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

A Delay is not a Denial!

Today's guest believes that her faith is what helped her through her ectopic pregnancies, fallopian tube loss, miscarriage, and rainbow baby pregnancy.

Abi Ade is our @SistersinLoss from across the pond residing in London. In this episode she shares her journey to motherhood which began in 2015 after her wedding she found out she was pregnant. That pregnancy resulted in a ruptured fallopian tube due to an ectopic pregnancy and she had to have it removed to save her life. Abi went on to experience another ectopic pregnancy in which the doctors were able to save her remaining tube. Abi shares in this episode how she dealt another pregnancy ending with a miscarriage, how she was about to give up, and her perseverance to become a mum and pregnancy and delivery of her rainbow baby.

This episode is for you to listen to if you have ever felt like giving up on this journey to parenthood, and know that a delay is not denial and your promise is coming!

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Imagine healing from miscarriages only to be faced with your IVF treatment being postponed due to COVID-19. Today's guest shares her painful journey of experiencing two miscarriages and deciding to undergo fertility treatment.

Joanna Pendergrass shares in this episode how she grieved her unborn children. Her failed IVF treatment, her second round of treatment and not being able to undergo embryo transfer due to COVID-19, and how she is not giving up hope on this journey to parenthood. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced miscarriages, have gone through a failed IVF experienced, and have felt like giving up hope on your journey to parenthood.

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Imagine experiencing loss of twins at 7 months and then 5 other miscarriages to have your rainbow baby? Today's guest is the connector of a new book collaboration with Angel Moms called "Don't Struggle in Silence - I am a Victor" out now. In this episode Ashley Pittman shares her story and journey of twin loss and miscarriage and how it empowered her to be an advocate for angel moms, families, and relationships. She connected 5 other ladies as collaborators for her new book where they each share their story of not struggling in silence. Ashley shares her vision behind this new book project and how each of the collaborators stories play a pivotal role in showing they are victorious after loss. You will also here in this episode stories from Dadriaunna Hayes, Dartesha Davis, and Janell Jones.

This episode is for your to listen to if you felt like you have struggled in silence on your journey and for you to be inspired from these ladies stories and book collaboration.

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From miscarriage to maternal health advocate and becoming a doula. Today's guest shares how she suffered from depression and anxiety after having a miscarriage at 14 weeks.

Kia Livingston had to lean on God and her support system to get out of a very dark place after suffering a miscarriage at 14 weeks. She turned her pain into purpose and became a doula and maternal health advocate. In this episode she takes us back on her journey to motherhood, how she overcame depression after her loss, and how her work as a doula is helping her advocate for black maternal health.

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What does life after infant loss and birth trauma look like? Today's guest shares in this episode what life after miscarriage and trading beauty for ashes means and more.

Dadriaunna Hayes lost her son at 24 weeks gestation due to cervical incompetence and experienced birth trauma. She went into pre-term labor and the hospital she was at did not have a NICU or Labor and Delivery center so she had to be transferred. Once transferred she endured a cerclage, 2 epidurals in 48 hours, allergic reaction to the labor medications, and ultimately birthed her baby boy who died shortly after entering into the world.

In this episode, Dadriaunna takes us back on her journey to motherhood, she shares how she almost lost her life and how her husband advocated for her, and how she created a digital space for millennial moms of color to trade beauty for ashes with God.

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Six Miscarriages later today's guest was determined to find out what was the cause. Royale Walters tenacity and resilience led her to discover that she had celiac's auto immune disease a condition which gives you a gluten intolerance and it led to her miscarriages.

In today's episode, she shares how the gluten was attacking her body while she was pregnant, how she changed her diet and saw immediate results, and how food has changed her way she approaches fertility. This episode is for you to listen to if you have had recurrent miscarriages and are interested in how food like gluten play a role in your fertility.

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So you want to be a doula? What does a doula do? How can I become one? How much does it cost? If you want answers to these questions and more this episode is for you. I'm excited to launch our 2nd Cohort of the Sisters in Loss Birth and Bereavement Doula training and certification program. This doula certification program will run for 6 weeks beginning on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at 8pm EST. For more information on how to register go to sistersinloss.com/doulatraining.

In today's episode I share what a doula is, the different types of doulas, doula certification programs that support black mamas and birthing persons, and the costs to become certified. This episode is for you to listen to if you have wanted to become a doula and are not sure where to start. Stay tuned until the end for a special discount code just for the Sisters in Loss listeners who want to become a Sisters in Loss doula.

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Did you know that Preeclampsia is a leading cause of Maternal Mortality and prematurity?

Did you know that black birthing persons are 3x more likely to die from Preeclampsia?

Today's episode is a special one because its our 150th episode! Can you believe it? We made it to 150! In honor of our 150th episode I had the pleasure of interviewing the CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation Eleni Tsigas. A little background on Eleni, is the CEO of the Preeclampsia Foundation and member of the Board of Directors for Preeclampsia Foundation Canada. As a preeclampsia survivor herself, Eleni is a relentless champion for the improvement of patient and provider education and practices, for the catalytic role that patients can have to advance the science and status of maternal-infant health, and for the progress that can be realized by building global partnerships to improve patient outcomes. In this episode Eleni shares her personal preeclampsia story, how we can support May which is Preeclampsia awareness month, and why taking your blood pressure at is critical for pregnant ladies/birthing persons in this COVID-19 climate. We also share how we met, connected and how Sisters in Loss has partnered with Preeclampsia Foundation on maternal mortality and racial disparities. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced preeclampsia, want to know how to partner with the preeclampsia foundation, and why blood pressures are critical during pregnancy.

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Imagine losing your sister to cancer and grieving her death you find out your are pregnant with twins. Today's guest experienced just that in October 2019 when she found out she was carrying twin girls. During Trae Francois 20 week ultrasound she found out her cervix had shorten and doctors did not recommend a cerclage due to her high risk twin pregnancy. She began taking progesterone to strengthen her cervix and to stop it from continue to shorten. It was on January 20, 2020 when her water broke at 23 weeks that doctors had to make tough decisions on baby A whose sac was ruptured due to PPROM. Baby girls Ava and Ari were born on January 22, 2020 and on January 25, 2020 baby Ari went to be with God in heaven. Ava continues to fight for her life in the NICU and is on track to come home in May 2020. In this episode Trae takes us back on her journey, her NICU stay in the midst of COVID-19 pandemic, and how she is grieving the loss of Ari while being strong for Ava. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a twin loss and for understanding of what a NICU stay looks like in this pandemic.

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This past Sunday we celebrated International Bereaved Mother's Day and shown our love for our babies gone to heaven far too soon. This upcoming Sunday in the US we celebrate Mother's Day. Mother's Day can be very challenging, difficult emotionally, and with social distancing and quarantine can and will be very lonely for many Sisters in Loss. Today's podcast episode is my love letter to you letting you know that You are a Mother! All of the needle pokes, disappointing news, positive and negative pregnancy tests, exciting feelings of baby movement, to holding your baby in your arms after they have taken their last breath made you a mother. Don't let anyone make you feel different on Mother's Day. On Sunday, do what you need to do. Watch church online, make you a bomb brunch with mimosas, cry hard, stay home, and Facetime or Houseparty with family and friends will make the day better. Do it all. Sunday is your Mother's Day. You are amazing! You are brave! You are beautiful! You are loved! You are blessed! You are a Mom. Wishing you Happy Mother's Day Sister in Loss! All my Love, ~Erica

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