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

Pregnancy loss and infertility can be so hard on a marriage. It can either tear the couple apart or bring them closer together. In fact it is said that almost 80% of couples who experience a miscarriage or infertility end up in divorce. In this month of love we will be featuring 4 couples showing by prayer, faith in God, and a strong commitment to stay together their marriages endured the hard times of pregnancy loss and infertility.

This is the last couple in our series The Martin's. They are fellow podcasters and have created Chasing Rainbows podcast documenting their infertility journey. In this episode they take us back to the beginning of their journey to parenthood, battling infertility with a PCOS diagnosis, how they grieved their son Noah they loss at 20 weeks, and how Starbucks is helping fund their IVF journey.

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Pregnancy loss and infertility can be so hard on a marriage. It can either tear the couple apart or bring them closer together. In fact it is said that almost 80% of couples who experience a miscarriage or infertility end up in divorce. In this month of love we will be featuring 4 couples showing by prayer, faith in God, and a strong commitment to stay together their marriages endured the hard times of pregnancy loss and infertility. In today's episode I bring my husband Brandon O. McAfee on to talk about our challenges growing our family, raising a special needs child, and how we have weather the storm 7 years married and after our first loss. We discuss these last 3 weeks and how we spent 10 days in the hospital with our son fighting off a virus. How our village came to surround us with love, how we manage burn out, and ensure we are pouring into ourselves as well as into each other.

Brandon's BioThe Reverend Brandon McAfee is the proud Pastor of Gaskins Chapel African Methodist Church (A.M.E) in Onancock, Virginia where the Right Reverend James L. Davis is the Presiding Bishop of the Second Episcopal District and Rev. Chester W. Morris is the Presiding Elder of the Norfolk-Eastern Shore District. Pastor McAfee was born in Cheverly, Maryland to Kyle and Cheryl McAfee. He is married to Erica McAfee and is the father of two heavenly angels, and a son, Master Maxwell McAfee.

He is a 2006 graduate of the University of Massachusetts- Amherst, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Legal Studies and in 2010 he earned his Master's of Divinity from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University. It was at UMass, that Rev. McAfee joined B.A.S.I.C. (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), a ministry that would change his life forever. His first ministry assignment would be as a bible study leader at B.A.S.I.C. and a guest preacher at their Sunday Services. Through these experiences, he accepted his call to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ at the age of 21.

Rev. McAfee is guided by his favorite scripture, Proverbs 18:16, "A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men." Rev. McAfee has a heart to serve God's people and is a humble laborer of God. His passion is to offer holistic ministry to meet the needs of all people.

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Pregnancy loss and infertility can be so hard on a marriage. It can either tear the couple apart or bring them closer together. In fact it is said that almost 80% of couples who experience a miscarriage or infertility end up in divorce. In this month of love we will be featuring 4 couples showing by prayer, faith in God, and a strong commitment to stay together their marriages endured the hard times of pregnancy loss and infertility. In this episode we have the Pruitt's who share their infertility journey and how they are gracefully waiting on their promise from God. Glenn and Natasha have been married for 4 years and live in Austin, Texas. They have never conceived so that lead to many doctor visits, trying different types of medicines, having procedures, many emotional rollercoaster, attempt to foster to adopt a teenager, which tested their marriage. Gracefully Waiting was birthed with anticipation of giving hope to other women battling infertility. The Hope Gift Boxes allows Natasha to share her story and start a conversation of giving hope in the midst of the storm. In this episode we learn how the Pruitt's are gracefully waiting for their blessing while serving God and being faithful to the call on their lives as ministry leaders.

The Pruitt's BioA little about us, Glenn and I have been married for 4 years and we are from Paris, Texas but live in Austin, TX. I'm an graduate from University of North Texas majored in Health education and currently working on Masters in Marriage and Families of Counseling to help families of color while dealing with infertility.

