Trigger Warning: This episode discusses infant loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth. Please listen with care.

While pregnancy is often filled with joy and anticipation, sometimes things take a devastating turn that no one should ever have to face. In this episode, Claire shares the story of her sweet daughter, Paulie, who was born at 41 weeks but tragically passed away during the birthing process.

Claire talks about the early stages of labor at the birthing center, where everything seemed to be going smoothly, until complications when Paulie became stuck in the birth canal and needed to be rushed to the hospital.

Some highlights from this episode with Claire:

• Getting pregnant, a previous miscarriage, and its emotional toll

• A positive pregnancy experience and enjoying the journey

• An emergency c-section and the medical team's efforts to save Paulie

• The grief of losing Paulie and the support Claire received from loved ones

• The importance of getting photographs taken by the hospital's photography team

We hope this episode helps you find gratitude for the brief, but precious, time spent with your little ones who have passed. We also hope you can find comfort in those cherished memories, despite the heartache.

Quotes:

"I was, like, getting ready to cry and feel all the feelings. The head was out and immediately the midwife looked panicked and said, 'call the ambulance right now.'" – Claire (52:23)

"It was just not the way we had planned 12 minutes ago––not what we thought was going to happen 12 minutes ago, as we were literally laughing. To go from that to, like, a huge tragedy was just horrible." – Claire (1:08:25)

Other Episodes You Might Appreciate:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-can-i-do-to-help-a-mother-after-their-child/id1473594556?i=1000660674141

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Links:

Grief Support Groups: https://nationalshare.org/

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