Miscarriage Stories with Arden Cartrette

Natalie joins the show to share her story of recurrent pregnancy loss and chose to share now, even though she’s still in the thick of growing her family. She said  there is power in trying before you’re on the “other side of loss” and we agree at the Miscarriage Stories Podcast!

TOPICS DISCUSSED: first pregnancy ending in miscarriage, living child after loss, miscarriage while trying to have a second living child, recurrent loss, Canadian-based experience

THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO

This conversation delves into the complexities of reproductive health, particularly focusing on pregnancy loss and abortion.

Rebecca Little and Colleen Long join Arden to discuss the impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade on women's health, share personal stories of loss, and highlight the cultural taboos surrounding these topics. They emphasize the need for better understanding and support within the medical community and advocate for a more empathetic approach to reproductive rights.

Learn More About "I'm Sorry For My Loss" the book HERE

Purchase from Bookshop.org and support your local bookstores HERE.

The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource that supports people through pregnancy loss. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Arden Cartrette is joined by psychologist and award-winning author Jessica Zucker to discuss her new book, Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives. Known for her groundbreaking work and viral movement I Had a Miscarriage, Jessica shares the story behind her 16-week pregnancy loss and how it transformed her personal and professional life.

Together, Arden and Jessica explore the many layers of womanhood that are too often silenced—grief, periods, reproductive health, friendships, sexual assault, and more. They talk about the emotional complexity of these experiences and the societal pressure to "move on" quietly. This conversation is a call to action: to remove shame, embrace vulnerability, and normalize the full range of emotions that come with being human.

Jessica offers her therapist’s insight, personal experiences, and compassionate advocacy, reminding listeners that their stories matter—and that healing begins with speaking out.

Topics Discussed:

• The story behind I Had a Miscarriage

• Writing Normalize It and the process of telling hard stories

• Grief and pregnancy loss at 16 weeks

• The cultural stigma surrounding miscarriage and menstruation

• The importance of vulnerability and storytelling

• Navigating family dynamics and identity after loss

• Creating space for emotional healing and self-advocacy

• How support groups foster community and connection

Connect with Jessica Zucker:

Instagram: @ihadamiscarriage

Follow Arden & Miscarriage Stories:
Instagram: @themiscarriagedoula
Website: https://www.themiscarriagedoula.co
Subscribe to the Miscarriage Stories podcast wherever you listen.

Keywords: Miscarriage, Women's Health, Mental Health, Grief, Reproductive Health, Shame, Stigma, Identity, Vulnerability, Support Groups, Storytelling, Self-Advocacy

🎙 Hosted by Arden Cartrette | The Miscarriage Doula

In this episode of Miscarriage Stories, Carly shares her deeply personal journey of trying to conceive, navigating the emotional highs of early pregnancy, and facing the heartbreaking reality of miscarriage.

💔 A Thoughtful Start – Carly and her husband waited until they were financially stable before trying to conceive. Living in Canada, they celebrated a milestone in May 2024 when her husband became a permanent resident.

🔄 The TTC Rollercoaster – Carly describes the emotional intensity of trying to conceive, from tracking ovulation to becoming immersed in the world of BBT and charting.

📅 A Long-Awaited Positive – After five months of trying, Carly received her first positive pregnancy test in November 2024. They kept the news mostly private, planning to share it with family over the holidays.

🩺 Ultrasounds & Uncertainty – A private early ultrasound in December gave them reassurance, but their official dating ultrasound in January brought unexpected news—the baby was measuring small, and the heartbeat had slowed.

💔 The Loss Begins – As Carly and her husband prepared for the worst, spotting turned into heavy bleeding, leading them to the emergency room. There, they saw their baby’s heartbeat had slowed significantly.

This episode is a raw and honest look at the painful reality of pregnancy loss and the uncertainty that comes with it. Carly’s story sheds light on the emotional complexities of miscarriage and the resilience it takes to navigate grief.

🔗 Connect with Arden & The Miscarriage Doula:
📌 Website: The Miscarriage Doula
📌 Instagram: @themiscarriagedoula

🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.

💜 If this episode resonated with you, please consider leaving a review to help others find these stories.

Returning after sharing her recurrent pregnancy loss journey with us in episode 83, Xenia shares pregnancy after loss and the emotional and physical complications of that pregnancy.

