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

In today's episode we are discussing the Cost of our Mental Health and therapy with licensed psychotherapist Dr. JaNae Taylor. JaNaè is a licensed psychotherapist in Virginia Beach, VA, where she owns and operates, Taylor Counseling and Consulting Services. JaNaè works with Black men and women who are struggling with harmful self-evaluations. Therapy with JaNaè helps them create a more empowered and focused sense of self that is more aligned with their beliefs and values. JaNaè also provides consultations to Black Entrepreneurs, in every stage of the game, who are working to balance their mental health, Black identity, and successful businesses. Minding My BLACK Business is a movement and podcast dedicated to the mental health of Black Entrepreneurs, led by Dr. JaNaè Taylor. The goal is to engage, inform, and support other Black Entrepreneurs as they manage the business of work! In this episode Dr. JaNae and I talk about the cost of therapy and how & why Mental Health Awareness Month is important.

More about Dr. JaNae Taylor JaNaè is an Alabama native and a macaroni and cheese and brunch expert. She is also fluent in sarcasm, lover of neo-soul and big laughs with good people. Most importantly, JaNaè is a daughter, big sister, best friend, godmother, HBCU grad, and trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents.

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In today's episode we have Katina Nish who shares her child loss story and Mourning Moms blog and community. Katina is a published freelance model and writer. Katina loss her son in March 2008, and she felt God moving her into her purpose so she created the Mourning Moms blog and community to help other grieving mothers like herself. Her goal through Mourning Moms is to create a national movement dedicated to women of child loss. From pregnancy loss, still birth, and infant/child loss the goal is to keep you encouraged and in hope of what God said you would naturally have. Katina shares in this interview how she is called to this work and how it is okay for us to mourn.

Katina Nish's Bio Hi, I'm Katina Nish(K.Nish). I'm a published freelance model/writer with four years of experience in industrial like projects. Featured on the number one multicultural online magazine, "Fashion Bomb Daily", I've successfully modeled for several brands. Here's how it started! One day on March 25, 2008, I found myself holding my son's lifeless body. I visually struggled with that image for six long years and the only way to express my broken insides was with picture and words. My personal photographer, D Mayfield (at the time) and I collaborated every week creating images. I then moved on to pursue a strong modeling career which took me a great few places. However, I realized that I equally wanted to write and I had neglected my duties to do so. I had perfect images with no purpose. That's when God told me to create an national movement edifying/encouraging women. He told me as long as I forever centered my pursuits with this platform he would supply the needed liquids to my thirst. This is how "The Mourning Moms" came about! "The Mourning Mom" is national movement dedicated to women of childloss. From pregnancy loss, still birth, and infant/child loss the goal is to keep you encouraged and in hope of what God said you would naturally have. My ultimate goal is to travel the world meeting women just like us. In hopes, that united together we become the ultimate source of grief support. I plan to execute this goal through biblical love and women empowerment.

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In today's episode we have a REWIND! My husband, my pastor, and my biggest cheerleader, Brandon McAfee, is starting a podcast to discuss the matters of the black church from the pulpit and beyond the walls of the church. We are dedicating two episodes a month to discussing disabilities in the black church. So, I wanted to rewind to his episode where we talk about our journey to our rainbow baby Maxwell also known as Super Mighty Max. We also discuss his special needs and diagnosis of Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy. We are currently casting and looking for families and caretakers of special needs, differently abled, and developmentally delayed children or siblings. If you are interested in being interviewed please email us at [email protected].

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Today's episode is a solo episode and its a Mother's Day episode as Mother's Day is this upcoming Sunday, May 13, 2018. I share the letter I wrote in a recent blog post to Grieving Mothers and Sisters in Loss for Mother's Day. In this episode I am also recapping my weekend spent in NYC keynoting with a short clip of my keynote, and how it was meeting some of my listeners, and podcast guests in person. I also talk about my first Mother's Day experience after my loss and the importance of sisterhood in this episode.

