The Joyful Mourning - A Podcast for Women Who Have Experienced Pregnancy or Infant Loss

This week on the podcast I have invited Lindsay Blair to join us again to talk with us specifically about trauma, ptsd, triggers and navigating this aspect of life after losing a baby. Lindsay is a certified as a Miscarriage and Bereavement Doula, Trauma Specialist, and Infertility Coach who joined us back in episode 151 to share her motherhood journey of recurrent pregnancy loss. In this episode she is answering questions like:

What is trauma? What is PTSD? How common is it to experience PTSD after losing a baby? How do you manage triggers after experiencing loss? And what does it look like to continue to take steps forward into our "new normal" following the trauma of baby loss?

We also talk significantly about how to support a grieving mom so if you love a woman who has experienced the loss of a baby, this episode is going to be very, very helpful.

I loved so much of what Lindsay had to share with us but especially when she said: It's never too early and it's never too late to seek help and to ask for support.

QUESTIONS WE DISCUSS IN EPISODE 154

1. What is trauma?

2. What is PTSD?

3. How common is it to experience PTSD after losing a baby?

4. If a mom listening thinks she has symptoms of PTSD what can/should she do?

5. How do you manage triggers after experiencing loss? *How do you even identify triggers?

6. In what ways have your triggers changed or evolved over time?

7. What does it look like to continue to take steps forward into our "new normal" following the trauma of baby loss?

8. How can friends and family support a woman/family who has faced trauma?

9. What are some things that are helpful for friends and family to know about things that are "normal" reactions to trauma?

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITYYou are not alone. Find help and hope in navigating your new normal in our free online community. Come join us and meet hundreds of women who can provide the unique support that a grieving mom needs. I can't wait to see you there. www.themorning.com/community

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOur best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. Choose the Resource Bundle that is right for you, miscarriage, infant loss or life-limiting diagnosis to find resources that are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode154

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Kelsey Luddemann and giving her space to share motherhood journey – a journey that has been filled with incredible loss and significant medical and health scares and yet even amidst the heartache and loss you hear Kelsey's joy; even when there are pieces of her story that still fill unfinished without resolution or even a chance for a rainbow.

Kelsey shares in a way that is honest and open, tender and empathetic -- in a way that I am sure will speak to you and encourage you.

Kelsey shares her story of infertility, a cancer diagnosis and two ectopic pregnancies that resulted in the loss of both of her fallopian tubes, as well as her chance to naturally conceive. Kelsey also shares about her experience with embryo loss as well as a failed adoption – like I said, her motherhood journey has been filled with devastation and loss and yet this interview and her story is not without hope and I love Kelsey's honest answer about what joy in the mourning has looked like for her.

Keep listening to hear how Kelsey navigated life after loss, things like returning to work, marriage, faith and wrestling and asking hard questions, how she handles pregnancy announcements, what it looked like for her to close the chapter on growing her family without a rainbow baby and so much more.

The wisdom shared here is incredibly helpful at navigating the new normal for a grieving mom – I know that it will not only help you practically but also remind you that you aren't alone in experiencing the challenges of embracing this new identity – you are not alone in this.

Kelsey also shares invaluable wisdom about how to love a mom who has experienced pregnancy loss and the unique challenges a woman faces who has experienced an ectopic pregnancy – if you love a grieving a mom make sure to listen to the wisdom Kelsey shares there.

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITYYou are not alone. Find help and hope in navigating your new normal in our free online community. Come join us and meet hundreds of women who can provide the unique support that a grieving mom needs. I can't wait to see you there. www.themorning.com/community

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOur best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. Choose the Resource Bundle that is right for you, miscarriage, infant loss or life-limiting diagnosis to find resources that are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode153

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This week I am talking with Kjerstin Davies about the unexpected loss of her son Charlie and what life after loss has looked like for her.

We talk about:

• finding answers and Kjerstin shares her surprising response to learning why her son died
• the guilt and shame that follow the loss of a child and what she did with those feelings
• the fear that follows a loss and how she practically dealt with the fear in the pregnancies and the parenting that followed losing her son
• therapy and what that has looked like for her, how it has changed over the course of her grief journey and ways that it has brought healing
• parenting her living son, how she talked to him about his brother dying, how she helped him grieve and what therapy for him looked like as well.

We also talk about the organization, Charlie's Guys, that Kjerstin founded in honor of her son Charlie. Charlie's Guys serves children 18 years and younger who have lost a sibling or loved one in any way. Their mission is to remind children who have lost a loved one that they are loved and not forgotten and provide them with support while they are on their grief journey.

If you are a mama with living children this could be an excellent resource for you to help them in this season as they grieve the loss of their sibling – I'm so grateful for the work that Kjerstin is doing to help children in this way and I can't wait for you to learn more about it as she shares why she started it, how it works, how you can take advantage of this opportunity or even get involved.

As we end our time together, Kjerstin shares how her grief has changed over the years since losing Charlie and her answer may surprise you. Listen all the way to the end to hear why she says time does not heal and what her therapist said that made her angry – I have a feeling that you will be able to relate.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode152

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This week on the podcast I have the privilege of interviewing Lindsay Blair, mama of eleven- nine sweet babies in heaven and two living babies – twins who were born after 7 years of infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss. Lindsay is certified as a Miscarriage and Bereavement Doula, Trauma Specialist, and Infertility Coach – in this episode she shares her complex and difficult journey of motherhood, what her young marriage looked like in this season of trying to grow their family, what healing looked like for her and her husband and how in the world she navigated pregnancy after loss after loss.

About pregnancy after loss Lindsay said this: "Hands down pregnancy after loss is one of the hardest things that, that I have gone through."

Lindsay also shares honestly about what it was like to experience recurring miscarriage, two ectopic pregnancies that also took her chance at naturally conceiving again as well as an embryo loss.

I asked Lindsay how her grief was different for each of her losses and she said: "these are all very real losses, a very real babies that I had very real hopes and dreams and prayers for."While this interview is honest it is surprisingly not without hope, meaning you would think that after experiencing so much loss you would hear bitterness over a journey that lasted for years and years but instead you hear Lindsay say:

"we'll always grieve our babies that aren't with us. But when I think about them today, I'm not consumed with negative thoughts and this overwhelming, suffocating grief that is all consuming. Just this love and this joy that I will get to see them again one day. And just the gratitude that even though their lives were short, I'm so grateful. I wouldn't change a second about our story."

If you are experiencing recurrent pregnancy loss, have experienced an ectopic pregnancy or infertility or are simply married and navigating life after loss, there is so much wisdom and hope shared in this episode, I promise you will not be disappointed. And no matter what your story of loss or where you are in your grief journey, this episode will remind you that you are not alone.

If you love a mom who has experienced recurrent pregnancy loss or is currently pregnant after loss -- Lindsay has wisdom for you as well in this episode.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS RESOURCES

1. Free Pregnancy After Loss Community just for those complex pregnancy after loss conversations. We would love for you to join us and have a space that is private to receive support and care from other women who really understand the unique journey of pregnancy after loss.
2. We have a free download, 40 Verses for 40 Weeks – a verse to meditate, think on and study for every week of your pregnancy. We know that pregnancy after loss is incredibly hard and we wanted to give you something tangible that would remind you of hope and peace in moments of fear.

To access those free resources head to www.themorning.com/pregnancyafterloss

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode151

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITYwww.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This is part 2 of a 2 part interview with Jenni Hunt – a certified Birth and Bereavement Doula who spends much of her time supporting families facing miscarriage, stillbirth or an adverse prenatal diagnosis as a Birth and Bereavement Doula. Last week we heard Jenni's story of motherhood, the losses that she has endured, what she has learned from her losses and how she has found healing. We ended our time last week with Jenni sharing with us what led her to become a bereavement doula – a beautiful and tender story that I guarantee will touch your heart. Today we will be talking specifically about her work as a birth and bereavement doula so if you have not listened to part 1 make sure to skip back and listen before diving into part 2.

