Trigger Warning: This episode discusses infant loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth. Please listen with care.

Elif and Winter have a beautiful conversation about Elif's sweet twin children, Mavi and Deniz, who were born at 28 weeks due to placental failure and complications of cholestasis of her pregnancy.

In this episode, Elif talks about her and her husband's struggles with infertility and their eventual success with IVF. We also talk about the joy of discovering they were expecting twins, the attentive healthcare she received during her pregnancy in her home country of Turkiye, and the heartbreaking experience of undergoing an early planned Cesarean birth and the loss of both her children.

Some highlights from our conversation with Elif include:

• The challenges of infertility and IVF
• Cultural differences in healthcare in Turkiye
• A closely monitored high-risk pregnancy
• Facing an emergency C-section at 28 weeks
• The emotional and physical challenges of the NICU

We hope Elif's story inspires you with her courage and belief in hope and healing. If you or someone you know is on a similar journey, remember that support is available and you are not alone.

Quotes:

"Doctors always talk, I guess, in a safe zone. They don't want you to get your hopes up, but they don't also want you to feel hopeless." – Elif (43:03)

"They kept telling me, 'you are the strongest person we have ever seen.' I said, 'I have no other option. This is my only option. I have no other way. I have to be strong.' " – Elif (48:06)

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Links:

Grief Support Groups: https://nationalshare.org/

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