I know you wish this day did not exist. You have lost your precious child, and your arms ache to hold them. Of all the days you especially want them on Mother's Day. You want to celebrate that they did exist. You want to bask in how much they have grown up and not recall who they were. You want to see your baby alive and whole and want to smell that was only theirs. I know. I understand. I get it. You don't want the flowers, gifts, or "Happy Mother's Day" messages. You want your baby to be in your arms and say "hey mom, I love you."

There is not greater sorrow on earth than losing a child. I know your heart aches and your arms are empty. I know how difficult it is to see the social media posts of "Happy Mother's Day." I even understand why you might avoid public Mother's Day celebrations, and instead stay home or even visit the cemetery to see your baby because no one speaks of anymore. On Sunday, Sister in Loss, I want you to celebrate your baby no matter how long they were here. If you gave them a name or even it you did not say their name bravely, boldly, and proud today.

Sister in Loss, you are courageous because you have survived the unimaginable and managed to crawl out of bed yet again today. You are phenomenal. You are spectacular. You are resilient. You are a mother and will always be their mom.

For those Sisters in Loss who mother surviving children, hug them and love on them extra tight and continue to pray with God to keep them safe, happy, healthy, and blessed.

On Sunday, do what you need to do. If going to church, going out to brunch, crying hard, staying home, or being around family and friends will make the day better. Do it all. Today is your Mother's Day.

You are amazing! You are brave! You are beautiful! You are loved! You are blessed! You are a Mom.

Happy Mother's Day Sister in Loss!

Love, ~Your Sister in Loss and Grieving Mother, Erica

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In today's episode we have Dr. Jerisa Berry a board-certified Emergency Medicine doctor also known as Dr. Jerisa ER. She is a nationally recognized speaker, media consultant, and author. In this episode Dr. Jerisa shares her infertility journey with uterine fibroids, multiple surgeries, IVF, and how surrogacy was her final decision to become a mother. Dr. Jerisa also uses her expertise in partnering with Lab Corp and creating Secure Your Fertility an app to help women identify their ovarian reserve a test that insurance typically does not cover. For only $97 you can go to your local Lab Corp, get blood drawn, and it will determine how many eggs you have so you can make a sound decision around taking control of your fertility. Dr. Jerisa and I are on similar journey's and surrogacy is something I am considering and her experience has solidified that no matter how we become mothers, we have to continue to take control of our health and trust that God will give us the desires of our hearts.

Dr. Jerisa Berry's Bio As one of the nation's acclaimed doctors, board-certified in Emergency Medicine Dr. Jerisa Berry a.k.a "Dr. Jerisa ER" is also a nationally recognized speaker, media consultant, and author. She is on staff at several emergency facilities in South Florida and is co-owner of a medical clinic, Vital Care Medical Center, Inc with her husband. Dr. Jerisa is founder of SecureYourFertility.com, where she helps single ladies and career-minded women take control of their fertility. Because experience and medicine both are the best teachers for women seeking to optimize and work through the various fertility options, Dr. Jerisa is a subject matter expert in ovarian preservation, assisted fertilization, and surrogacy, helping to decrease the pressures and stressors associated with the process.

When she is not saving lives in the ER, she shares her expertise in real-world health strategies as a sought-after media expert regarding acute, emergent and chronic health conditions. Her mission is simple: Make ER visits less stressful and more productive by increasing public awareness. As a relatable woman and ER doctor, women feel secure with her guidance to understand an optimal time to start a family and lessen the confusion of the fertility processes.

Dr. Jerisa graduated from Howard University and earned her medical degree from New York College of Osteopathic Medicine, completed her internship and dual-residency, for both Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine, at Midwestern University in Chicago, Illinois.

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This is a Bonus episode and last episode for Sisters in Loss Fertility Awareness Month and National Infertility Awareness Week.

