Natalie joins the show to share her story of recurrent pregnancy loss and chose to share now, even though she’s still in the thick of growing her family. She said there is power in trying before you’re on the “other side of loss” and we agree at the Miscarriage Stories Podcast!
TOPICS DISCUSSED: first pregnancy ending in miscarriage, living child after loss, miscarriage while trying to have a second living child, recurrent loss, Canadian-based experience
This conversation delves into the complexities of reproductive health, particularly focusing on pregnancy loss and abortion.
Rebecca Little and Colleen Long join Arden to discuss the impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade on women's health, share personal stories of loss, and highlight the cultural taboos surrounding these topics. They emphasize the need for better understanding and support within the medical community and advocate for a more empathetic approach to reproductive rights.
Learn More About "I'm Sorry For My Loss" the book HERE
Purchase from Bookshop.org and support your local bookstores HERE.
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource that supports people through pregnancy loss. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Arden Cartrette is joined by psychologist and award-winning author Jessica Zucker to discuss her new book, Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives. Known for her groundbreaking work and viral movement I Had a Miscarriage, Jessica shares the story behind her 16-week pregnancy loss and how it transformed her personal and professional life.
Together, Arden and Jessica explore the many layers of womanhood that are too often silenced—grief, periods, reproductive health, friendships, sexual assault, and more. They talk about the emotional complexity of these experiences and the societal pressure to "move on" quietly. This conversation is a call to action: to remove shame, embrace vulnerability, and normalize the full range of emotions that come with being human.
Jessica offers her therapist’s insight, personal experiences, and compassionate advocacy, reminding listeners that their stories matter—and that healing begins with speaking out.
Topics Discussed:
The story behind I Had a Miscarriage
Writing Normalize It and the process of telling hard stories
Grief and pregnancy loss at 16 weeks
The cultural stigma surrounding miscarriage and menstruation
The importance of vulnerability and storytelling
Navigating family dynamics and identity after loss
Creating space for emotional healing and self-advocacy
How support groups foster community and connection
Connect with Jessica Zucker:
Instagram: @ihadamiscarriage
Follow Arden & Miscarriage Stories:
Instagram: @themiscarriagedoula
Website: https://www.themiscarriagedoula.co
Subscribe to the Miscarriage Stories podcast wherever you listen.
Keywords: Miscarriage, Women's Health, Mental Health, Grief, Reproductive Health, Shame, Stigma, Identity, Vulnerability, Support Groups, Storytelling, Self-Advocacy
🎙 Hosted by Arden Cartrette | The Miscarriage Doula
In this episode of Miscarriage Stories, Carly shares her deeply personal journey of trying to conceive, navigating the emotional highs of early pregnancy, and facing the heartbreaking reality of miscarriage.
💔 A Thoughtful Start – Carly and her husband waited until they were financially stable before trying to conceive. Living in Canada, they celebrated a milestone in May 2024 when her husband became a permanent resident.
🔄 The TTC Rollercoaster – Carly describes the emotional intensity of trying to conceive, from tracking ovulation to becoming immersed in the world of BBT and charting.
📅 A Long-Awaited Positive – After five months of trying, Carly received her first positive pregnancy test in November 2024. They kept the news mostly private, planning to share it with family over the holidays.
🩺 Ultrasounds & Uncertainty – A private early ultrasound in December gave them reassurance, but their official dating ultrasound in January brought unexpected news—the baby was measuring small, and the heartbeat had slowed.
💔 The Loss Begins – As Carly and her husband prepared for the worst, spotting turned into heavy bleeding, leading them to the emergency room. There, they saw their baby’s heartbeat had slowed significantly.
This episode is a raw and honest look at the painful reality of pregnancy loss and the uncertainty that comes with it. Carly’s story sheds light on the emotional complexities of miscarriage and the resilience it takes to navigate grief.
🔗 Connect with Arden & The Miscarriage Doula:
📌 Website: The Miscarriage Doula
📌 Instagram: @themiscarriagedoula
🎧 Listen & Subscribe: Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
💜 If this episode resonated with you, please consider leaving a review to help others find these stories.
Returning after sharing her recurrent pregnancy loss journey with us in episode 83, Xenia shares pregnancy after loss and the emotional and physical complications of that pregnancy.
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for people who are navigating pregnancy loss. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
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Since we last spoke with her, she worked on processing her recurrent pregnancy loss experience and took a break from trying to conceive. She also named the two babies and purchased tangible artwork to hang in her home.
Other life events that have happened; moving, trouble with her job, in the UK the government now issues certificates for losses before 20 weeks (they previously didn’t).
In the Summer, she learned that she was pregnant again and was visiting her family in Eastern Europe where she had access to early pregnancy care. She had to go on a diabetic diet early in the first trimester, and watched her thyroid, as well as adding in a blood thinner due to a blood clotting concern.
Around 11 weeks, she woke up covered in blood which was triggering so she called an ambulance to take her to the emergency room. A male OB immediately says that it’s a miscarriage but an ultrasound (and other care in the hospital) confirms that the baby has a heartbeat but they see a large bleed. She’s then admitted to the hospital for care.
