#29 Onyx’s Story, Ofrendas and Parenting After Loss with Ariel

In the final episode of this season, I talk to Sheri Johnson about how she found joy in life after loss. Sheri suffered three miscarriages and infertility before deciding not to undergo further fertility treatment. She now helps others find healing and joy after pregnancy loss. In the interview, we talk about: Sheri’s first miscarriage and delivering her baby on the toilet (13:37) Struggling to get pregnant again, miscarrying and a suspect ectopic pregnancy (19:42) Hearing a heartbeat for the first time, only to then miscarry a third child (23:38) Exploring spiritual healing to come to terms with her grief (35:54) Discussing donor conception and deciding not to continue with fertility treatment (39:50) Accepting life without kids and finding healing and joy after loss (45:52) Self-love and the power of meditation (57:15) You can connect with Sheri on Instagram @miscarriageloveandloss or join her Facebook group at Miscarriage Love and Loss. She has a free roadmap – From Grief to Joy After a Miscarriage – which you can download at sherijohnson.ca/roadmap. I’m taking a break from the podcast, so this will be the final episode for a while. If you’re a new listener, please do check out the backlist – there are 60 episodes to listen to, covering a range of experiences. This is the club that none of us wanted to join, but I hope listening to other people’s stories helps you on your journey through grief. Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing the show. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app.

In episode 59 of Footprints on our Hearts, I chat to Rachael and Hannah about their experience of baby loss and pregnancy after loss. Rachael is Hannah’s mother and grandmother to Grace who died shortly after she was born in 2018. In the interview we talk about: Hannah’s pregnancy with Grace and going into premature labour when she was 21 weeks pregnant (5:44) Having Grace whisked away and not being told that she had been born alive (15:24) Hannah’s experience of grief and how Rachael felt trying to support her daughter through her dark days (23:32) Receiving support from Tommy’s following Grace’s death and when pregnant with her son, Jude (30:39) How Rachael felt when she found out Hannah was pregnant again (35:14) Hannah’s experience of pregnancy after loss and going into premature labour for the second time (38:39) Jude’s birth, NICU journey and how nearly losing him triggered Hannah’s grief over Grace (43:04) Why fundraising for Tommy’s is so important to Rachael (53:29) You can connect with Rachael on Instagram @cyclingthighs and find out more about her latest endurance challenge to raise money for Tommys @run.swim.bike.hike. Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing the show. If you have any feedback on the show, suggestions for guests or would like to share your story, you can connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/footprintsonourhearts/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/skyesfootprints) or email [email protected]. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app! You can support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts

In Episode 58 of Footprints on our Hearts, I talk to Ali Ande, whose first son, DJ was sadly stillborn in 2016. Her second son Grayson and her third son, Gavin were both born prematurely, Gavin at the height of the covid-19 pandemic last year. In the interview, we talk about: Ali’s journey to getting pregnant and the naivety of pregnancy before loss (09:13) Going into hospital to give birth to DJ and spending time with him after he was born (20:44) How a nurse’s wise words helped prepare Ali for grief (27:08) Experiencing anxiety while pregnant with her second son, Grayson, and how she felt when he was in NICU (31:10) Her third pregnancy with Gavin and giving birth during a global pandemic (38:41) Why she created a platform to support other bereaved parents (44:04) How she feels raising black kids in America today (50:48) You can connect with Ali on Instagram @aliandeenterprise and find out more about her on her website: https://www.aliandeenterprise.com/. Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing the show. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app! You can support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts

In Episode 57 of Footprints on our Hearts, I welcome Ruth Hopkins back to the podcast! Ruth was my guest in Episode 4, when we talked about her ectopic pregnancy, her son, Dexter, who was stillborn, and her subsequent miscarriage. Last year, Ruth and Dave decided to apply to become adoptive parents and Ruth kindly agreed to come back onto the podcast to talk about the process their went through and the emotional aspect of deciding to grow their family in a different way. In the interview, we talk about: Ruth’s experience of baby loss and unexplained secondary infertility (05:05) Why they decided to explore adoption (17.33) The process Ruth and Dave went through to become prospective adoptive parents (21:55) How counselling has helped her process her grief and put her in a position to empathise with children who have been through traumatic experiences (31:45) Finding out they’d been approved as p (38:23) De-Dextering Dexter’s room and preparing their home for a new child (47:25) Coming to terms with not being able to involve Dexter in their child’s life in the same way as they would have done had he had a biological sibling (53.05) You can connect with Ruth on Instagram @ruth_and_her_bear and @born_from_the_heart. Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing the show. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app! You can connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/footprintsonourhearts/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/skyesfootprints) or email [email protected]. You can support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts

This week, I talk with Laura Gallagher, the author of Robo-Babies a children’s book that explains the many varied ways in which families can form. We discuss Laura’s experience of IVF, parenting after infertility, birth trauma and loss, and the two ectopic pregnancies she sadly experienced after her son’s birth. In the interview, we talk about: Feeling embarrassed and alone having been told they would need to go through IVF to conceive (15:02) The pressure of only having one viable embryo and Rafe’s birth (19:46) The challenges of bonding with your baby after infertility, birth trauma or loss (26:56) Getting pregnant naturally and finding out it was ectopic (35:04) Experiencing a second ectopic pregnancy and why this was so much harder (42:14) Laura’s experience of grief after loss (48:45) Why she decided to write Robo-Babies (58:00) You can connect with Laura on Instagram @robomummy and get a copy of Robo-Babies from Owlet Press or all good bookstores! In the introduction, I talk about the Channel 4 documentary, The Black Maternity Scandal, and Chine McDonald’s article in the Independent on why she used her husband’s whiteness to keep her safe. Thanks to Izzy Syme for editing and producing the show. If you have any feedback on the show, suggestions for guests or would like to share your story, you can connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/footprintsonourhearts/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/skyesfootprints) or email [email protected]. If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a rating or review on your podcast app! You can support the show on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts