The Joyful Mourning - A Podcast for Women Who Have Experienced Pregnancy or Infant Loss

In this week's episode I have the honor of interviewing Michele Benyo. Michele is a Certified Grief Recovery Specialist®, an early childhood parent coach, and the founder of Good Grief Parenting. After her 6-year-old son died of cancer, her 3-year-old daughter said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." This heartbreaking statement defined Michele's life purpose. Her mission is twofold: to help parents thr...

Today's special episode is all about the end of a year and the beginning of a new one. And you are going to hear from all three members of The Morning team in this special episode, Meg Walker is going to share with you thoughts about last year, Mary Margaret Powitz is going to share with you 3 hopes for the new year and I am going to finish our time with 3 prayers I have for you as we end 2021 and...

Bonus Episode from the Christmas Promises for the Grieving Heart Daily Devotional He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4 He will wipe away every tear At Christmas we celebrate Jesus' first coming as a baby, when He came to be our Rescuer and Red...

Bonus Episode from the Christmas Promises for the Grieving Heart Daily Devotional The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our Go...

This week on the podcast Kristyn Szala joins me back on the podcast to talk about Cuddle Cots – what they are, why a mom who has received a life-limiting diagnosis should know about these, how to learn more about them and how to get one for yourself or for someone you love. Kristyn shared her full story with us in Episode 134 but is joining us this week to talk specifically about Cuddle Cots and t...

This week I have the honor and privilege of interviewing Gina Harris, a mom who has experienced devastating loss with two sons diagnosed with life-limiting diagnosis as well as the immense pain of two subsequent miscarriages. Gina understands this journey well and is here today to share with us not only as a mother who has experienced the loss of a baby but also as the CEO of Now I Lay Me Down To...

Today we are talking about Christmas traditions for the grieving mom. I want to share a few things I've learned about traditions over the years, how they might be helpful to you, as well as a few traditions you may want to incorporate into your Christmas season and a few tips for navigating traditions in general.  HOLIDAY RESOURCES Along with this podcast episode we have pulled together all of our...

To my grieving friends on this Thanksgiving Day.  I wish I could pull up a chair beside you and sit with you in person. To give you a look of understanding when someone you love says a hurtful thing or squeeze your hand under the table to remind you that you aren't alone. Or cover for you when you need to hide away for a bit. To tangibly remind you that you're not alone. Even if I can't be there w...

A very special episode as the holiday season is upon us. I asked a handful of previous guests on the episodes who have experienced different types of loss to share their best wisdom and advice for navigating the holidays. Listen into this very very special episode, made up of 6 women sharing incredible wisdom from their experience of walking through the holidays as grieving mothers.    If you are...

As we near Thanksgiving and move into the Christmas season I thought it would be helpful to share a few simple tips for navigating the holidays as a grieving mom. I know first hand the difficulty and sorrow and deep longing that accompanies a broken heart as it enters the holidays and I want to share a few things that may ease the pain of it all just a bit.  HOLIDAY RESOURCES Along with this podca...

Listen in as I spend time with Carolyn Keller as she shares with me about her daughter Bethany who had trisomy 13. This episode is full of so much wisdom -- Caroyn shares about her pregnancy journey with Bethany as well as her life in the NICU. She talks about what it was like to receive a life-limiting diagnosis and how she navigated that news with her husband and her 3 living children. And then...

A very special episode as we end Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. For us here at The Morning and on The Joyful Mourning Podcast,  honoring your babies, telling your stories, raising awareness about the tragic reality of baby loss, and helping those who love a grieving mom better understand what she needs and how to best support her, is not something that ends when awareness month is over....

Listen in as I spend time with Mary Prince and she shares her motherhood journey with me. She talks honestly and candidly about her recurrent miscarriages, and then her son Noah who was born at 26 weeks due to a placental rupture who would die just a few short months later as a result of a rare and very difficult to diagnose heart defect. I ask Mary to talk about what it's been like to be an invis...