In the hospital, she learned that she had a low-lying placenta which was causing the bleeding and the hope was the placenta would move up as she progressed in her pregnancy. She had to stay at her parent’s house (hours and hours of flights away) for many weeks without her husband.
The rest of pregnancy was mostly smooth sailing and her baby (a boy!) was breech. Her birth was a planned/scheduled cesarean and her son is 8 months old at the time of recording.
In this episode, Andrea details her fertility experiences with pregnancy loss, living children, and the loss of her son during the second trimester that was unexpected and traumatic. Thank you, Andrea for talking about second trimester loss so openly and for discussing saline baths!
Some helpful books have been:
- Just be Honest : Clint Watkins
- Dark cloud deep mercy : Mark Vroegop
- Grieving the child I never knew : Kathe Wunnenberg
- Holding on to love after you’ve lost a baby : Gary Chapman and Candy McVicar
- Chasing light : Stephanie Tong
- Sunlight in December : Kristin Hernandez
BLOG POST ON SALINE BATH : https://cafemom.com/news/miscarriage-photography-salt-water-bath-underwater-phot?pubdate=1637587380000&utm_content=beingamom_fbpage&utm_term=new&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=sm
RESOURCE - HOPE MOMMIES : https://hopemommies.org/hope-boxes
Natori join Arden on the Miscarriage Stories Podcast to discuss her pregnancy experience and how traumatic miscarriage can be no matter how "early" in pregnancy you are.
We discuss a difficult encounter with medical staff, things that have helped her cope and grieve, taking time off work after loss, and so much more.
Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129
Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co
During this episode of Miscarriage Stories, Denise shares her personal experience with losing her son after passing 12 weeks, which is when she felt safe enough to share the news with family and friends.
This conversation is heavy on discussing what birth looks like in loss and is a vulnerable account of grief, trauma, and the stressors that come up when moving forward.
Plus, we discuss pregnancy after loss and Denise and I had a lot of the same fears and experiences so I know I related to her big time.
Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129
Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co
Meaghan joins Arden today to share her experience with pregnancy and loss. River is a child that was wanted and loved from the moment they existed which made their loss all the more devastating for Meaghan and her husband, Tom.
We discuss her experience giving birth at home and the trauma that it brought to her and her partner and how unprepared we often are for pregnancy loss in general.
This conversation is heavy on the experience of miscarriage at home and medical care along with grief, trauma, and difficulties in life after loss. We do also discuss the fact that Meaghan is currently pregnant after loss!
Do you want to share your story? https://TheMiscarriageDoula.as.me/?appointmentType=63230129
Interested in the services of The Miscarriage Doula? Learn more at her website: themiscarriagedoula.co
“My eggs are rotten so we just need better ingredients for the bun”
Lauren comes on to share about her journey with infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss and navigating IVF, fertility testing and treatment.
"Fertility really is like a crap shoot Losing pregnancies, embryos, cycles, feels like cumulative loss"
You can read more about Lauren's journey on her blog PINEAPPLES AND ROTTEN EGGS
Since recording this in early 2024, Lauren has transferred the second donated embryo that unforunately ended in another miscarriage and she had a D&C in June 2024. This was her 6th transfer overall and at this time, she's unsure of her next steps. Let's all send Lauren some love!
Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who is a Birth & Bereavement Doula that founded "The Miscarriage Doula" -- an online support service and resource for people who are experiencing or have experienced loss. Support is offered through 1:1 support, group support, blog posts, and Instagram content. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
On this episode of Miscarriage Stories we hear from Sam who joined us for episode 39 to share her experience with miscarriage. Now she's back to share more about recurrent pregnancy loss, lots and lots of testing, traveling to Mexico for Immunotherapy (and getting stuck at the border), plus IVF, and pregnancy after loss.
Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who is a Birth & Bereavement Doula that founded "The Miscarriage Doula" -- an online support service and resource for people who are experiencing or have experienced loss. Support is offered through 1:1 support, group support, blog posts, and Instagram content. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
Rachel from the Hope Again Collective joins Arden to talk about her experience with pregnancy loss and what life after loss looks like for a pastor. She also wrote a book titled Miscarried Hope: Journeying with Jesus through Pregnancy and Infant Loss which is available now!
https://hopeagaincollective.com
Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who is a Birth & Bereavement Doula that founded "The Miscarriage Doula" -- an online support service and resource for people who are experiencing or have experienced loss. Support is offered through 1:1 support, group support, blog posts, and Instagram content. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
Arizona joins Arden to discuss her experience with a miscarriage during her third pregnancy. "Angel" was born in the first trimester and with having two living sons and two step-daughters, going through a miscarriage was difficult to say the least. Hear her story on Miscarriage Stories Podcast.
Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who is a Birth & Bereavement Doula that founded "The Miscarriage Doula" -- an online support service and resource for people who are experiencing or have experienced loss. Support is offered through 1:1 support, group support, blog posts, and Instagram content. Learn more at themiscarriagedoula.co
*SENSITIVE NOTE* This episode contains really difficult details and conversations surrounding sexual abuse and the transgender community. If you have the space to listen to Alex's story, please do. You can also save it for another day or time, whenever you're ready.
Alex (he/him) joins Arden today to share the story of experiencing a miscarriage 10 years ago, prior to transitioning as a transgender male. Not only was Alex struggling with his identity but he was also sexually abused which led to a pregnancy that was both feared and in a way, wanted. Alex really opens up in this episode and shares how language has affected him as he's transgender and what grief has looked like for the last 10 years.
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
Female filmmaker, Rakefet Abergel, who was personally traumatized by pregnancy loss, released a trailer and accompanying music video of an original song from her short film “Still” in honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Month.
“Still” is a moving psychological thriller short film, now entering the film festival circuit, meant to honor all mothers and families who experience infant loss at any stage. Abergel received production support from Joel Zwick (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) and Jory Weitz (Napoleon Dynamite).
Pregnancy loss is not uncommon. As many as 26% of all pregnancies and up to 10% of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage and per the CDC about 24,000 babies are stillborn annually (defined as after 20 weeks gestation). However, it continues to be a taboo topic that lives in the shadows, preventing many women from getting the support they need. Abergel, writer and director of “Still”, also stars in the short film, was inspired to honor the son she lost during her pregnancy. Her trauma led to a desire to shine a light on the darker parts of the inevitable feelings, and to validate some of the emotions experienced by women who have experienced such traumas.
The Life We Never Had - Music Video
@kef827 on Instagram & @cyclamenfilms
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
Rebecca and her husband are newly married as of July 2022 and didn’t plan to have children right away due to being in grad school. Her mind changed suddenly and they started trying to conceive.
In December 2022 she learned that she was pregnant with her daughter, Hadley. Throughout the first trimester, every ultrasound and appointment went well. Rebecca also had NIPT testing and everything came back normal without any concerns.
During the a diagnostic ultrasound, Rebecca saw that her daughter looked great and was moving around on the screen. When she sat down with the doctor, she immediately knew that something wasn’t right. The doctor sat down and started talking about what they were looking at on the ultrasound and pointed out that there was increased fluid behind Hadley’s neck which was a big concern.
Following that ultrasound, she was given a few options which were to do nothing or to do the CVS procedure. Rebecca and her husband did the CVS procedure and found it to be a difficult procedure due to a tilted uterus which resulted in a smaller sample and a longer wait time for results. In the meantime, they saw an MFM doctor where they learned about other concerns.
A month after having the CVS procedure, she finally heard the results an dit was confirmed that Hadley was missing a 13th chromosome.
Learning about her daughters quality of life was difficult and led her to make the difficult decision to go through with a termination of pregnancy.
At 18 weeks, Rebecca had a D&E procedure. She was given a copy of Hadley’s footprints and had her cremated.
A month following her D&E, Rebecca learned that she was pregnant for the second time which was a surprise. She is currently 18 weeks pregnant and did have a lot of testing and procedures to make sure that her second child was healthy.
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups (GROUPS STARTING IN AUGUST 2023) ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
Madison joins Arden to discuss her journey with recurrent pregnancy loss including the unexpected loss of twins (mono-mono) and how she's navigated grief especially as she is pregnant again after loss.
Discussed in this episode:
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups (GROUPS STARTING IN AUGUST 2023) ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
Carmen joins Arden to discuss her experience with 11 pregnancies, many of which sadly ended in loss. She experienced "chemical" pregnancies, missed miscarriages, early losses, and termination for medical reasons along with having living children between her losses. Carmen wrote a book that was created from her journal entries over the course of 5 years of her fertility journey. If you struggle with recurrent pregnancy loss -- this is a great episode to listen to.
BUY CARMEN'S BOOK (IT'S GREAT!)
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups (GROUPS STARTING IN AUGUST 2023) ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
On this episode of Miscarriage Stories, we hear from Brooke who experienced two losses AFTER having her three-year-old son. Loss after living children always comes as a shock because you expect the same outcome from the first pregnancy but when her second pregnancy was a blighted ovum (missed miscarriage) and then her third was a molar pregnancy, she was devastated to say the least. She shares her journey through loss, grief, and what comes next.
Miscarriage Stories is hosted by Arden Cartrette who founded The Miscarriage Doula / an online service and resource for women going through pregnancy loss. VIsit themiscarriagedoula.co to learn more
Linsey shares her heartbreaking story through recurrent pregnancy loss including missed miscarriage and termination for medical reasons. She's been on a journey through IVF and bravely shares the reality of life after loss and IVF after loss.
The Miscarriage Doula is an online service and resource for those walking through pregnancy loss and life after. Check out our website for 1:1 support and support groups (GROUPS STARTING IN AUGUST 2023) ---- THEMISCARRIAGEDOULA.CO
