed to know what to expect to have enough safety to experience your emotions. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, I mean, it's like the [INDISCERNIBLE 00:10:06] right? Like, I'm just learning about myself. Like, with the autistic piece, the uncertainty brings so much more fear and anxiety in a situation that's already horrible. And from her, I got nothing. And I'm not going to go into details, but just like her obsessing about other things that were really not important, and then she sent me home. And I was already in labor, actually, which is really odd. DR. MEGAN NEFF: It is odd. KILEY HANISH: You know, and then even at the hospital the following day, very little telling me what was going to happen, what to expect, and then, also, like, once your baby is born, there are lots of things… this is going to sound creepy to some people, or strange, or whatever, but like, there's a lot of things you can do to make memories to parent your child that it seems strange to talk about, but it's like your only time with your baby. DR. MEGAN NEFF: It's really important, yeah. I actually went to a training on this about how important it is to touch your baby, be with your baby, take pictures with your baby. And from an attachment lens, just how important that is. I literally have shivers talking about it and how rarely, parents are given that opportunity unless the medical system really understands how important that is. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, and so it's just like, what I really needed was a guide. I mean, I needed the doctor, or the nurses, or social someone to be a guide. It's like, you haven't been through this, but here's what's going to happen, and here are things that you can choose to do if you want to do that could be helpful to you. And I didn't get any of that. And so, like, the trauma in the hospital was so horrible. And then just, also, like, when you're in that state of shock, and I think this is anyone, it's like, then they took my baby out of the room, they put him in a box in front of me, like to take to the morgue. But then also you're just like, I can't even talk. Like, I don't even know what to say. And it's just like trauma upon trauma, was really, really hard for me. So, I think that, like, there was just too much without any guidance, and I shut down for like six months. I don't remember very much from that six months following. So, that was kind of, I would say the, like, acute phase but it lingered. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Well, it lingered… I mean, going back to those post-birthing rituals, it lingered partly because you didn't get, I mean, I'm sure it lingered for many reasons, but you didn't get to say goodbye and like I feel so much heaviness hearing you talk through that of it was such an ambiguous grief in the sense that there wasn't a goodbye and there wasn't clarity around what was happening and I think for any human that's incredibly difficult and then through being autistic on top of that, it's just so much. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. So, do you want to share any of your experiences in terms of like finding out, like, that part? DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, I do. Yeah because I think there's some similar patterns. I think I also, and this is probably for my own self that I'm saying this. You know, I know that whenever we're comparing grief, that's not like a helpful thought experiment. I think it also, for me, I do want to name that it feels like we're comparing apples and oranges in the sense that from my own experience and walking with a lot of people through this first-trimester miscarriage,e 35-week stillbirth are very different experiences. So, I want to name that. I did share some of that medical confusion. I've had two complicated first-trimester miscarriages, one in which, like my HCG kept going up, which is the hormone that says you're pregnant. So, there's about a three-week window where it's like, well, actually, maybe you're still pregnant. And I kept getting conflicting messages from nurses when I would call of like, "Well, your HCG is rising, but it's not doubling. Maybe they were twins, and you lost one, and another one's in there." So, there's like a three or four week, I was getting a lot of mixed information. And that was really hard for me of like, "Am I supposed to be grieving right now? Am I still pregnant?" So, just that. And that's actually more common than I think people realize there can sometimes be this roller coaster, especially, in early pregnancy of maybe I'm losing the pregnancy, maybe I'm not. And then my second pregnancy was a missed miscarriage, which means that a heartbeat never developed, but the miscarriage didn't organically happen. So, it wasn't identified till nine weeks. And then, similarly, I didn't know what to ask and I didn't know what to look for. And I was reading a lot of things from like, kind of natural childbirth and midwives, and I love the work of midwives. And at the same time, I think it's very much set on typical pregnancies, a lot of the advice. And as an autistic person, I got really attached to the right way of being pregnant and the right way of walking through a pregnancy loss. And this was my second pregnancy loss and we very much wanted to have another child. So, I was convinced I shouldn't do a DNC because it might cause scarring, which could impact future pregnancies. That lead to what I think at the end of it, I, essentially, was like in my first trimester hormones for 20 weeks because I started miscarrying at 12 weeks and then miscarried for eight weeks and should have sought medical advice, should have known what to ask for, but I didn't and I'm kind of has medical avoidance. So, I didn't actually get help until I started developing an infection. So, there was a lot of uncertainty around those times. I wasn't advocating for myself very well and I think, partly, because I was also very shut down. I responded by shutting down, similarly. I was confused by kind of the absence of emotions during that period. So, yeah, that was my experience. What happened when you went home from the hospital and when you made it through after those six months? You talked about six months of shutdown, what happened after that? KILEY HANISH: Well, like I felt somewhere a shift inside of me of, like, the wanting to engage in life again. And that was like a month of that maybe, or maybe even less, and then I found out I was pregnant with my daughter which I hadn't had a chance to grieve. And then, like, grief process… whatever, and then pregnancy after loss is just like anxiety- DR. MEGAN NEFF: So, anxiety. Oh, my gosh! KILEY HANISH: …on steroids. KILEY HANISH: It is anxiety on steroids, yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: It's crazy. KILEY HANISH: And so that was a whole nother thing. DR. MEGAN NEFF: And did that, again, I'm thinking about potential education, like, when I was in the medical setting, I did a lot of education of like, after pregnancy loss there can be a lot of anxiety, you might find yourself resistant to attach to the baby growing. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Like, did anyone walk you through that? KILEY HANISH: Yeah, which is why I created everything I created. I created the guide for the hospital. I mean, all because it's like, when I learned things like, well, people knew this, why didn't they tell me? You know, and it's like I feel like the OBs are dealing with the waist down. They don't want to touch the emotion piece. And if there's a problem, they don't know what to do. Nobody, like, unless you get fortunate to have a therapist who knows about this, really, it's like luck. No, there's nothing, you're just like going blindly into everything. And you feel like you're going crazy, you can't talk about how you're going crazy because other people are going to think you're crazy. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Well, and especially, when you start showing, and people start coming up to you. I mean, like outside of pregnancy loss, right? Like, I hated being pregnant. When people would come up to me and touch me, and like, be like, "Are you so excited." And then I'm expected to have this positive emotion, right? That was just hard for me, even with my first pregnancy before any pregnancy losses. But throw in there, like, I am so anxious that this baby will survive, and then strangers are coming up and like expecting you to be all teary. Did you have some of that experience? KILEY HANISH: Yeah. Well, I mean, for me, it was my first, also. So, like, when I was pregnant again, like, "Oh, is this your first?" And then the whole question was like, "Well, do I tell them about, well, I had a baby that died or do I not?" And most of the time, personally, I feel like my business is my business. And I don't need to tell other people my business, you know? But you feel like you're like, kind of, disrespecting your child. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Absolutely, absolutely. KILEY HANISH: You know? DR. MEGAN NEFF: And it's that small talk, right? It's small talk that is so painful. Like, there's so many questions we ask pregnant people I've since learned not to ask like, "Are you planning to have more? Is this your first?" Like, things that we think are small talk is not small talk. And that's for non-autistic people, too. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Let alone throw in the, like, we hate small talk component. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. I had a thought, but it went. Oh, no, I know what I was going to say, in the pregnancy after last piece, like, there was like, what you were starting to say is like, denial of the pregnancy, non-attachment, which is called emotional cushioning. So, you're like- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Oh, I like that term. KILEY HANISH: I found that word somewhere recently and I'm like, "Oh, I like the term." You know? And so, it's like, oh, there's an explanation of, like, fear of getting attached because maybe the baby will die. And like the thought is, well, if I'm not as attached, and the baby dies, it won't hurt as bad. Which is a joke, but it's your brain trying to protect itself. Yeah, and just like not, like, I didn't buy anything. I didn't want a shower. I just I was like, "No, we're no, we're not doing anything to prepare." Like, so I did nothing. DR. MEGAN NEFF: So, even setting like setting up a nursery or a lot of the things, you did none of that. KILEY HANISH: The second time no because I did it the first time. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. KILEY HANISH: And then I had to take it all down. So, then I was like, "No way." DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, it's actually really logical. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. And then I will just throw in here, like, looking at our agenda because agenda is postpartum. So, I will say after you lose a baby, even though your baby's not living, you are still in postpartum. But I was in such shock and like, disorientation. It didn't really matter. But after my daughter was born, my second pregnancy, I went into, I don't even know what it was, undiagnosed for 10 years, whatever. I just suffered a lot. But it was like this total hypervigilance, anxiety. I mean, so I first diagnosed myself with like postpartum PTSD, like, a few years ago, but now I'm wondering is like how much is it like sensory overload of being a parent? Like, I mean, or both? DR. MEGAN NEFF: I would argue both- KILEY HANISH: Yeah, and so- DR. MEGAN NEFF: [INDISCERNIBLE 00:24:29] on top of each other in really brutal ways. KILEY HANISH: I feel like… and this has nothing to like, say bad things about my children, but becoming a parent broke me. Like, it turned me crazy, into like, my mental health it just was never the same and I think part of it's like, with things I used to do to self-regulate that I didn't know where self-regulation strategies were no longer possible once I have children. And just the feeling of like being claustrophobic, and constantly on, and all of that, so… DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, Kylie, first of all, just thank you for saying that. Thank you for saying becoming a parent broke me. I think, again, like we've got to hold space for so many complex emotions. And I think this gets really tricky to talk about as a parent. Of course, we love our children, I'm so thankful for my children, I wouldn't have life any other way. But I feel similarly. Like, so my children are now 13 and 10. So, I'm through the thick of it, I would say. Those 10 years, especially, those five years, when they were like two neurodivergent children, I didn't know were neurodivergent, no one was sleeping. They're sensory seekers. Like, I was so, first of, all tired and I think partly because of the pregnancies and complications my body felt very broken. I wasn't sleeping, being touched, and sounds all of the time, having a hyperverbal toddler talking all the time. Like, for someone with a sensitive sensory system, that's a lot to absorb. And I think there can be a lot of shame, especially, for mothers around, like, why is it so hard? And I did the hyper-vigilant thing, especially, with my second. Like, it's true. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, and you're worried they're going to die. Like, constantly, like, are they breathing? DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah, all that. KILEY HANISH: So, it's just so complex, all of it. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. PATRICK CASALE: I imagine that there's this, like, really confusing simultaneously, like, held grief experience. Obviously, I cannot relate, but where it's not only postpartum, and grief, and grief around loss, but then there's also grief around loss of identity because as a parent your identity has completely shifted and changing. And then, you have to hold space for, I'm grieving the loss of who I was, or what my role was, or how I moved through the world. Now, I'm also grieving this newfound role in my life and I'm kind of, it sounds like there's a lot of shame-inducing experience too, of like, I'm not getting it right? Why do I feel this way? That's so complicated and that's so heavy to have to carry. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that, Patrick, that inclusion of identity, I don't know about your experience, Kiley, but like that was huge for me. I was kind of coming out of academia, I had just finished my first graduate degree, and I thought I was going to love being a stay-at-home mom. I now understand like, how much of my identity comes through my interests and my values. And my husband will talk about this, it felt like I was like trying to find something to orbit in those years. Like, I remember, I got really into sewing, and I got really into like, kombucha making, and all the DIY stuff, but none of it, like, felt robust enough. And then the shame of like, why am I not content as a stay-at-home parent? Yeah, yeah. KILEY HANISH: Yes, I agree. And looking at other people, well, number one, like I couldn't leave the house very often because I was like, obsessed with nap schedules. And it just overwhelmed me and all that. But then all the other people were like, "Oh, I'm taking my baby everywhere." And all that. And then being a bereaved parent on top of that, you can't go into normal spaces with parents and children because you're like, "I have just been through, like, a trauma and you don't understand and so it's way different." Yeah, I mean, I feel like there's a whole nother parenting episode here. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, there's a lot. KILEY HANISH: There's a lot. Yeah, I mean, yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. Did you find community like… KILEY HANISH: No, I didn't. I was very isolated. It was super isolating. It was hard. And I also feel like my interests are not… yeah, I cannot be a stay-at-home mom. Like, I am a disaster. And, I mean, I'm good at all the things and all that, but it's just like, there isn't enough, like, intellectual meaning and purpose. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yes, I literally had, like, I feel like my brain is atrophying. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. KILEY HANISH: And then not being able to connect to other parents, even like as kids go through school. Like, I'm so intense and I'm like wanting to talk about like, things that I care about, and being able to talk to men more than women because men talk about things rather just women it's just small talk. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yep. KILEY HANISH: So, it's interesting. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, I think mom culture has been the hardest place for me to integrate. And I didn't understand it for so long, that that brought on a lot of shame. But yeah, I have like a visceral response to mom culture. I actually hosted last year an autistic moms group. And it was the first time that I felt connected in a group with other moms. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, well, there's this woman [PH 00:30:37] Moinia Taslon who wrote an article, a qualitative study of sensory experiences of autistic mothers, which I recently read, and was like, "Oh, this explains everything." And then with my students, we kind of took that and one other article, and did a survey with autistic mothers to just understand their experiences, and right? Like, they're all diagnosed post-children. And just all the things that are hard for them, that are different than, I mean, parenting in itself is really hard anyways, but you add the autistic piece, and the sensory challenges, and all that. It's fascinating, so… DR. MEGAN NEFF: I would love to see your research from that. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, I think, you know, I've shared this before, maybe it's changed by now. But if you Google like, you know, autism and pregnancy or anything related, yeah, to kind of birthing, you'll find a lot of it like how to avoid having autistic children, but the experience of the person birthing who's autistic, like, we're only now beginning to get curious about that experience. And yeah- KILEY HANISH: Yeah. And, like- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Go ahead. KILEY HANISH: So, I was going to say, like, there's like the pregnancy itself, so the interaction with medical providers, the sensory pieces in the hospital, all that. And then there's the after… It's fascinating. But I even remember, like with my last child, so I have two living children now, but I went in, and it was like a very quick, like, one hour, I got to the hospital, and he was born. But like, I hired a doula for that one because I wanted to, like, reclaim my birth experience. And she and my husband were talking the whole time. And I was like, "Just shut up." Because like, when I was there, like, I don't know, for me, I mean, labor for everyone's different, but I was very much in a meditative state. And I just like, "Why are you talking…" And then I heard the nurses like, "Oh, well, we need to do this." And like all these questions, I was like, "I'm in labor. Like, just nobody talk to me right now." And even, like, the doula did not understand pregnancy after loss. And was like telling me at eight months, "Well, you should really talk to your baby. You know, you're having a baby." And I was like, "You have no idea." So, I mean, that's the other thing is just like, my nonprofit, which I don't think we said the name of is Return to Zero Hope. And my husband made a film about our experience called Return to Zero Hope that like, is a feature film, has mini driver in it. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Oh, wow. KILEY HANISH: But then she did an incredible job. So, it's like, emotionally, our story, but with the nonprofit we have all of these free webinars on there, some for health care providers, some for parents, right? Just like educating and empowering people, which I think is so important. And so, that's just my little shout-out there. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Well, please talk about your resources. I mean, these are the resources and I love this. Like, you built what you would have wanted and needed. Actually, I feel like I see that a lot with autistic people. Like, when we have an experience it's like, okay, how can I build the thing I didn't get? And I love that you've done that. So, yeah, please [CROSSTALK 00:34:11] for like pregnant and birthing people? KILEY HANISH: I mean, so first of all, I'll just say to, like, normalize this, the film didn't come out until nine years after our loss, a long time. And the first, like women's healing retreat I held, which is the first thing I did was nine years after the loss. So, it was a long time. And so I tell people, like, you know, I think people want to do something. Like, there's sometimes there's that urge. And for me, it took a lot of time until I feel it's a very spiritual journey for me. Like, I heard a voice in the shower that said, "You should do a retreat." I'd never been to a retreat, I never hosted, I didn't know anything. But it came from this email I received about there was a lack of resources and a lack of connection of other grief parents. And I hadn't had any support. It was like this isolated me and my husband for nine years. We understood, but no one wanted to bring it up to us because they thought that it would bother us. And I mean, well, that's a whole nother thing. So, with that, I just started doing that. And that's been an evolution and now has evolved. We do in-person retreats, we're doing a provider retreat in 2024, which I'm so excited about because I mean, first of all providers after COVID it's so hard, but also providers working in perinatal health, perinatal mental health it's hard, and there's nowhere for them to go so… DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, it's one of the highest burnout professions among physicians is OB-GYN, which, like I think makes so much sense. People often think about, like, working in OB-GYN is like, oh, it's all happy. But no, I mean, it can also be traumatizing for providers in a different way. But I love that you're thinking also through [INDISCERNIBLE 00:36:35] plans and community among providers. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. And then with the pandemic, I think there's been a lot of gifts with being able to do virtual support groups, reaching people who are anywhere in the world, really, because a lot of people even if there was a in-person group before the pandemic, a lot of people don't live in places where they can attend. And so we do a really unique structure. And I think everything, my partner, Betsy, in the nonprofit, like we have really pulled our life experiences and sort of unknowingly created resources that are neurodivergent affirming, and trauma-sensitive, and resilience-focused. And I think that what we offer is really unique. And so like with our support groups, they're six weeks closed support groups, so it's the same people. So, you can build community, but there's trying to create safety as much as possible. We have a curriculum that we follow, we walk people through things that you don't even know that you need to know about grieving and navigating life after loss. And then the group itself is very structured. And like, we did this because I would never go to a support… I went once, like, right when the movie was coming out. And I was like, "Maybe I should go and process." And I went to this group, it was in a hospital, which, first, hospitals freaking scare me. Secondly, it was in the cafeteria, so it was like uncomfortable. And it was zero structure. And it was like people just telling their traumatizing stories. And I left. And I was just, like, at a certain point, and I also, like, get tired early in the night, like, because my brains been on all day. And I just got up and left at a certain point. Like, I'm not sitting through this. But being like in our groups, it's like very structured. Like, we have a topic, we have a psycho-education piece, we have a discussion question, people answer one by one, so there's no like crosstalk. Then there's like weaving it in, and then there's self-reflection, but it's very tightly structured. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that, I love that. KILEY HANISH: So, like, and I love it, too. I would never do any like… and I tell people even at the retreat, I was like, "I would never go to a retreat, but don't worry, like we got you here." Like, it's all super tightly held and I feel like really holding space is what we are doing. And so there's all sorts of different support groups. You know, we started out with pregnancy and infant loss and now there's early pregnancy loss, recurrent loss and infertility, termination for medical reasons, people of color. We do like an LGBTQ drop-in group, pregnancy after loss, parenting after loss. So, there's like- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Oh, my goodness, you do so much. And because these are all such different experiences I love how it attuned you all are. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, well, like, for example, before I would say people who had a TFMR termination for medical reason, that they could just come to the pregnancy and infant loss. So, I was like, "Yeah, of course, you're welcome, you lost your baby." And some would come. But like, no, they have a very unique experience and that group sells out all the time. And we're the only, like, pregnancy and infant loss organization who sees that as a loss. I think there's a lot of groups out there who feel like it's abortion, and they're not going to be supportive of that. And I'm like, "But these people… you don't understand. Yes, they made a choice, but you know, it's for their health, sometimes, or their baby is going to die, or live a very disabled life." And you don't even know, you cannot get the information that you need. I mean, that's… So, it is a very specific space that needs their own space. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. KILEY HANISH: Okay, what other things do we… We offer, just the website itself is a wealth of education information. We have downloadable PDFs, that is all free, we have beautiful printed brochures for provider offices. Like, for example, partners grieve too, grandparents, siblings, loss of multiples, like early pregnancy loss, and even wanted, like, all these different things, so there's so many different topics. And then the webinars I mentioned, so like we have a YouTube channel with different playlists, which is amazing. And then providers, we offer monthly provider consultation groups. One is for, like, more of the hospital medical providers, one is more for mental health providers. And I don't know, I mean, that's kind of the main. We have a pregnancy and infant loss directory, also, I forgot about that. So, like, that has- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Really helpful. KILEY HANISH: Local and virtual resources, depending on whether you need, like, counseling therapy, or like a support organization, psychiatry. Like, I'm really tied into Postpartum Support International, which offers like the perinatal mental health certification. So, reproductive psychiatrists. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, I like that. You have [CROSSTALK 00:42:44]- KILEY HANISH: So, like, I send everyone. I'm like, "You need to see a reproductive psychiatrist, regular psychiatrist do not know about, like, they give you the wrong information." And I'd be like, I had someone working for me who became pregnant, and they were on an antidepressant, and the psychiatrist says, "No, get off of it." And I said, even the OB, and I was like, she was not able to get out of it. I was like, "Oh, no, we need to get you to someone who knows what they're doing." DR. MEGAN NEFF: Oh, yeah, that's scary. KILEY HANISH: [CROSSTALK 00:43:17]- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, and I think you've built neurodivergent, like, accessible resources without even realizing that's what you're doing just by being you and by caring. Like, you built this, and like, because right, only in the last year you discovered you're- KILEY HANISH: Well, I did like a self-diagnosis in December, which was like, nine-ish months ago, and then a formal diagnosis because I wanted to see what was going on with like trauma, like [CROSSTALK 00:43:46]- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. KILEY HANISH: …because there was a significant amount of trauma from all of this, stillbirth and stuff like that. But I got a formal diagnosis of, you know, autism, ADHD, plus some other mood disorder stuff, but I knew it all. So, now, I'm like, very much an advocate of self-diagnosis. I was like, "You know what, this didn't really do anything." I mean, it validates me and there's not something else hidden in there, but I was like, "Whatever." I'm like… DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that because I think sometimes it can be put on this pedestal like medical diagnosis all of a sudden huge things will change. But I love they're like, "You know." KILEY HANISH: Well, and then it's like, they're like, "Oh, here's your diagnosis. Okay, good luck." Nothing, nothing. And I was like, if I was that person, obviously, they're not neurodivergent, if I was the person doing the assessment, I would be like, "Hey, here's the whole website I built, here's the all the blog." Blah, blah, blah, blah, you know? Kind of like what you did. That would be something that I would do, but they just like, "Okay, here you go." So, I don't know. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Which was your experience around pregnancy loss. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah. KILEY HANISH: And so I also feel like, I cannot take this on right now, but the gap in, like autistic adults, like giving information, and just like, but how many people I talk to now who share, I mean, they share the same, "Oh, my kid has autism." And then I self-disclose. And then they're like, "I think I might, too." And then I'd like, "Here's my Google Drive with a bunch of stuff." Which is totally informal. But I'm like, "There's so much stuff I put together go read it." DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that. You're so good at like systematizing and building systems, and I love that. KILEY HANISH: It's like a superpower that I didn't even know that I had, but it's so, I mean, I think going back to kind of that initial experience of coming to know so many of us who by getting access to information, and that psych-ed piece, I mean, that's something you are so good at is building like, here's the things that are helpful for you to know about your experience, about your body, about what to expect. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. I'm cognizant of time and I think the part on our agenda we maybe didn't hit was around the grieving process. And I know that you mentioned like, I think there were some collective rituals or practices that you felt were helpful or that were distinct as an autistic person. Do you want to share a little bit about the grieving process? KILEY HANISH: Well, okay, I think actually, for me, up until I started doing the retreats there was not a lot, you know? There was, basically, like, I didn't have any guidance. I mean, I don't know. And at that point, the Internet was, like, not really a thing. It was so long ago. And so I feel like my connection was very private and I connected, or my son appeared to me as a white butterfly. Like, I feel like the deceased of any kind can send us messages through animals, insects, things like that, or signs, different, you know. There's a great couple of books out there by a medium named Laura Lynn Jackson, The Light Between Us and Signs, and I just love it, just, basically, the veil between this world and the other world is very thin. And I think I've had a lot of like psychic abilities in terms of like being able to, like, because I'll hear… Everything with Return to Zero has been inspired by other. I'm a very, very left-brain person. So, this is not how I operate. However, it is very much nothing I ever would have thought I would do is like, I was being chosen to do this. And I know that sounds woo woo, but it's just the way it is. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I actually love it because I'm so similar to you. I'm so science-based, except when it comes to, like, collective energy, spirituality, and like I sometimes say I feel like a lot of autistic people would have been Shamans in a past life, like, in historic times, of like, I've definitely had moments of knowing when something is about to happen, or like, these spiritual experiences. I'm like, this does not fit within my scientific frame, but yes. So, I actually love that. And I know it sounds really woo woo too, so I often don't talk about it. And these are very real experiences I've had and I know a lot of autistic people have. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, and so I think, you know, I didn't really do a lot. It was through the retreats, through other people who were even more connected to the spirit, I would say, that the importance of bringing in ritual and collective ritual. And I think the biggest things we do are, we like light a candle, like, we have like a group circle, and we have like this, I'll say altar, but it's not just on the floor. And we have candles with every baby's name tied around the candle, and we light it every morning when we sit down, and we [CROSSTALK 00:49:36] candle, they say their baby's name. So, I like I'd say, "Norbert." And everyone else would say, "Norbert." And just like you don't ever get, if you named your baby, not all people do, but you don't ever get to hear their names spoken. And so it is really powerful. So, like that's something that we do as a group. We also allow people… we set up like a memorial table that people can bring things or pictures, whatever because that's also something that people don't always put out in their home, or they put it out, but it's in this, like, a more private space. I don't do a lot and I sometimes feel bad about it, right? But I know that that's just me. You know, I think like, green- DR. MEGAN NEFF: [CROSSTALK 00:50:29] oh, sorry. KILEY HANISH: No, like, right, there are societal expectations- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yes, yes. KILEY HANISH: …of grief and also gender expectations. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yes, yes. And especially, I think, for autistic women, those conflate because, especially, if we have alexithymia. Like, I definitely experienced that through my grief, specifically, around my pregnancy loss is I'm not doing this right, there's a right way to grieve this and I'm not doing it right. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, like, I never cry. Like, I mean, occasionally, but it is rare. And so like, after my loss, I didn't cry. My husband was way more emotional than I was. And I was just like, super stoic, and I go to these retreats. And the last retreat, I actually knew I was autistic. And so I said to everyone, I was really excited. I was like, "Hey, just to let you know, I'm autistic and I don't show a lot of emotion. So, it might look like I'm really stoic, but I do have a ton of emotion inside of me, it just doesn't show. And when I'm there, also, it takes a tremendous amount of concentration and energy to hold space." And like when Patrick talks about his retreats, I'm like, preaching to the choir. Like, I do this. Now I know when I have to go like, take a little sensory cocoon nap in the middle of like, in the afternoon, but the draining, like I am drained at least a week after. Like, I cannot schedule anything and then you're like, at what cost? But it is such a powerful experience. And it is such an honor to be with these women. It's so powerful. You can't even put words to it. And it drains the life out of me. So, it's very interesting, but it- DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. Well, and there's some interesting research that, like, we are more impacted by kind of the affect of people around us. We don't always know how to identify it, which actually makes it kind of more of a sensory load, but that we pick up energy tone a lot of us very sensitively. And again, that disconnect of like, maybe looking really flat, but being so deeply impacted by the emotional tone, I would think, especially, in grief spaces that's a complex autistic experience. