In today’s episode we have Kieona Fairley who shares her stillbirth story of son London and her book London’s Footprints. Kieona shares in this episode how her water broke during Thanksgiving 2011 at 41 weeks pregnant only to find out her son London did not have a heartbeat. She recounts this traumatic experience and how she is using her story to help heal herself and others through her book London’s footprints. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a Stillbirth or want to know how to use your story to heal others by becoming an author.

April is what we call our Sisters in Loss Fertility Awareness Month. All month long we have been talking to women who have had fertility challenges, gone through alternative fertility treatments like IUI or IVF, and continue to push through the barriers to grow their families.

In this last episode of this series we have Tabitha Franklin who shares her miscarriage, infant loss story, and infertility journey using the Fertility Awareness method. Tabitha is an English teacher in the Chicago suburbs and has been married for over 6 years. She shares how she got off birth control when she was married and charted her cycles using the Fertility Awareness Method. She was able to conceive, but soon after she miscarried. Tabitha went on to try again and was able to conceive and carry her daughter Parker to 24 weeks when she had her prematurely and she lived for 57 minutes. Tabitha was heartbroken she didn’t want to try again, but she knew since she was 39 she needed to retrieve eggs to freeze embryos. When she scheduled her egg retrieval she found out she was pregnant with her rainbow baby. In this episode Tabitha takes us on her infertility journey, infant loss story, and how her losses strengthened her marriage instead of tearing it apart. This episode is for you to listen to if you have considered charting your cycle and following the Fertility Awareness Method, and faith in the wait.

March is Pregnancy After Loss Awareness Month. This month we are discussing Pregnancy After Loss, but also lost of jobs, marriages, and family members as you grieve the loss of your angel. In today’s episode we have Paige Johnson who shares her stillbirth of baby girl Kody McKenna while battling panic attacks and depression. Paige is a momprenuer, wife, and rainbow mom who married her high school sweetheart after college. She lost everything after losing her baby girl Kody including her business, her grandmother, her brother in law, and her husband lost his job. In this episode she takes us back on that journey to having her first born while in college, losing Kody to stillbirth while grieving the loss of loved ones, losing jobs and business, and having her rainbow baby.

In today’s episode we have Chasity Womack who shares her stillbirth story of daughter Kierstin on Sept. 26, 2009, and her 2nd trimester miscarriage of twins on January 2, 2012 and March 6, 2012. She then went on to have twin rainbow baby girls. In this episode we talk about her losses and how it inspired her to start Angel Babyzzz to support parents with Angel Babies with memory boxes at local hospitals. Their mission is to raise money and donate memory boxes to local hospitals for bereaved parents as it is extremely important to have something to remember angel babies during the grieving and healing process. We all know that leaving the hospital without a baby is one of the hardest things a parent will have to do. Angel Babyzzz goal is to keep the angel babies memory alive.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. All month long we are discussing Life After Loss. In today’s episode we have Renee’ Coakley a Certified Holistic Health Coach who shares about Healthy Living After Loss. Renee’ experienced a stillbirth of her son in February 2017 at 36 weeks gestation due to placenta abruption. Renee’ helps transcend women through their motherhood journey, to live a life of holistic mindfulness. In this episode Renee’ shares how her stillbirth lead her to the work of holistic heath and how we should be living healthy lives after loss.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. All month long we are discussing Life After Loss. In today’s episode we have Alishia Anderson who shares her stillbirth story and her new memoir Still Here: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph After Stillbirth. On January 15, 2016, at 28 weeks pregnant she went in for a routine ultrasound when she was told her son no longer had a heartbeat. In a matter of seconds her world was flipped upside down. They were given a day to process the news then went to the hospital the very next day to deliver their stillborn son. After three days of labor she gave birth to her angel Derrek Jerrell Anderson Jr aka DJ on Monday, January 18, 2016.  Alishia went on to have her rainbow baby Grayson after working on herself for a year. This episode is for you to listen to if you have experienced a Stillbirth and are still on your own healing journey and are unsure what life after loss looks like for you.

In today’s episode we have Lindsey Boxie who shares her stillbirth journey with us.  Lindsey was diagnosed with Endometriosis in middle school and told her that because of the way her uterus was shaped she would have difficulty getting and staying pregnant.  After college she was able to conceive and around 36 weeks she went into labor arrived at the hospital and found that her baby passed away.  She then went on to have her rainbow baby afterwards which led her to going back to school to help others through grief therapy.  This episode is for you if you have been diagnosed with Endometriosis and those who have experienced a stillbirth.

Happy Black History Month!  After a quick Amazon search, I realized there aren’t many black authors of books in this Grief and Pregnancy Loss Community.  For the next 6 weeks on the podcast we are featuring 6 Books from Black Authors around Faith, Miscarriage, Stillbirth, Infant and Pregnancy Loss, and Hope to continue on this grief journey.

In today’s episode we have Keanna Barnes who shares her Stillbirth story and Fibroid Journey.  She is the author of Journey to Peace a 31 Day Devotional: Through the Grief of Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Other Pregnancy Loss.  In this episode she shares her journey to getting pregnant with fibroids, how her miscarriage broke her heart into a million pieces, and her courage to try again and get pregnant with her current baby due in March 2018.

In today’s episode we have Cassidy M. Dear who share’s her stillbirth story of daughter Courtney and the Born into Heaven Foundation. Cassidy has become an extreme advocate for stillbirth awareness ever since her own personal loss of her daughter Courtney in 2014.   Cassidy strives to dedicate her time by uplifting parents in the community who have also been affected by stillbirth. In 2015 she founded Born Into Heaven Foundation as a financial resource for families in the state of Alabama. She oversees a volunteer board that is dedicated to relieving the financial burden of funeral cost for stillborn babies.  Cassidy was awarded her bachelors in Social Work from Auburn University in December 2017. Cassidy lives in Opelika, Alabama with her family. She enjoys dancing and journaling.  Born into Heaven Foundation is hosting their Spring Gala on April 14, 2018 in Opelika, Alabama to gather among others, mingle, dine, and support stillbirth awareness.

In today’s episode Cathleen Richardson shares her Stillbirth story and how she is honoring other Stillbirth moms through her blog stillmom.net.   She is hosting a Charity Vegas Themed event in her daughter McKenzie’s honor named Kenzie Royale.  Kenzie Royal is being held on September 23 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is a night of Vegas Fun. The proceeds of the event honoring Stillbirth moms will go to the Star Legacy Foundation, that has helped Cathleen on her healing journey.  Cathleen wants to help others especially those who feel alone on this journey.  Here favorite quote to live by is by Brian Tracy “You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”  In my interview with Cathleen we discuss the truth about grieving for your child and returning to the corporate workplace, and how her loss has changed her life for the better.