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Pregnancy loss and infertility can be so hard on a marriage. It can either tear the couple apart or bring them closer together. In fact it is said that almost 80% of couples who experience a miscarriage or infertility end up in divorce. In this month of love we will be featuring 4 couples showing by prayer, faith in God, and a strong commitment to stay together their marriages endured the hard times of pregnancy loss and infertility. Today's couple is The Hutchinson's who share their infertility and IVF journey and new book "I Still Want to be A Mom." Shara Hutchinson went through over six rounds of Clomid, two miscarriages, two laparoscopic surgeries, one D&C, two failed IVF cycles, one failed FET, an ectopic pregnancy, and was finally able to have her miracle baby from her third IVF cycle. In this episode she and her husband Todd share their journey to parenthood, how their faith helped them endure the disappointments, and how their miracle rainbow baby inspires them everyday.

Hutchinson's Bio SHARA HUTCHINSON is a mom who had to conquer infertility to live her dream. She is the author of , "I Still Want To Be A Mom", a book written (from experience)as a guide to help the reader navigate through infertility until having their baby. After over six rounds of Clomid, two miscarriages, two laparoscopic surgeries, one D&C, two failed IVF cycles, one failed FET, and an ectopic pregnancy, she was finally able to have her miracle baby from her third IVF cycle (fourth embryo transfer). She is passionate about inspiring and encouraging women who are struggling with infertility to pursue and achieve motherhood despite the many challenges they may face.

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The hardest part of going through a miscarriage or infertility is not having friends who can relate to this experience. How many of you had to distance yourself from your friends or friendships ended or shifted as a result of your loss or diagosis? Well, I have been blessed that this was not the case for me and my BFFs. If anything we have learned that our friendship can endure the best of times and the worse of times. In today's episode we have my BFF of over 15 years on the show Amber Smith-St. Louis. Amber and I met in college at Virginia Commonwealth University in our first Chemical Engineering course and have been thick as thieves since. In this episode we just have girl chat and talk about how our friendship has evolved over the years. How we have supported each other through dark times, and how I am supporting her now in her new season trying to conceive after a miscarriage and Endometriosis diagnosis. This episode is for you if you have a BFF or girlfriends and want some inspiration on how I have maintained my friendships through my losses and infertility. This is part 2 of our girl chat.

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The hardest part of going through a miscarriage or infertility is not having friends who can relate to this experience. How many of you had to distance yourself from your friends or friendships ended or shifted as a result of your loss or diagnosis? Well, I have been blessed that this was not the case for me and my BFFs. If anything we have learned that our friendship can endure the best of times and the worse of times. In today's episode we have my BFF of over 15 years on the show Amber Smith-St. Louis. Amber and I met in college at Virginia Commonwealth University in our first Chemical Engineering course and have been thick as thieves since. In this episode we just have girl chat and talk about how our friendship has evolved over the years. How we have supported each other through dark times, and how I am supporting her now in her new season trying to conceive after a miscarriage and Endometriosis diagnosis. This episode is for you if you have a BFF or girlfriends and want some inspiration on how I have maintained my friendships through my losses and infertility.

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There is a new webseries that has been all the buzz on Instagram, and its called Black Girls Guide to Fertility, created, written, and based on Sonhara' Eastman's own battle with infertility. Black Girls Guide to Fertility tackles infertility in a profoundly intimate way that's both dramatic and comedic without ever feeling rigid. It focuses on Ava, a 37-year old romance novelist, who faded into obscurity after finding love–and now finds herself on the rise again after self-publishing a diary detailing her fertility woes. Each episode is a recreation of Ava's diary entry, adding a unique and compelling touch to the everyday struggle of infertility. I had the pleasure of prescreening the first two episodes and when I tell you, you do not want to miss this webseries. In this episode we discuss Sonhara's vision, her personal infertility battle, and what is next with Black Girls Guide to Fertility. The webseries premieres on Friday, January 18, 2019 and if you are listening to this in real time that is two days away. Be sure to subscribe to their youtube page, and join us in the private Sisters in Loss community at sistersinloss.com for our Watch party on Tuesday, January 22 at 8pm EST.