In today's episode we have Heather and Dimitri Wilson, who lost their daughter Kennedy to stillbirth, and they share how the 1st year has been since starting their Non-Profit Organization called Kennedy's Angel Gowns in January 2017. You may remember Heather, she was my first guest on the Sisters in Loss Podcast and shared her stillbirth story of daughter Kennedy in Episode 2. In this episode Heather and her husband Dimitri share how running a non profit centered around loss has effected their relationship, and now after 1 year and 4 months into starting their non profit and dealing with loss everyday how it has impacted them both. We also talk about their 2nd Angel Ball that is taking place tomorrow, Saturday, April 28, 2018 and what they are looking to do to transform the Hampton Roads area.

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If you are interested in donating a Wedding Gown please email Heather at [email protected], call at 757-263-8479

You can mail dresses to P.O. Box 5173 Virginia Beach, Virginia 23471.

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It is Sisters in Loss Fertility Awareness Month! One week in April is not enough to acknowledge the 1 in 10 women and couples who experience infertility. As black women this number is far less and I want to acknowledge those who struggle to get pregnant and stay pregnant during the month of April.

In today's episode we have Lisa Hendrickson-Jack' who shares her Miscarriage Story and Uterine Fibroid journey with Heavy Periods, Menstrual Cycle Charting and Fertility Awareness Method, and her podcast Fertility Friday. Lisa is a Fertility Awareness Educator and a Holistic Reproductive Health Practitioner who has been charting her own menstrual cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method for the past 15 years. She is passionate about helping women to develop body literacy, by understanding their natural cycles. After struggling with excessively heavy and painful periods for years Lisa discovered the connection between health and fertility first hand. Her personal experience of overcoming a Hashimoto's diagnosis and uterine fibroids has influenced her practice immensely. Lisa created her weekly radio show, the Fertility Friday Podcast, to connect women with a deeper understanding of how fertility and overall health are connected and intertwined with their menstrual cycle health. The number one response from her listeners is always "why didn't anyone teach us this stuff when we were growing up?" Her mission is to share the message of body literacy with as many women as possible. Each week she conducts in depth interviews with professionals who specialize in helping women to restore their fertility naturally. In this episode we dig deeper into how we are taught how to prevent pregnancy via birth control versus how to actually get pregnant. How to get off of birth control properly, and how to chart your menstrual cycle with the Fertility Awareness Method, and what 1 million downloads of the Fertility Friday podcast means for Lisa.

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It is Sisters in Loss Fertility Awareness Month! One week in April is not enough to acknowledge the 1 in 10 women and couples who experience infertility. As black women this number is far less and I want to acknowledge those who struggle to get pregnant and stay pregnant during the month of April.

In today's episode we have Patrice Washington, "America's Money Maven" who opens up and shares her infant loss story, secondary infertility journey, and how to Redefine Wealth. Patrice is a national recognized best selling author, transformational speaker, spokesperson, radio host and leading authority on personal finance, entrepreneurship and success for women. You may have heard Patrice on the Steve Harvey Morning Radio show where she hosts a weekly segment called Real Money Answers with Patrice Washington. Patrice is the big sister in my head that gets me together, snatches my edges, and teaches me how to Chase Purpose and Not Money on her new weekly podcast called Redefining Wealth. In this interview Patrice shares her infant loss journey with us, how she lost everything during the recession while she was pregnant with her rainbow baby daughter, and how she is surrendering to God for her desire to have more children after experiencing secondary infertility. I could not have Patrice on this episode without discussing money and we talk about what it means to Redefine Wealth and her definition of her 6 pillars of wealth.

Patrice Washington, "America's Money Maven" Bio Patrice Washington is a nationally recognized best-selling author, featured columnist, television commentator, transformational speaker, spokesperson, radio host and leading authority on personal finance, entrepreneurship and success for women and youth.

