In part two of this episode, Shira Billet talks about her process of working through grief and common grief experiences after losing a pregnancy. She and Dr. Fox touch on difficult topics like anxiety in subsequent pregnancies, stillbirth, and more.

Shira Billet shares her story of losing a twin pregnancy in 2015. Since this loss, Shira has become a resource for women and families going through the same thing. She explains how she found that “if I could do something that would make the world better, or help other people… that felt like some kind of alternative version of being a mother.”

In this episode, Ashley shares the story of her pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum complications. Aside from nausea and other typical symptoms, Ashley shares that her pregnancy and delivery went very smoothly. However, she suffered a hemorrhage shortly after the birth. As a psychotherapist, Ashley explains the emotional as well as the physical tolls of this experience.

Tammy Balaban shares the stories of her two pregnancies, including monitoring high fluid in her first pregnancy, laboring for 24 hours before having a C-section, and preeclampsia after giving birth. She also also describes pregnancy and delivery through Covid with her second baby.

Kristin shares her High Risk Birth Story. Her son Max was born premature at just 25 weeks and 5 days. An anatomy scan found that Kristin’s cervix was short, but closed. She explains the treatment she underwent as part of a study at Northwestern, her water breaking unexpectedly, and her son’s 97-day stay in the NICU.

Raquel shares her story of having two children in her mid-forties with a donor egg. Raquel’s High Risk Birth Story begins with a chemical pregnancy miscarriage shortly after getting married at 39 and includes multiple miscarriages and rounds of IUI and IVF. She shares her stories so others will feel supported and like they are not alone.

Brooke tells her High Risk Birth Story of receiving a confined placental mosaicism diagnosis in her second pregnancy. Brooke explains that an early NIPT showed markers for trisomy 13, but an ultrasound didn’t show any signs of abnormality. Further testing and genetic counseling later showed confined placental mosaicism, or an abnormal number of chromosomes in the placenta while her baby had no genetic abnormalities.

Debbie and Mike Goldstein return to High Risk Birth Stories after sharing their story of IVF and fertility treatments. In this episode, they share more about their second pregnancy and the births of their sons.

Debbie and Mike Goldstein join High Risk Birth Stories to discuss their fertility journey. The couple started trying to get pregnant when Debbie was 33, and eventually began IVF treatment. After multiple miscarriages and failed IVF cycles, Debbie eventually went through multiple treatments including laparoscopic surgery to remove cysts and treat endometriosis, seeing an immune specialist, and more. They also discuss joining a Facebook support group and the many sacrifices they made before eventually having their son.

Jaime and Aaron Harris join Dr. Fox to discuss the births of their three children, who were born about 18 months apart each. They explain the process of a hypnobirth, which is a sort of mindfulness practice to remain calm, relaxed, and positive, as well as their experience having two of their children during COVID.