Sisters in Loss Podcast: Miscarriage, Pregnancy Loss, & Infertility Stories

The road to parenthood looks different for many of us Sisters in Loss. This can be especially difficult for our masculine presenting LGBTQ+ sisters. Today's guest has experienced parenthood in many forms, from step kids, birthing her own with a sperm donor, IVF, loss, and a successful birth with her partner.

Dr. Gloria Pope began to document her journey through her partner's fertility treatments and IVF loss experience. She realized the importance of sharing her perspective as a partner and documented this in her book Hero: Memoirs of Infertility.

In today's episode, Gloria shares her different perspectives on parenthood including carrying her own son via a sperm donor, being a supportive partner to her wife who lost a baby at 18 weeks via IVF, and then having a successful pregnancy of her daughter through another round of IVF. She shares her journey as a part of the LGBTQ+ community, how she was treated while pregnant with her son, how she supported her partner through infertility and IVF, and how parenthood is shared between both partners.

This episode is for you to listen if you identify with LGBTQ+, want to hear the perspective of someone who has given birth and supported their partner through loss and IVF, and want to be empowered about how to combat systemic racism for those masculine presenting in our healthcare system.

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Motherhood is what today's guest calls a "Rites of Passage" to the best hoods on Mother Earth. Ariane Oyere is a wife and mother of 7. She experience the lost of her 3rd born at 9 years old and then two miscarriages after his Sunset. Her babies she refers to as the Summer Solstice.

In this episode, Oyere takes us back to her greatest obstacles in losing her Sunsets. She reframes child loss and miscarriage into sunset experiences. We also discuss lactation through bereavement and other spiritual modalities for healing. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a miscarriage or loss and want to learn how to reframe your thinking into naming them sunset experiences.

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Have you heard of the term Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR)?

Termination for Medical Reasons, or TFMR, is when a pregnancy is terminated due to a chromosomal, genetic or structural fetal abnormality, or where continuing the pregnancy would risk the health or life of the mother.

Today's guest was able to conceive her first child naturally and had a healthy pregnancy and delivery. The journey to baby number two has been full of loss and heartbreak. Hadeer El Hindawi had 4 consecutive losses including a miscarriage, TFMR, another miscarriage, and a stillborn full term baby. The last pregnancy was a frozen embryo transfer via IVF after being diagnosed with low ovarian reserve and her partner has high DNA fragmentation.

In this episode, we discuss how she has coped and grieved with secondary infertility and these consecutive losses, how she has hope, and how she is moving forward in spite of her current circumstances.

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Are you following @aleasetheembryologist on IG and TikTok? Well if you're not you should. Alease has gone viral and has gained a following on TikTok for sharing education on working in reproductive health. She is an embryologist and everyday she works with Trying to Conceive (TTC) patients to bring peace of mind on their fertility journey's.

In today's episode we discuss how she has gone viral on TikTok, her passion for reproductive health and education, and how as Women of Color we aren't taken seriously in White Male dominated fields.

This episode is for you to listen to if you want to learn more about the IVF process, what an embryologist does, and fertility and reproductive education.

Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep253

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Mother's Day is HARD!

This upcoming Sunday and Second Sunday in May, the world stops to honor and celebrate moms around the world. Families splurge on greeting cards, flowers, gifts, fun traditions, and lavish meals to show the motherly figures in their lives how much they are loved.

I can't think of anyone more deserving on Mother's Day than a mother who had to give her child back.

Today's episode is a solo episode and I share ways you can honor your angel this Mother's Day!

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After having suffered multiple miscarriages for two years due to Fibroids, today's guess used her faith and determination to heal from her losses and continue her journey to becoming a mother.

Simbi Animashaun was determined to become a mother after her miscarriages and went onto have three children who are her rainbow babies. In today's episode Simbi shares her struggles with pregnancy loss, being a miscarriage survivor, and how she leaned on God for understanding.

This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced fibroids, infertility, and painful periods and how to achieve health and wellness on your journey to motherhood.

Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep252

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What Does Having Low AMH Levels Mean?

Having low AMH levels can indicate that your ovaries are producing less of the preantral follicles. This is important as the fewer the number of follicles there are means there are less that can be stimulated for assisted contraception.

Today's guest suffered from endometriosis for 21 years before being properly diagnosed. Sandra Elidor also found out she had low AMH at age 30. With Endo she had two surgeries, 1 fallopian tube, 1 successful IVF cycle, and 1 miscarriage. Sandra gave birth to her son at 29 weeks after weeks of bed rest due to placenta previa. During her 2nd IVF treatment, she found out she was no longer a candidate for IVF due to her low AMH levels. After which she suffered a miscarriage.

In today's episode Sandra takes us on her journey to parenting, how she started her non-profit Filling Empty Wombs on Clubhouse, and supporting other families on this infertility and loss journey.

Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep250

Have you heard of the term Oligohydramnios?

Low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios) is a condition in which the amniotic fluid measures lower than expected for a baby's gestational age.

Today's guest was preparing to conceive and had a myomectomy to remove her fibroids. Christina Danyo learned she was expecting after her fibroid surgery. During her 20 week anatomy scan she learned that her baby girl's kidneys did not develop and was covered in cysts. Her daughter was diagnosed with Oligohdramnios or low/no amniotic fluid and her lungs also did not develop. Christina was faced with the decision with the diagnosis not compatible with life.

In this episode, we discuss the decision she and her husband made to carry to full term, she delivered her baby girl via C-section at 37 weeks, preparation for delivering a baby given a fatal diagnosis, and her time spent honoring her angel during her less than 2 hour life and beyond.

Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep249

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Today's guest knows what it feels to be down and depressed after trauma. This lead her to making cotton candy and learned to detach herself from other people's pain, but also carry their spirits with me to rediscover joy by bringing it to others. Jackie Morin is the founder of Wonderpuff a small cotton candy business based in Durham, North Carolina. She and her husband began to expand their family and lost her daughter at 19 weeks. In this episode, we discuss how being black and Muslim played a role in her birthing experience, how she coped with the trauma of losing her daughter, and hope she has in her small business and growing her family.

Listen to this episode here: sistersinloss.com/ep248

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here Living Water Doula Services Book Recommendations and Links Below

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