Miscarriage Hope Desk Podcast

In episode #064, Nicole Lemke shares her story of personal loss. After being diagnosed with unexplained infertility, Nicole and her husband went through four rounds of medicated, monitored cycles before getting pregnant. They saw the heartbeat at 6 weeks, and they were told the risk of miscarriage was significantly reduced at that point. Unfortunately, they went on to experience a missed miscarria...

In episode #063, Melissa Harris shares her story of personal loss. After an easy and uneventful pregnancy, she expected growing her family would be equally simple. When she went in for her first ultrasound with her second pregnancy, she was shocked to learn that there was no heartbeat. After that loss, Melissa encountered secondary infertility. They went to a fertility specialist after six months...

In episode #062, Kim Davis shares her story of personal loss.  She is the mother of two children, but she and her husband struggled for over four years with infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss.  When their first pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage, the months of bleeding and heartache that followed was a traumatic experience.    When they sought support from a fertility specialist after s...

In episode #061, Miscarriage Hope Desk Founder, Allison Schaaf is back with another solo episode discussing her 4 step process to advocate for yourself at doctors appointments. She also talks about the importance of knowing your personal medical information and wants to empower you to take ownership over your medical care.  Topics discussed in this episode- miscarriage, recurring miscarriage, recu...

In episode #060, Miscarriage Hope Desk Founder, Allison Schaaf is back with a solo episode discussing the strain of miscarriage & pregnancy loss on your marriage. She reviews 5 lessons she learned during her years long struggle with recurring miscarriages. Unfortunately, the strain of miscarriage on a relationship is not talked about often enough. Topics discussed in this episode include- marriage...

In episode #059, Leah Mason-Virgin shares her story of personal loss.  She felt dismissed by healthcare staff and unprepared for her miscarriage experience.  Leah took it upon herself to do her own research and to chart her cycles to determine that she had a short luteal phase and likely low progesterone as well.  Leah encourages women to advocate for themselves and their reproductive health follo...

In episode #058, Samantha Caesar-Johnson shares her story of recurrent miscarriage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her first pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage at 9 weeks. She decided to get a D & C, but she contracted COVID-19 and had to push her date a few weeks. While quarantining from her husband, she began to naturally miscarry at home. Ultimately, she still had to have the procedure, as i...

In episode #057, Annette shares her expertise as a dietitian and functional nutritionist. She looks at DNA, iodine deficiency, and six core centers of health in the body to determine the root cause(s) of miscarriage. Once she uncovers the root cause(s), Annette helps people to employ strategies like diet, supplements, and lifestyle practices to heal. While conventional medicine focuses on the mech...

In episode #056, Jamie shares her personal story of loss as well as her expertise as a somatic wellness educator and coach. Jamie experienced two miscarriages after the birth of her daughter, and she and her husband ultimately decided not to continue trying for more children. In her own life as well as with her clients, Jamie prioritizes mindfulness, nature-based practices, and healthy routines. T...

In episode #055, Nike shares her story of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss. She felt like she was trying everything she could to keep her pregnancies, and her doctors had no answers for her. When even bed rest and cervical cerclage weren't enough, Nike was completely demoralized. After these traumatic experiences, she gave herself permission to take time to mourn and to heal. She wants other w...

In episode #054, Stefanie shares her personal story of moving forward after loss. After one stillbirth and four miscarriages, doctors told her that she would not be able to have children. Stefanie followed her gut, as she felt she was supposed to try again for a baby. Despite the odds, she shocked doctors with a healthy, full-term pregnancy that brought Stefanie her daughter. We discuss the heart-...

In episode #053, Allison Schaaf, founder of Miscarriage Hope Desk shares her reflections on the inaugural year of both the podcast and other resources offered through Miscarriage Hope Desk. She also dives into a personal update after her recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) and how she is handling next steps and questions as it relates to continuing to build her family and potential future pregnancies a...