Today, Patrice's wisdom on money matters has been tapped as a recurring voice by national brands such as NBC, FOX News, Black Enterprise, The Huffington Post, Essence Magazine and more. She's been profiled by The New York Post, SUCCESS Magazine and Women of Wealth Magazine and is most known as the personal finance voice of the top-rated and nationally syndicated Steve Harvey Morning Radio Show where she hosts her own weekly segment, Real Money Answers with Patrice Washington. Additionally, she is the consulting producer for Steve Harvey's FUNDERDOME, from Mark Burnett, a top-rated, seed-funding competition reality series where two budding entrepreneurs go head-to-head to win over a live studio audience to fund their ideas, products or companies. Each year she electrifies tens of thousands as a sought-after speaker from colleges to churches and conferences nationally and has shared the stage with renowned speakers such as Lisa Nichols, Laila Ali, Paul C. Brunson and Steve Harvey. Most recently, Patrice appeared on Centric TV's, The Round, delivering a dynamic and empowering talk on success.

Besides professional achievements such as receiving the Outstanding Georgia Citizen Award at the State Capitol and an Honorary Kentucky Colonel recognition, Patrice believes her greatest accomplishment is marrying her college sweetheart, Gerald Washington and raising their energetic daughter, Reagan.

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In today's episode we have Kemi Olowe who shares her infertility journey with PCOS diagnosis and IVF story. Kemi is the founder of #9MonthsandWaiting, a blog dedicated encouraging those on their fertility journey through her own experiences, research and testimonials. Kemi has been married for 6 years to her Primary School sweetheart and in November 2016, after a five year journey with infertility, they welcome their baby boy Samuel. In this episode we discuss;

• Kemi's PCOS diagnosis
• Her miscarriage and 2 failed IVF attempts and how the movie War Room changed her prayer life and fertility journey
• Her last IVF attempt and pregnancy with rainbow baby Samuel, and how the UK pays for treatments
• Kemi's new blog direction and new podcast #9MonthsandWaiting.

Kemi's Bio Kemi is the founder of 9MonthsandWaiting, a blog dedicated encouraging those on their fertility journey through her own experiences, research and testimonials. She has given talks in Dubai, London and Essex sharing a message of encouragement and expectancy. She is the organiser and host of 'Be Encouraged, Be Expectant' – an intimate awareness event dedicated to providing a discussion forum and information on reproductive health. Kemi has been married for 6 years to her Primary School sweetheart and in November 2016, after a five year journey with infertility, they welcome their baby boy Samuel.

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It is Sisters in Loss Fertility Awareness Month! One week in April is not enough to acknowledge the 1 in 10 women and couples who experience infertility. As black women this number is far less and I want to acknowledge those who struggle to get pregnant and stay pregnant during the month of April.

In today's episode we have Sosina Morgan who shares her fertility journey and decision to adopt after going through infertility treatments. Sosi is passionate about adoption and loves to encourage other woman of color to consider adoption as a way of growing their families. Sosi is a minister, friend, daughter, and wife to Lee of five years. She would like to add "mom" to that resume! After several IUIs and too much time spent pursuing fertility treatment, Sosina and her husband Lee said yes to God's leading to pursue adoption. They are joyfully and patiently (and sometimes not joyfully or patiently) waiting to bring home their child through adoption. In this episode Sosi takes us back to her initial infertility diagnosis and how she and her husband Lee made the decision to adopt. We discuss why she has elected to stop infertility treatments and focus on adoption. Sosi details the adoption process for us and how there are many financial grants and resources for adoptions. We also discuss adoption loss and how it affects her relationship with God and her husband. This episode is for your if you are considering adoption after infertility and are unsure of the steps in the process.

As an biracial Ethiopian-American Sosi has always been interested in race relations and cross cultural communications. In college, Sosi said yes to a life of following Jesus. Immediately after college, Sosi married Lee, her husband of five years. Sosi works for a community development non-profit, managing and equipping staff to seek God's kingdom in a low income, urban neighborhood.

In this episode Sosina and I discuss:

• Her initial infertility diagnosis and how she and her husband Lee made the decision to adopt
• Why she has elected to stop infertility treatments and focus on adoption
• Her detailing the adoption process for us and how there are many financial grants and resources for adoptions
• Affects of Adoption loss on her relationship with God and her marriage.

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