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, I mean, I am hyper-empathic and hypersensitive to other people's energy. And that's also, like, I know, auditory is one of my big sensitivity areas, but energy, like literally, someone walks in the room, I can sense what's going on, even if I drive outside, and there's like, we had, like, a hurricane warning here a few weeks ago. And like, I wouldn't be here to put it together. But I went to the grocery store, and everyone was like, and I was like, "What the heck is going on?" Like, just superpowers, but it's hard to say what it is. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah, absolutely. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, okay, more about grieving. Like, I mean, I think that one big one is like not grieving as other people think you should be grieving. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I think that's a great global. Like, whether it's a death of a loved one, whether it is an identity shift. I think that's a really global, like, autistic experience of the way we grieve, especially, what people observe from the outside doesn't always match kind of the cultural expectations. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. And then I think there's also the false belief in, like, old grief culture, that like, oh, like, you get over your grief, you move on from your grief. And I feel like for me, and I think this is similar, like people are really great for about three weeks after something bad happens. And then they all continue to go on their life and your life it's like there's a before and an after, your life will never be the same. And you're just, like, standing there in shock, and you're like, "What the heck?" You're like, "My life, I can't go on." And so, it's this long, long process of integration and processing, and other people, like, "You look better or you seem better?" You know, things like that. And maybe even not to me, I don't know. But I hear this all the time. And you're like, well, this is complicated. And this just doesn't happen over a week or a month, like grieving is a lifetime, and it changes. And like, it's not linear at all. There's no stages. And it's like, back and forth, and up and down. And you and your partner are grieving on different timelines, and different, like phases. And it's messy. DR. MEGAN NEFF: It's so messy, it's so messy, especially, with yeah, the kind of co-grief, if someone has partnered, and then the timelines don't always, like, sync up. And that can create confusion and kind of disconnect. Yeah, yeah. I love how you were talking about grief of, I'll often talk about like, yeah, learning how to carry the grief well, but I love your language of integration. And that, yeah, this myth that it's like something we get over, and then move on from versus like, it becomes part of us and we live with that in an integrated way. That's like, yeah… KILEY HANISH: And I think for, like, anyone that dies, so in my case of my stillbirth, like, I still celebrate my son's birthday, he would have been 18 this past July, but people do that, that will be forever. But even with loved ones who die who are not babies, like you're going to remember their birthday. You might remember their death day. Like, those are days to like, whether you do something or not, it is a touch point, I think. But other people around you don't see that necessarily. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. They forget the touchpoints. And yeah, yeah, yeah. KILEY HANISH: You were going to say something but you probably forgot. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Well, it's like, it was in response to something you said like two comments ago. So, [CROSSTALK 00:57:44] connect now. I was just going to share I appreciate the wave metaphor of grief. That was, I was 18 when I first had my significant loss. My best friend in high school died of a brain tumor. And learning, like, I remember the first week or two it was just constant. And then I remember the very first time I forgot that David had died I was in a movie theater. And maybe I forgot for five minutes. And then it hit me like a wave. And that idea of, at first, like the wave, that it's like a tidal wave, it's constant. And then there might be some spacing out of the waves, but like, it can catch you off guard. Like, maybe it's been a stretch since there's been a wave, but there'll be some remembrance. And a wave can just kind of be like a sneaker wave and catch you off guard. But that imagery of waves was really helpful in my initial grief of, like, just understanding that this is a process. It ebbs and it flows, and there's some really heavy grief days and there's, like, lower impact days. KILEY HANISH: And I think, also, like one thing I experienced myself, but also hear a lot is, you know, you will over time have moments of respite from that intense grief. And hopefully, those moments get more often and longer. But there is this connection… like there is an attachment with you to your loss or your baby through the pain. And so you start feeling guilty if you don't feel the pain or you begin to feel moments of joy. And so teaching people that okay, we don't only have to connect through pain, we can also connect through joy or through other ways. Like, there's lots of ways to connect and so, you can let go of the pain and still remain connected. So, I thought that was like something else that I learned. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I love that because you're absolutely right, that can lead to complex grief. In the DSM, there's a diagnosis of complex grief, especially, when people kind of get stalled in the grief process. And I think it's part of that, of I don't want to release my pain because this is my attachment to that person. But I love your expansion of it, of there's so many ways that we can continue that attachment beyond pain. KILEY HANISH: Yeah. And so, like the term or a term or is continuing bonds. You can go out there and Google that. And the idea that, yes, there is a physical relationship that is not there, but there's other relationships that can continue. So, it's interesting. DR. MEGAN NEFF: I'm going to put a plug, I don't know what you think of this theory. But since you said continuing bonds, I'm going to put a plug out for Wordens for tasks of grieving, and much appreciate that to the stages of grieving. They're, like, active steps that a person takes in the process of grieving and they're nonlinear. So, there's four tasks, and the thought is like, you will be in one of these tasks, like, and you'll go back and forth. And it's a process, but one of them has to do with the continuing bonds. And I'll put a link in there, but that's another great... if someone is experiencing, especially, the loss of a loved one, I think Worden's tasks of grieving can provide a framework, which again, is helpful for autistic people to learn how to integrate that loss and live with it. KILEY HANISH: Well, I'll look it up. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. I'll send you a link. KILEY HANISH: I know we're sort of running short of time, I just have one other thing that I didn't really think about before that I think is important. So, right, as autistic people our friend circle can be small, very, very small. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yes. KILEY HANISH: And so I know that, like, we talk about, like in our relationships module, like with your partner, that your partner is also grieving, and you can't be the only support for each other. However, when you're autistic and you don't have a lot of other people to talk to that's really hard. And like, for years, the amount of therapists I tried to find that didn't understand my experience at all, you know, and so being really lonely. And it wasn't until I met other people who had been through this, that I was like, "Oh my gosh. Like, you get what I've been through." And it's the same as being autistic, but just like being with other people who've been through this type of loss and not having to explain yourself. Like, those are my closest relationships now, but it's lonely. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, yeah. I think after this episode record if you start an autistic pregnancy loss group, I think that would fill up really fast. KILEY HANISH: But the question is, do people know they're autistic? DR. MEGAN NEFF: Oh, probably not. Like, I definitely didn't when I was going through it. And I would imagine a lot of people even five, 10 years later, would still benefit actually, from- KILEY HANISH: Yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Because I do think that we perhaps are more prone to getting stalled in our grief process because of alexithymia, because of interoception, because of lack of community. So, I actually think people who have now since discovered they're autistic, even if this was 10 or 12 years ago, like would still benefit. KILEY HANISH: Interesting, yeah. DR. MEGAN NEFF: That's my hypothesis. KILEY HANISH: I don't know. I think like, if you suspect you're autistic, if you have a autistic child, or you're highly sensitive. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Because I think if you're highly sensitive person. KILEY HANISH: Because I'm attached to the highly sensitive person thing about like, five years ago, like that was my language. DR. MEGAN NEFF: Yeah, like, that's the pathway for a lot of, especially, women, I notice, yeah. KILEY HANISH: Yeah, so, okay. That's all. I mean, we could keep on talking forever, but there's a lot of things in here. DR. MEGAN NEFF: There are so many interweaving themes, which is kind of what we do here. We try to create space for how complex these topics are. And I think we definitely did that today. There's a lot of interweaving pieces here between identity, autism, loss, grief, advocating the medical systems. There's a lot here, yeah, yeah. Thank you so much for the generosity of your time. Like, I know you're wildly busy, but also just the generosity of sharing of yourself, and your experience, and of the community that you've built. It's interesting, this episode might be listened to less, because people will see the title and be like, "I don't relate to that." But I think the people that listen to this will be so deeply impacted because of what you said, of, there are so few spaces for autistic people to talk about this. And our worlds tend to be small. So, I think the impact of this episode for those who relate to this subject, I think, will be really incredible. So, thank you. KILEY HANISH: Thank you. Thank you for having me on. Like, I feel like I've been devouring your podcast. I've been like, I haven't done this so deep dive into your website because there's so much but just like I joined your membership just because I want to learn about myself. And it's just so amazing to find language, to feel validated. And that you both are so vulnerable and that it's hard to do that, I think. But like, what is most personal and intimate is really most universal and people identify. And I know that they're grateful. So, thank you. PATRICK CASALE: Thank you so much for coming on. Okay, well, awkward goodbye time. So, new episodes are out every single Friday on all major platforms and we will see you next week.

A Fresh Story, season 4, episode 1 October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're honored to hold space for these profound stories. These stories may be of grief, but they are also of hope, resilience, and most of all, unconditional love. As a reminder, be gentle with your heart, and if you are not able to listen to this episode at the moment, we understand and we are holding you close. We know these conversations will change you, as they have changed us. Alex Mooney is an award-winning photographer in St. Louis, Missouri. I met Alex ten years ago on Instagram, and I had no idea how much she would change my life. Alex and I have been through a lot together; I learned so much from Alex watching her walk through Hell when she lost her child. Clark William Mooney died on October 29th, 2018. When we decided to produce this series, I turned to Alex for guidance, as not only is she a photographer, but she is a birth photographer – and she photographs death, too. I talked to Alex about losing Clark, and what it was like to leave the hospital without her child, how she and her family continue to honor Clark's life, and how Clark's death was the impetus for a major career shift in her life. We chatted about the importance of bereavement photography, and how Clark's legacy is supporting so many families in spending precious time with their babies. You can learn more about Clark in Alex's own writing, and Captures for Clark, as well. You can read more about Clark and Alex on her website and Instagram.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and Moms of Hope of the Bayou Region is doing their part to bring awareness and support to our community. On October 15th, join Moms of Hope at Peltier Park in Thibodaux for their Infant Loss Awareness Day to honor all the babies taken too soon! Also, they will be celebrating 5 years of being established and providing support to the women of our community. To find out more about this event, go to their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/momsofhopeofthebayouregion. The DTB Podcast is presented by Bless Your Heart Nonprofit Corporation. For more information on Bless Your Heart Nonprofit, you can follow us at: www.blessyourheartnonprofit.com Facebook - www.facebook.com/blessyourheartnonprofit X (Twitter) - @BYHNonprofit To support Bless Your Heart Nonprofit, you can donate at blessyourheartnonprofit.com or one of the platforms below: PayPal: blessyourheartnonprofit@gmail.com Venmo: @blessyourheartnonprofit --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/the-dtb-podcast/support

In this episode, we interview Kenzie Grizzle, a brave woman who shares her story on infertility and loss. We featured Kenzie's story in October, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, to shed light on this crucial topic. Kenzie shares how she and her husband struggled to get pregant, and once they did, it ended up in a traumatic loss. She talks about how she handled the heartbreak, felt supported, and, most importantly, reminds us grief never truly goes away. Loss isn't talked about enough, making the process more isolating. We hope hearing her story helps you feel less alone if loss is part of your story.

