The Empty Arms Podcast -- real stories of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss.

This Father's Day, we're honored to share a powerful conversation with Cory Magee. After the heartbreaking loss of his daughter, Shaelyn, Cory found himself navigating a grief that few people truly understand. In this episode, he shares his journey through loss, the impact it had on his mental health, and how finding community through Sad Dads Club helped him move from surviving to healing. Cory a...

In this deeply emotional episode of The Empty Arms Podcast, we talk about the heartbreak of a failed adoption. After opening their hearts, preparing a home, and dreaming about the child they believed would become theirs, everything changed. This conversation dives into the complicated layers of hope, faith, grief, loss, and identity that come with loving a child you never got to bring home. Farrah...

Losing a baby changes everything, including the parts of life people rarely talk about out loud. In this deeply honest episode of The Empty Arms Podcast , I sit down with Erin, board president of Empty Arms of Greater Bangor , and Sara — grief poet and sex therapist — for a conversation that is tender, brave, and profoundly needed. Together, we talk about sex and intimacy after loss: how grief can...

Fifteen years ago, Chris lost his daughter Madison, a loss that seemed unbearable yet quietly simmered beneath the surface of his life. For years, he felt the pressure of grief's unrelenting voice that told him he didn't suffer enough. That he hadn't truly faced the depth of his pain and that he should feel guilty for not being there when Madison died. He wrestled with shame, guilt, and the sense...

What does it really look like to survive the first year after losing your baby? In this deeply honest and tender conversation, Emlee shares the story of her son, Theo, who was stillborn at full term, a loss that shattered the world she and her husband knew. Together, they were forced to navigate not only unimaginable grief, but also the strain it placed on their relationship, their identities, and...

In this episode of  The Empty Arms Podcast , I sit down with Emily Souder, LCSW-C, PMH-C and Mahaley Patel, LMFT, PMH-C,  co-creators of Your NICU Story, a powerful journal to help families process their NICU stay. Together, we explore the power of storytelling in grief, the importance of naming experiences that often feel unspeakable, and how words can become a lifeline for families navigating lo...

After loss, joy can feel impossibly far away. But what if rediscovering joy isn't about moving on but about carrying love forward? In this episode, I sit down with Hannah Joy , a mother who has learned that the intentional search for joy can be one of the most powerful ways to honor her daughter's legacy. Hannah shares her journey through grief and the turning point when she realized she didn't wa...

On this episode of The Empty Arms Podcast , Hailey shares her heartbreaking and deeply honest journey of loss, longing, and love. After years of trying to have a baby and multiple rounds of IVF, Hailey finally became pregnant with her daughter, Isla. At 26 weeks, she tragically lost her. The grief was overwhelming, compounded by previous losses, and left her living in a world without children, a p...

In this episode, I sit down with Stacey — a woman who is no stranger to grief and has turned her own pain into purpose. Through her healing journey, Stacey discovered the incredible comfort and connection that therapy dogs can bring. She's since built a powerful therapy dog program through her local hospital, creating moments of joy, peace, and healing for patients, families, and staff alike. Toge...

In this deeply moving episode, I am joined by five brave women who share their stories of ectopic pregnancy loss -- a type of loss that is not only emotionally devastating, but physically life threatening. These women open up about the intense physical pain, the medical emergencies, the surgeries, and the heartbreaking aftermath that followed.  For some, it was their first loss. For others, it was...

In this powerful and deeply honest episode, I'm joined by five incredibly brave women who have all experienced early pregnancy loss. Together, we sit in the heaviness, the honesty, and the silence that so often surrounds early miscarriage — a type of loss that is common, yet still so misunderstood and rarely spoken about. Each woman brings her unique story — the moment everything changed, the phys...

This week, I'm joined by Janel St. Peter—an incredible woman whose story is as heartbreaking as it is powerful. Janel opens up about her long and emotional journey through PCOS, ectopic pregnancies, and failed rounds of IVF. With raw honesty, she shares the grief, frustration, and isolation that can come with trying to conceive in a body that doesn't follow the rules. But Janel's story doesn't end...

