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

October is Pregnancy, Infant and Child Loss Awareness Month. All month long we will honor our babies gone to heaven far too soon.

Have you heard of recurrent pregnancy loss?

Recurrent Pregnancy Loss is defined by two or more failed pregnancies and is considered distinct from infertility. When the cause is unknown, each pregnancy loss merits careful review to determine whether specific evaluation may be appropriate, and after two or more losses, a thorough evaluation is warranted.

Today's guest experienced 5 miscarriages after having her baby girl, one being an ectopic pregnancy where she lost her fallopian tube, and then was diagnosed with secondary infertility. Anesha Stanley's first pregnancy ended with a miscarriage in 2014. Three months later she found out she was pregnant with her rainbow baby girl, Sinai. She waited two years before trying to conceive again. In 2017 we began experiencing recurrent pregnancy losses. Miscarriage #2 on January 14, 2017. An ectopic pregnancy #3, November 1, 2017 was treated with methotrexate. Anesha went onto experience two more losses and was diagnosed with secondary infertility and tubal failure.

In this episode, Anesha takes us back to what it was like experiencing the highs of finding out she was pregnant and the lows and pain of miscarriage. She shares how she felt after being diagnosed with secondary infertility and tubal failure, and how and why she started her non profit Keys of Hope Foundation and became a Sisters in Loss Birth & Bereavement Doula.

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Today's episode is about miscarriage and pregnancy loss back to back, and the mental health concerns that come from these traumatic losses.

Today's guest Ijeamaka Ogbonna shares her journey to motherhood through two early micarriages and a loss at 24 weeks due to hydrops fetalis. She almost gave up on having more children after the back to back losses, but God had other plans. Ijemaka has 3 children who she adores. In this episode she shares her journey to motherhood with us and why its important to continue to trust God on this journey.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

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Have you heard of the term Mother Old Baby Young or MOBY for short? It is used to describe women who became moms after the age of 35, not only the initial child but any child after 35 and by any means, naturally, IVF, adoption, or in my case surrogacy. In today's episode we hear from MOBY creator Kimberly Gowdy, an online space for older women to share their unique perspectives of older Motherhood. After multiple miscarriages, she finally became a mom via surrogacy. Kimberley shares how she has had to overcome the stigma of older motherhood as well as the feelings of being "behind" your friends who have older children in your age group. She shares how she learned to trust God for his design of her life and being grateful for the things in which she is richly blessed. Kimberley is author of The Colorless Womb, a book that takes the reader through an unexpected surrogacy journey, after the mist painful loss of her son, in her 6 month of pregnancy.

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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

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You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

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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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

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You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

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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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

Sisters in Loss Twitter

You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

Erica's Instagram

Erica's Facebook

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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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

Sisters in Loss Twitter

You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

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Erica's Facebook

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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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

Sisters in Loss Twitter

You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

Erica's Instagram

Erica's Facebook

Erica's Twitter

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.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

Sisters in Loss Twitter

You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

Erica's Instagram

Erica's Facebook

Erica's Twitter

Today's guest is a lifestyle blogger behind byDeze.com. Deze began her journey to motherhood after getting married and lost that pregnancy to miscarriage. The next pregnancy she had an ectopic pregnancy and in total experienced another 6 losses totaling of 8 pregnancy losses with no live births. She was diagnosed with endometriosis, endured the removal of her right fallopian tube, as well as the mental and emotional toll that fertility brings. In today's episode Deze takes use on her journey through fertility, endometriosis, and pregnancy loss, and how she has found community in Facebook groups and enjoying her non-fertility related content like blogging.

This episode is for you to listen to if you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, ectopic pregnancy, or have had recurrent pregnancy loss.

Become a Sisters in Loss Birth Bereavement, and Postpartum Doula Here

Living Water Doula Services

Book Recommendations and Links Below

You can shop my Amazon Store for the Book Recommendations

You can follow Sisters in Loss on Social

Join our Black Moms in Loss Online Weekly Grief Support Group

Join the Sisters in Loss Online Community

Sisters in Loss TV Youtube Channel

Sisters in Loss Instagram

Sisters in Loss Facebook

Sisters in Loss Twitter

You can follow Erica on Social

Erica's Website

Erica's Instagram

Erica's Facebook

Erica's Twitter