This week in part 2 Jenni is answering all my questions about Bereavement Doulas – what is a bereavement doula, how can a mom prepare for birth when loss is involved, what are some ways she helps women practically approach their labor & delivery experiences when loss is involved? (Either for current or for a pregnancy after loss.)

We discuss common challenges that she sees, and how women can prepare for those challenges. We also discuss how women grieve and process differently – a very helpful conversation if you have ever wondered if you are grieving "the right way."

And we end our time together with Jenni giving very helpful and hopeful advice about navigating your medical provider and what to do if you do not feel cared for by your medical team.

If you are currently pregnant and your baby has received a life-limiting diagnosis, this episode will be a very helpful tool in understanding how a bereavement doula might be able to help you throughout the remainder of your pregnancy, your labor and delivery, and especially your time with your precious baby.

If you are in a season of thinking about growing your family again, actively trying to conceive or are currently pregnant after loss this episode is going to be really helpful for you as well as you learn more about how a bereavement doula might serve you in this season. For more free and helpful resources about navigating pregnancy after loss, head to themorning.com/pregnancyafterloss.

And even if neither of those apply to you, this interview is incredibly helpful and again, so wonderfully tender. I am so grateful for Jenni – for her care and compassion towards grieving mothers.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS RESOURCES www.themorning.com/pregnancyafterloss

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode150

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITYwww.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview with Jenni Hunt. Jenni is a mom to 4 teenage boys whose motherhood journey is unique and complex – like many of ours. While her family looks complete with 4 healthy beautiful boys, what you can't see is the losses that she has endured.

Today she will share with us her unique motherhood journey, how she endured a second trimester loss, experienced two adoption losses as well as recurring miscarriages.

Jenni shares what healing has been like for her as well as what it has looked like for her to process her motherhood journey that ended with so many losses. We also discuss what it looked like for her to parent her living sons amidst such heartache and loss.

We end our time today with Jenni sharing with us what led her to become a bereavement doula – a beautiful and tender story that I guarantee will touch your heart. I am so grateful for Jenni's tenderness and empathy and profound wisdom she shares in this episode.

Next week in part 2 Jenni will share more about her work as a Bereavement Doula, what is a bereavement doula, helpful ways to prepare for birth if you are currently experiencing loss or for a pregnancy after loss, her thoughts about how to go about finding a medical provider that cares for you, and so much more. Make sure to tune in next week for part 2. But for today, get to know Jenni and her story – I promise it will bless you.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS RESOURCES

1. Free Pregnancy After Loss Community just for those complex pregnancy after loss conversations. We would love for you to join us and have a space that is private to receive support and care from other women who really understand the unique journey of pregnancy after loss.
2. We have a free download, 40 Verses for 40 Weeks – a verse to meditate, think on and study for every week of your pregnancy. We know that pregnancy after loss is incredibly hard and we wanted to give you something tangible that would remind you of hope and peace in moments of fear.

To access those free resources head to www.themorning.com/pregnancyafterloss

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode149

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITYwww.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This week on the podcast I have the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth King – a Certified Fertility Health Coach, Birth & Bereavement Doula, New Parent Educator and Certified Life Coach.

Elizabeth is joining us this week to talk about trying to conceive after having experienced the loss of a baby, the challenges that exist when trying to conceive and how to overcome those challenges.

We talk about making the decision to try to conceive again, what it looks like if you and your spouse or partner are not on the same page about growing your family, the steps she recommends a woman who has experienced loss to take before trying to conceive again and finally what encouragement and hope would she give to a woman who is in a season of waiting.

If you are in a season of considering growing your family again, actively trying to conceive or are currently pregnant after loss this episode is going to be really helpful for you.

PREGNANCY AFTER LOSS RESOURCES

1. Free Pregnancy After Loss Community just for those complex pregnancy after loss conversations. We would love for you to join us and have a space that is private to receive support and care from other women who really understand the unique journey of pregnancy after loss.
2. We have a free download, 40 Verses for 40 Weeks – a verse to meditate, think on and study for every week of your pregnancy. We know that pregnancy after loss is incredibly hard and we wanted to give you something tangible that would remind you of hope and peace in moments of fear.