Mother's Day is a beautiful celebration — but for many, it's also a day heavy with grief. In this special episode, we hold space for loss moms who carry motherhood in their hearts rather than their arms. These brave mothers read letters written to their babies who have died — letters full of love, longing, and the kind of strength that only comes from living with unimaginable loss. This episode is...

This week, we're joined by award-winning author and psychologist Dr. Jessica Zucker , whose groundbreaking book "I Had a Miscarriage" sparked a global conversation around pregnancy loss and grief. Jessica joins me on the podcast to share insights from her powerful new release, "Normalize It!" — a bold call to break the silence, challenge stigma, and embrace honest conversations about reproductive...

This week on the podcast, we're joined by the deeply compassionate Lolo Paz, founder of A Soulful Sorrow . In this conversation, we walk through her powerful Instagram post, "5 Ways to Take Care of Yourself After Pregnancy Loss," and unpack each of the five practices that can offer real comfort and healing after loss. From resting without guilt to honoring your loss in meaningful ways , Lauren sha...

In this deeply personal and emotional episode, Kelly bravely shares her journey through recurrent pregnancy loss, experiencing the heartbreak of five miscarriages. She opens up about the physical and emotional toll, the hope that carried her forward, and the grief that often felt impossible to navigate. She describes the rollercoaster of emotions—the soaring hope with each positive test, the anxie...

In this powerful episode, Kelly shares her heartbreaking journey of losing her 4th pregnancy, a baby boy named Jonah, at 16 weeks. At a routine appointment, Kelly was told there was no heartbeat, shattering her world. But amidst the devastation, she found strength, healing, and meaningful ways to honor Jonah's life. Keeping Jonah's memory alive, both for herself and for her four living sons and hu...

In this powerful episode, I sit down with my dear friend and fellow board membe Jenna, a mother who knows the depths of unimaginable loss. Jenna's son, Tripp, was born after a terrifying delivery and spent ten days in the NICU before she faced the unthinkable—leaving the hospital without him. She shares how that moment went against everything biological in her body, how the weight of grief felt im...

In this podcast episode, Deana shares her heartbreaking journey of losing her son Rett to cancer at just 10 months old. Everett 'Rett' Cavan was diagnosed with a Malignant Rhabdoid Tumor at six months old. This aggressive cancer would take Rett's life in less than four months—despite having access to the best doctors and treatment plans available. She reflects on the emotional rollercoaster of rec...

In this episode, I sit down with Lindsay Dolloff, an OB nurse whose journey through loss has reshaped her perspective both personally and professionally. Diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis, Lindsay was encouraged to start trying for a baby right away. She and her husband were thrilled to conceive quickly, but their joy was short-lived. Lindsay experienced a partial molar pregnancy, an incredibly...

In this moving episode the love stays, Sara Rian shares her journey of navigating grief and transforming it into art and healing. A grief poet and therapist, Sara turned to poetry after the traumatic suicide of her mother, channeling her pain into words that resonate with countless others experiencing loss. Through her work, she highlights how grief, no matter its origin, connects us through share...

In this episode, we sit down with Emily Long, a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, author, and fierce advocate for grieving parents, as she shares her story of unimaginable loss and the journey toward healing. Emily's life has been marked by deep sorrow, from the passing of her fiancé and their unborn child to the struggles she's faced with depression and grief. Yet through the darkest tim...

In this deeply moving episode, we sit down with two remarkable women who share an unimaginable bond. One day, co-coworkers. The next, loss moms walking this journey alongside of eachother. Just 12 days apart, they each lost their daughters in the third trimester of pregnancy.  Together, we explore their individual journeys of grief and how losing their daughters changed their lives forever. Their...

In this episode, I had the profound honor of sitting down with Jaime and Gina, two incredible sonographers and loss moms who serve as a vital lifeline for grieving parents in our community. As professionals who work closely with bereaved families, they open up about the deeply emotional nature of their work and how their personal experiences as loss moms shape the care and compassion they bring to...

In this deeply moving episode of "Unbreakable Hope," we delve into the extraordinary journey of one remarkable mother who faced unimaginable heartbreak and yet remained steadfast in her hope for the future. Our guest Alicia, a mother who has navigated the tumultuous waters of seven heartbreaking losses and three adoptions, shares her poignant story of grief, faith, and unbreakable hope. From the v...