Have you heard of congenital heart defects?
A Congenital Heart defect is an abnormality in the heart that develops before birth. Congenital heart defect is one of the most common types of birth defects. Symptoms include abnormal heart rhythms, blue-tinted skin, shortness of breath, failure to feed or develop normally, and swollen body tissue or organs. Treatments include medications to lower blood pressure and control heart rate, heart devices, catheter procedures, and surgery. Serious cases may require a heart transplant.
Today’s guest experienced an infant loss due to congenital heart defect and had a miscarriage. Keivon Hardy is a childless mother who managed life with prenatal and postpartum depression, anxiety, and isolation after her infant loss and miscarriage. When she was 20 weeks pregnant with her son she found out via a routine ultrasound that he had a congenital heart defect. Because his case was unique the doctors weren’t able to determine exactly what his defect was until birth. After birth, it was determined that his blood vessels were too small to be operated on and he would need to grow before they could operate. He lived to be one month old and never came home from the NICU. Keivon went on to conceive again only to be faced with another loss a miscarriage while on birth control.
In today’s episode, Keivon takes us back to when she found out her son had a congenital heart defect, how she dealt with prenatal and postnatal depression, and losing her son and then having a miscarriage while on birth control.
This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a infant loss due to congenital heart defect or a miscarriage while on birth control.
Keivon Hardy’s Bio
My name is Keivon, I am a 31 years old. Chicago, Illinois born and raised, currently residing in Charlotte, North Carolina. I’m a flight attendant and I have several other small business ventures.
Tell me about your journey to motherhood? What obstacles have you overcome?
I am a childless mother and my journey to motherhood hasn’t been an easy one. I’ve experienced infant loss and a miscarriage. I’ve dealt with prenatal and postpartum depression, anxiety and isolation. I believe my faith in God and my support system helped tremendously in pulling myself out of the darkness. When I was 20 weeks pregnant with my son I found out that he had a congenital heart defect. Because he was a unique case the doctors weren’t able to determine exactly what his defect was until birth. After birth, we were told his vessels were too small to be operated on and he would need to grow some before they could fix the problem, but he only lived to be 4 weeks old. Shorty after he was born I experienced a miscarriage while on birth control. I hope to one day have more children.
Any books, tools, resources that have helped you on this journey that you want to share with the audience?
I’ll hold you in heaven, almost a mother, always within, grieving the child I never knew, surviving the loss of a child . Instagram pages @sistersinloss @themourningmoms therapy
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