To access those free resources head to www.themorning.com/pregnancyafterloss

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode148

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This is part 2 of a 2 part interview with Megan Gamboa. Last week in Part 1, Megan shared the story of her son Levi and the life-limiting diagnosis of Trisomy 13 she received for him, what it looked like for her to make the decision to carry him to term and how she advocated for his life with her medical team. Megan shared her unique perspective about navigating the medical system after receiving a life-limiting diagnosis as well as very practical advice about how she did this. If you have not listened to Part 1 make sure to skip back and listen before diving into Part 2.

This week in Part 2 Megan is sharing about what her experience was like returning to work as a physical therapist working in the same hospital where her son both lived and died. Her wisdom and honesty about this is going to be so helpful for you as it holds applicable ideas to what it looks like to return to that which was the old normal – whether you are returning to a workplace or not.

In this Part 2 we also discuss marriage, Megan's faith journey and her mental and emotional health journey after loss. And one of my favorite questions that Megan answered was how her grief has changed over the last 3 years – I can't wait for you to hear her answer and be encouraged about your own grief journey..

This episode is tender and honest and will remind you that no matter what your life after loss looks like, you are not alone.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode147

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview with Megan Gamboa. In this week's episode Megan is sharing the story of her son Levi and the life-limiting diagnosis of trisomy 13 she received for him and what it looked like for her to make the decision to carry him to term and how she advocated for his life with her medical time. Megan is a physical therapist and during our time together she shares her unique experience of what it looks like to navigate the medical system after having received a life-limiting diagnosis. Megan shares very practical advice about how she did this that I am sure will encourage you and give you tangible steps to take that feel manageable and doable if this is your story. In this part 1 of Megan's 2 part interview we also talk about her pregnancy after loss journey as well. If you are in that season I know that Megan's story will remind you that you aren't alone in how difficult pregnancy after loss is to navigate and I'm sure you will find a lot of hope in her honesty.

Next week in part 2 Megan will share about what returning to work looked like for her, the same hospital where her son both lived and died is also her workplace – and her wisdom and honesty about this is going to be so helpful for you. We will also discuss marriage, faith and mental/emotional health after loss. One of my favorite questions that Megan answered was how her grief has changed over the last 3 years – I can't wait for you to hear that next week.

This episode is tender and honest but also tangibly and practical helpful. I hope it reminds you that it is ok and gives you the courage to advocate for yourself and for your baby and to make decisions that are best for you and your family and your baby.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode146

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.

This week on the podcast I am interviewing Brooke Seibal – a mom to 5 children, 4 here on earth, 1 in heaven. During our time together Brooke shares the story of her son Knox, a twin that she lost suddenly just shy of 6 weeks old. Brook also shares about the unique challenges of losing a twin, as well as her grief journey and what healing has looked like for her.

We talk about parenting young children after loss and amidst grief and about her decision to have another baby just a few months after her son Knox had died. We talk about how she honors her son's life in the day to day as well as the bigger milestone days like birthdays – what that practically looks like for her celebrating her son Jonathon while grieving his twin brother Knox. We talk about Brooke's faith and what God has been teaching her over the last 2 years since experiencing such a tremendous loss.

Brooke shares with honesty, hope and joy during our time together and she gives an abundance of practical advice that I am certain can be of help to you, no matter your story. I pray this episode and the wisdom and hope shared here encourages you today.

FREE RESOURCE BUNDLEOver the past 5 years we have helped thousands of women navigate life after the loss of a baby and we pulled our best and most helpful resources all into one easy to access resource. There is a separate bundle for miscarriage, infant loss and life-limiting diagnosis so the resources are very specific, tailored to you and your grief journey. To get your free resource bundle head to themorning.com/resourcebundle

SHOW NOTESwww.themorning.com/blog/episode145

FREE ONLINE COMMUNITY www.themorning.com/community

RATE, REVIEW & FOLLOW ON APPLE PODCASTSIf you love The Joyful Mourning Podcast, please consider rating and reviewing the show! This helps moms who are grieving to find us a little easier and get that support they need. Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select "Write a Review." Then be sure to let me know how this episode helped you.