The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for people who are navigating pregnancy loss. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co

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Since we last spoke with her, she worked on processing her recurrent pregnancy loss experience and took a break from trying to conceive. She also named the two babies and purchased tangible artwork to hang in her home.

Other life events that have happened; moving, trouble with her job, in the UK the government now issues certificates for losses before 20 weeks (they previously didn’t).

In the Summer, she learned that she was pregnant again and was visiting her family in Eastern Europe where she had access to early pregnancy care. She had to go on a diabetic diet early in the first trimester, and watched her thyroid, as well as adding in a blood thinner due to a blood clotting concern.

Around 11 weeks, she woke up covered in blood which was triggering so she called an ambulance to take her to the emergency room. A male OB immediately says that it’s a miscarriage but an ultrasound (and other care in the hospital) confirms that the baby has a heartbeat but they see a large bleed. She’s then admitted to the hospital for care.

In the hospital, she learned that she had a low-lying placenta which was causing the bleeding and the hope was the placenta would move up as she progressed in her pregnancy. She had to stay at her parent’s house (hours and hours of flights away) for many weeks without her husband.

The rest of pregnancy was mostly smooth sailing and her baby (a boy!) was breech. Her birth was a planned/scheduled cesarean and her son is 8 months old at the time of recording.

In this episode, Andrea details her fertility experiences with pregnancy loss, living children, and the loss of her son during the second trimester that was unexpected and traumatic. Thank you, Andrea for talking about second trimester loss so openly and for discussing saline baths!

Some helpful books have been:

- Just be Honest : Clint Watkins 

- Dark cloud deep mercy :  Mark Vroegop 

- Grieving the child I never knew : Kathe Wunnenberg

- Holding on to love after you’ve lost a baby : Gary Chapman and Candy McVicar 

- Chasing light : Stephanie Tong

- Sunlight in December : Kristin Hernandez 

BLOG POST ON SALINE BATH : https://cafemom.com/news/miscarriage-photography-salt-water-bath-underwater-phot?pubdate=1637587380000&utm_content=beingamom_fbpage&utm_term=new&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm

RESOURCE - HOPE MOMMIES : https://hopemommies.org/hope-boxes

Natori join Arden on the Miscarriage Stories Podcast to discuss her pregnancy experience and how traumatic miscarriage can be no matter how "early" in pregnancy you are.

We discuss a difficult encounter with medical staff, things that have helped her cope and grieve, taking time off work after loss, and so much more.

Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129

Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co

During this episode of Miscarriage Stories, Denise shares her personal experience with losing her son after passing 12 weeks, which is when she felt safe enough to share the news with family and friends.

This conversation is heavy on discussing what birth looks like in loss and is a vulnerable account of grief, trauma, and the stressors that come up when moving forward.

Plus, we discuss pregnancy after loss and Denise and I had a lot of the same fears and experiences so I know I related to her big time.

Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129

Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co

Meaghan joins Arden today to share her experience with pregnancy and loss. River is a child that was wanted and loved from the moment they existed which made their loss all the more devastating for Meaghan and her husband, Tom.

We discuss her experience giving birth at home and the trauma that it brought to her and her partner and how unprepared we often are for pregnancy loss in general.

This conversation is heavy on the experience of miscarriage at home and medical care along with grief, trauma, and difficulties in life after loss. We do also discuss the fact that Meaghan is currently pregnant after loss!

Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129

Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co

“My eggs are rotten so we just need better ingredients for the bun”

Lauren comes on to share about her journey with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and navigating IVF, fertility testing and treatment.

"Fertility really is like a crap shoot Losing pregnancies, embryos, cycles, feels like cumulative loss"

You can read more about Lauren's journey on her blog PINEAPPLES AND ROTTEN EGGS

Since recording this in early 2024, Lauren has transferred the second donated embryo that unforunately ended in another miscarriage and she had a D&C in June 2024. This was her 6th transfer overall and at this time, she's unsure of her next steps. Let's all send Lauren some love!

Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who is a Birth & Bereavement Doula that founded "The Miscarriage Doula" -- an online support service and resource for people who are experiencing or have experienced loss. Support is offered through 1:1 support, group support, blog posts, and Instagram content. Learn more at ⁠themiscarriagedoula.co