In episode #052, Cheri Timko shares her expertise as a couples coach. She specializes in helping committed couples improve their relationships through developing good relationship habits and skills. While miscarriage can introduce stress and grief into a relationship, it can also provide an opportunity for growth.   We discuss tips for coping with pregnancy loss as a couple, developing solid relat...

In episode #051, Angela Warm shares her personal story of loss. It took years for her to get pregnant, and she then experienced a miscarriage when she was 12 weeks along. She got pregnant again a few months later, but it was a blighted ovum. Angela started researching advanced maternal age health and fertility, leading her to eat differently and track her cycles. She went on to have one child righ...

In episode #050, Julia Hickman shares her personal story of loss. After trying to get pregnant with their second child for several months, she and her husband were diagnosed with secondary infertility.   They sought out IVF, and were so excited when their transfer led to a pregnancy. Julia was shocked when that pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. She is committed to self-care, and she believes there...

In episode #049, Dr. Katie Rose shares her expertise as a licensed naturopathic physician with specialty training in fertility issues.   She has supported dozens of patients through pregnancy loss, including recurrent losses. By investigating root causes of miscarriage and supporting women and their partners physically, mentally, and spiritually, naturopathic physicians can play an important role...

In episode #048, Dr. Nathalie Chase Thompson shares her personal story of loss. Her own losses have paved the way on her journey to support others. For over 20 years, she has coached, counseled, and mentored people through the grieving and healing processes. Dr. Chase Thompson discusses how to deal with the shame and grief that can be related to miscarriage. She has actionable advice whether you h...

In episode #047, Erin shares her story of recurrent miscarriage. Following three losses, she and her husband sought the advice of an IVF specialist. The specialist could not pinpoint a cause for the losses and said she could not help them. We have a conversation about how to process grief and what to consider when moving forward after unexplained miscarriages. Erin's area of expertise is shame res...

In episode #046, Jackie Figueras shares her personal experience with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) as well as her expertise as a passionate pregnancy loss specialist, registered nurse, and certified coach.  Over half of her 18-year career has been dedicated to pediatrics, where she learned how to connect with parents during their most stressful and often painful times. Jackie builds trust quickly...

In episode #045, Liz Shaw shares her expertise as a registered dietitian nutritionist as well as her personal experiences with infertility, IVF, and failed frozen embryo transfers.   Liz has worked in and researched the fertility nutrition realm of dietetics for over 5 years and has authored two books related to this topic, Fertility Foods Cookbook (co-authored 2017) and The Stress-Free IVF Nutrit...

In episode #044, Miscarriage Hope Desk Founder, Allison Schaaf, returns for a solo episode. She talks about how miscarriage and pregnancy loss can be a traumatic event and steps to help deal with that trauma. She discusses her experience with miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage and how she dealt with triggers, including Mother's Day. Allison's experience with recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) inspi...

In episode #043, Kim Hooper shares her personal experiences with recurrent pregnancy loss. Her first loss was an ectopic pregnancy that required emergency surgery and resulted in a loss of a fallopian tube. She then had an early missed miscarriage. Her third pregnancy got to 17 weeks before she lost her son for unknown reasons, and her fourth pregnancy was another ectopic pregnancy that took month...

In episode #042, Dr. Huong Diep shares her expertise as a board certified psychologist who supports clients experiencing pregnancy loss. We discuss the research behind miscarriage from a trauma perspective and the impact of inequities in healthcare (especially for people of color and queer folks). Dr. Diep is passionate about the intersection of gender, language, and culture and is an ally to the...

In episode #041, Dr. Joseph Davis shares his expertise in reproductive endocrinology. We discuss what medical professionals know about miscarriage, what is still unknown, and what holistic care could look like following pregnancy loss. Dr. Davis earned a Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine from Ohio University in 2006. He completed OBGYN residency and then Reproductive Endocrinology fellowship at Al...

In episode #040, Dr. Zali Yager shares her personal story of loss. She is a body image and maternal mental health researcher, with a background in health education and promotion, and 16 years of experience in research and academia. Zali also has three young children, and experienced pregnancy loss after her surprise baby #4 was declared to have anomalies incompatible with life at 14 weeks of pregn...