Throughout October I am highlighting specific topics surrounding pregnancy and infant loss in a series of 4 short mini bonus episodes. My hope is to give grieving moms a voice, to acknowledge your loss and at the same time to help others who have not experienced this kind of loss understand a little better what it is to be a baby loss mom.  In this third episode of the series I am sharing a non-co...

Listen in as I spend time with Kristyn Szala and ask her all kinds of questions about her motherhood journey. Kristyn has experienced infertility, journeyed through ivf, experienced a miscarriage with one of her twins and then would go on to experience a life-limiting diagnosis for her son Asher. During our time together Kristyn talks honestly about her experience with IVF and what it was like to...

Throughout October I am highlighting specific topics surrounding pregnancy and infant loss in a series of 4 short mini bonus episodes. My hope is to give you, grieving moms, a voice, to acknowledge your loss and at the same time to help others who have not experienced this kind of loss understand a little better what it is to be a baby loss mom.  In this second episode of the series I am talking a...

Listen in as I spend time with Aimee Jones as she shares with me her motherhood journey and the story of her daughter Ginny who was born still at 34 weeks. Aimee shares honestly about life after the loss, what surprised her about this journey and what were some of the unique challenges of losing her first born, having no answers as to why her daughter died and what it was like to make the decision...

Listen in to the first bonus episode in a series I have titled Conversations with a Grieving Mom. Throughout October I will be highlighting specific topics surrounding pregnancy and infant loss in a series of short mini bonus episodes. My hope is to give you a voice, to acknowledge your loss and to help others who have not experienced this kind of loss understand a little better what it is to be a...

Over the past 4 weeks we have been talking specifically about navigating faith after the loss of a baby, asking hard questions about God and what the Bible has to say about our loss because if you are anything like me you have asked those questions before, maybe not out loud for fear of judgment but in the quiet private corners of your own mind. Questions like Why did God allow this to happen? Did...

In this episode I am asking a series of difficult but important questions about God, our suffering, and navigating faith after the loss of a baby to Lacey Rabalais. She spends her days studying and writing about God's Word and as a theologian who had also experienced the loss of a baby I knew she would be the perfect person to discuss these questions with. Many of the questions we are discussing t...

This week I invited my friend Lindsey Dennis back to the podcast to talk about her spiritual journey and walk with God amidst anticipatory grief and the grief that followed the loss of her two daughters, Sophie and Dassah -- both from life-limiting diagnoses. Lindsey shares honestly as she answers questions like: Did you ever get angry with God? Did you doubt His goodness? Did you doubt your faith...

This week I have the privilege of interviewing Vaneetha Risner -- a woman who has walked through an incredible amount of pain in her life, experienced loss and suffering and yet joyfully says 'God does not make mistakes." During our time together Vaneetha shares the story of her son Paul and what her relationship with God looked like after his death. We talk about asking God all the 'why' question...

Kelly Griffin joins me on the podcast to share the story of her son Reeves who was given a life-limiting diagnosis of trisomy 18. Kelly shares with me what it was like receiving a life-limiting diagnosis and what advice and wisdom she would give to a mom who has received a similar diagnosis. We cover a lot of topics about life after loss and even life amidst anticipatory grief in this episode as w...

Over the past few weeks we have been talking about navigating milestones after the loss of a baby. Milestones like birthdays or difficult anniversaries like a diagnosis day. Today my guest Alison Waldrop joins me to talk about her experience with pregnancy loss and how she navigated her due date and loss day and all the other milestones a grieving mother faces after the loss of a baby. She shares...

Meg Walker joins me to talk about navigating milestones and important dates after the loss of a baby due to a life-limiting diagnosis. She shares with us what those milestone and important or difficult dates are for her. Specifically we spend some time talking about her son's diagnosis day and what that looks like for her every year -- as Meg says "that's the before and after for me -- the day eve...