This month is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month and we want to encourage you to honor your story. Listen in to find out how!

Before diving into her recommended memoirs to read this fall, Prep Dish founder Allison Schaaf announces an exciting opportunity for Prep Dish customers to share their meal prep stories, and offers a support resource for October's National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in Episode 190. ‌ Announcement: You've used Prep Dish in your home, now we'd love to hear from you on the Meal Prep Monday Podcast! Allison is opening up the opportunity to share your own personal experience with Prep Dish as a guest on her show. No previous podcast experience is required and we'd love to hear your story - how you shop for food, plan your meal prep, and create Prep Dish masterpieces for yourself and your family. If interested, please inquire at info@prepdish.com. ‌ October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The Miscarriage Hope Desk (http://miscarriagehopedesk.com ), founded by Allison Schaaf, is a helpful resource and community for anyone whose personal story involves miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, or infant loss. ‌ Allison has been enjoying several memoirs recently through Libby (a public library downloadable book collection), books borrowed from the library, or through Audible. Her top memoirs to check out this season include: Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey (audio is read by Matthew and very entertaining) Elizabeth Taylor: The Grit and Glamor of an Icon by Kate Ansersen Brower Never Broken: Songs Are Only Half the Story by Jewel (audio is read & sung by Jewel) Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry Inside Out: A Memoir by Demi Moore The Happy Texan: Adventures of a Rock & Roll Truck Driver by Michael Inman (Allison's neighbor - your local community is made up of people with many wonderful stories to tell!). ‌ Connect with Allison: PrepDish.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prepdish/ Get your FREE mealplan at PrepDish.com/podcast OR text the word mealprep to 33777 ‌ Resources mentioned in this podcast: Get your free trial at prepdish.com/mpm for two weeks of free meal plans! ‌ Be a guest on the Meal Prep Monday Podcast: info@prepdish.com Miscarriage Hope Desk: http://miscarriagehopedesk.com Audio Books Libby, by OverDrive App: http://overdrive.com Audible: http://Audible.com

This week kicks off a five part series highlighting stories and topics surrounding pregnancy and infant loss awareness month. Kacie and Gianna hope to bring new awareness and light to these tough subjects to help those who have gone through it, or are currently going through it, feel less alone. This episode in particular is an interview coming from Gianna's former podcast, So Sorry For Your Loss, and highlights grief coach Jen Morrow's personal experience with stillbirth and miscarriage. Jen discusses how she has turned her pain into power by helping others process grief & life after loss, sharing tips to help heal & thrive after devastating pain. She bravely details the moment a doctor reached across the desk and told her to prepare for miscarriage or stillbirth. A few weeks short of full term, she delivered her son Matthew and held him until he passed away only hours later. She went on to experience another miscarriage before welcoming her rainbow baby girl (and a second one since this episode first aired in 2021)! We discuss: Jen's story of losing her son Matthew Early warning signs Tangible tips for handling common situations after miscarriage (social media, going back to the OBGYN, baby showers and more) Why life after loss doesn't equate to failure Her rainbow baby, Sienna Maintaining a bond with your partner when going through loss Processing grief in a sustainable and healthy way Returning to intimacy And more Connect with Jennifer: https://www.instagram.com/jennifer_morrow_/ https://courses.strengthforallseasons.com/ Connect with Kacie & Gianna: ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.instagram.com/motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@motheruppod⁠⁠⁠⁠ View full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠www.motheruppod.com⁠ Great offers for you from our sponsors: This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. We believe in the power of therapy!! Get 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp by using the code MOTHERUP or signing up at this link: ⁠https://betterhelp.com/motherup⁠. Looking for something that makes life a WHOLE lot easier with the tap of a few buttons? YOHANA is it. We are happy to be a YOHANA ambassador and bring you a concierge service for families– think, planning meals and grocery lists, ordering birthday cakes, sourcing and sending gifts, finding qualified vendors in your area, etc.-- for one low price a month. Get your first month of services for just $49 (hello, no brainer!) when you use the code YOMOTHERUP. Check it out here: ⁠https://glnk.io/5w2qk/motheruppod⁠

Inspired by Bri's Greatest Hits and the 200th episode of The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge, Sarah, Erin, and Rachel are each revisiting their own favorite episodes from the past four years of podcasting.   This week, Erin revisits an unforgettable conversation with Elizabeth Entenmann, recorded in October 2021 to commemorate Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.  It's Episode 105: Erin's One Question Interview   From the original show notes:   October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in this installment of Erin's One-Question Interview, the Ladies welcome Elizabeth Entenmann as she shares the heartrending story of her personal experience with pregnancy loss.  Beginning with two first-trimester miscarriages and culminating in the tragic loss of her near-term son Rocky, Liz's honest and open account provides a touching reminder to the Church that pregnancy loss may be closer than we might think—but that God's love and mercy are always closer still.  Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies' Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge) and on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge. Follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), and Erin (@erinaltered) on Instagram! Sign up for the Lutheran Ladies' Lounge monthly e-newsletter here, and email the Ladies at lutheranladies@kfuo.org.