Sonhara Eastman's BioSonhara Eastman is a playwright and screenwriter from New York. She received her M.F.A. in Dramatic Writing at NYU Tisch, where she implemented the departments first-ever Black History Month Celebration through Art. Her plays are known for illuminating the black experience and include Pearl, The Club, and Black Girls Guide to Fertility. Sonhara's plays have been workshopped at 7 Stages, The Classical Theatre of Harlem's Playwrights Playground, Working Title Playwrights Ethel Woolson Lab at the Alliance Theatre (Black Box), The Goldberg Theatre at NYU, and the La MaMa Theatre. She was a finalist for the National Playwright's Center Many Voices Fellowship and a semifinalist for the Made in New York Writer's Room Program, and the We Screenplay Diverse Voices Competition. She has worked for numerous production companies such as E! Entertainment, MTV, ESPN, Lifetime, Lionsgate, and the Comcast Network. Sonhara is a member of the Writer's Guild East and Dramatist Guild.

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Happy New Year Sisters in Loss! Welcome to 2019! Today is a solo episode of the podcast where I share my word of the year and my personal infertility and growing my family journey.

Thank you to everyone who rated and reviewed the podcast this year. If you have never left us a review please do so now. Thank you to all of the guests on the podcast for sharing your story and your light during the 2018 year. 2019 is here and I'm excited about the interviews, stories, and journey's to motherhood we will share.

So what does it mean to be relentless with our faith in Christ? Are we even sure we want to go down that road? Being relentless can sound noble and right, but it is also strangely elusive these days, especially regarding our faith.

Relentless means - showing or promising no abatement of severity, intensity, strength, or pace not softening or yielding in determination. And not letting up or weakening in vigor or pace.

It means not giving up when things get stale or boring (they will at times, even if you're passionate)

It means facing the obstacles that inevitably get in the way in pursuit of something that will change your own life or change the world. Change is not easy.

It means being patient, knowing that if you consistently do everything you can to be successful at your goal, your time will come.

It means pursuing the goal even if others don't get it. Some may think your goal is crazy, stupid, or not worth it. But they're not you. They don't want what you want. Such relentless pursuit of a dream or goal makes people uncomfortable because it reveals a lack of relentlessness and passion in their own lives. Get around other people in relentless pursuit of something and you'll find people who understand and are willing to support your efforts.

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Happy New Year 2019 Sisters in Loss! Welcome to 2019! Day 2 into the new year I wanted to kick off the year with a best of series. Today's episode is a Best of Sisters in Loss of 2018 and the episodes you loved the most. You loved hearing about fibroids, infertility journeys, SIDS stories, 2nd trimester miscarriages, and infant loss stories.

In today's episode I'm highlighting clips of episdoe 55 guest Gessie Thompson talking about Uterine Fibroids and how we can eliminate them through diet and exercise. Episode 71 guest Geneen Fitchett who shares her SIDS story. Episode 58 guest Courtney Arlesia's 2nd trimester miscarriage journey, and episode 65 guest Qiana Wright who shares her infant loss due to daycare negligence.

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How have you coped with your loss? In today's episode we have Andrea Fenise who share her 2nd trimester miscarriage and how she is coping with loss. Andrea is a mom, wife, and creative entrepreneur. She raised her daughter Amira for 9 years as a single mother. Andrea found love, married, and was excited to be pregnant with a girl name Olivia Isabelle. She loss Olivia at 17 weeks and in this episode she goes into detail of this journey and how she has coped with the loss. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a 2nd trimester miscarriage or have struggled to cope with loss.

Andrea Fenise's BioMom, Wife & Creative Entrepreneur. Through my businesses and personal brand over the years, I've committed myself to insire women to live abundantly. I've used fashion styling, design, both fashion and graphic, writing and entrepreneurship as springboards to design a balanced and stylish life. For 9 years, I raised my daughter Amira as a working single mother. I overcame so many challenges and obstacles all while seeing the privilege and honor I had in raising such a beautiful little angel. God sent my husband after years of praying and we became pregnant with our child. Unfortunately, God saw fit to take our sweet Olivia Isabelle Garcia while I was 17 weeks pregnant. Coping with a miscarriage has been extremely hard but I'm sure I will get through it.

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