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

In this episode I am talking with Erica McAfee. Erica is a mom who has experienced considerable loss throughout her motherhood journey. In Episode 98 she shared her story with us and today she is back on the podcast to chat with me about navigating milestones like birthdays, due dates, anniversaries and all those important dates after the loss of a baby.   She shares with us what her important dat...

Season 04 is here and I am so, so grateful to be back. In this special first episode of season 04 I am joined by my friend and Morning Team Member Meg Walker who takes the role as host. Today she is asking me all the questions and I am sharing my story in a way that I have never shared before. I answer questions about how grief has changed in my nearly 13 year journey, what it's like to share our...

This is part 4 of our special 4 part series called: What is Motherhood. All month long we have been talking about what motherhood means to the woman who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss. In this round table conversation I talk with five women, each with different types of loss from as recent as 6 months ago all the way to 35 years ago -- these women share honestly about their journey of lo...

This is part 3 of our special 4 part series called: What is Motherhood. All month long we are talking about what motherhood means to the woman who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss. In this round table conversation I talk with five women, each with different types of loss from as recent as 6 months ago all the way to 35 years ago -- these women share honestly about their journey of loss, gr...

This is part 2 of a special 4 part series called: What is Motherhood. A special series about what motherhood means to the mom who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss. Listen in to our first ever round table conversation with six women, each with different types of loss from 6 months to 35 years ago, as they share honestly about their journey of loss, grief and finding hope.  No matter what ty...

Your motherhood is motherhood, too. Your mothering may look different than those around you or what you ever imagined it would be. But this day is for you too.  Today I acknowledge you who are hurting this year. "I see you. I have not forgotten. God has not forgotten. YOU are not forgotten."  To the woman looking at yet another negative pregnancy test; I see you. To the woman holding only a memory...

This week we start a special 4 part series called What is Motherhood: A special series about what motherhood means to the mom who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss. Listen in to our first ever round table conversation with six women, each with different types of loss from 6 month to 35 years ago, share honestly about their journey of loss, grief and finding hope.  My hope is that no matter...

Join me in listening to Meg Walker as she reads a letter she wrote entitled, 3 Truths When You Don't Feel Like a Mom This Mother's Day . In this bonus episode Meg says these words: " We can't make promises on whether or not every person you've ever met will remember your child's name or the special anniversaries that are etched into your memory - even your own spouse might forget from time to time...

Join me in listening to Meg Walker as she reads a letter she wrote entitled, To the Invisible Mother this Mother's Day. In this bonus episode Meg says these words: "Your motherhood may be invisible to the outside world, but it's there. " and she goes on to offer so much hope as she directly speaks to the woman with empty arms this Mother's Day. We pray this special bonus episode brings you hope as...

As we approach Mother's Day, maybe you are wondering will anyone recognize my motherhood? Will anyone remember? Will anyone see me as a mother?  Today I am talking about what it looks like to prepare for Mother's Day as a bereaved mother. I am sharing my best advice about how to tangibly prepare for this day, and the days leading up to it, as well as simple ideas for how you, as a bereaved mother,...

Join me in listening to Mary Margaret Powitz as she reads a letter she wrote to you as we anticipate Mother's Day. In this bonus episode Mary says these words: " your motherhood, no matter how it looks, is worth celebrating... However long you had with your child, they still lived, and you still loved them, and you are still a mother. Whether anyone else claims it to be true. And that means, Mothe...

If you know and love a mama who has experienced pregnancy or infant loss. This episode is for you.  Whether you are a friend or a family member, if you know a mama who is grieving this episode is really important. Because while she may not tell you, the reality is she is hurting right now.  In just a matter of weeks we will celebrate mothers on mothers day. And if you have never experienced the lo...

Today we finish up our series on marriage after loss with a special interview with Libby Marler about intimacy after pregnancy or infant loss. Libby joins us as a trained and experienced counselor who specializes in the perinatal period, the time of pregnancy and the year following a pregnancy. She also specializes in grief and loss and joins not only as an expert but also as a mom who has walked...

You're listening to The Joyful Mourning Podcast episode 116. My guest this week is Justice Kreider, a mom to three girls, one here on earth, one in heaven and one growing in her belly. During our time together Justice shares the story of her daughter Selah, She heard the words, we're seeing some abnormalities at her 20 week anatomy scan but were given no clear answers as to what was wrong or what...

Today I have the privilege of interviewing Rachel Ramirez about her story of motherhood. Rachel has experienced 3 miscarriages and walked through the subsequent journey of grief and in this episode she is sharing all that she's learned along the way.  We spend time talking about what miscarriage was like for her and what she wishes others understood about pregnancy loss and what encouragement she...

This week I am talking with Sarah Westfall about her son Carter and her experience with grief over the past 10 years. Carter was diagnosed with a prenatal life-limiting condition and during our time together she talks about what it was like to make the decision to continue carrying a baby that would not live long outside the womb, what she would tell a mom who has recently received a life-limiting...

I'm chatting with Lindsey Dennis about how the loss of her two daughters shaped her very young marriage. We talk about the patterns that developed as a result of experiencing such devastating loss so early in a marriage and what advice she would give to a couple new in their marriage and navigating grief. We talk about how to navigate the reality of grieving differently than your spouse and she gi...

Today I am talking with Allison Schaaf, founder of Miscarriage Hopedesk -- a resource for women who are experiencing recurring pregnancy loss. Allison walked through many miscarriages with no real clear answers as to why this was happening and today we are talking about that journey. We talk about adoption and IVF and pregnancy after so much loss -- I ask her "how did you not give up hope?" Her an...

This week I am chatting with Josefina Sanders. She has joined us on the podcast in the past and was a speaker for our virtual conference this past fall. I am excited to have her back on the podcast as she has an incredible amount of wisdom to share. You can look forward to hearing her more as we plan to have her back a few more times in the coming year. This week I am asking Josefina all the quest...

My guest this week is Adeyling Fiallos. Adeyling experienced a miscarriage that was later followed by the death of her newborn son, Sage, due to a life-limiting condition . Adeyling became an advocate for pregnancy and infant loss in her community and founded Sage and Sara Candle Co (named after her babies) where she makes beautifully scented candles and gives back to hospitals and nonprofits with...

My guest this week is Maggie Koch and we are talking about pregnancy and postpartum after baby loss. Maggie experienced a late term stillbirth with her daughter Olivia and in this episode she is sharing with us what it was like to be pregnant again and what it was like to prepare for labor and what it was like to bring home a living baby and navigate postpartum. Maggie shares candidly about what i...

In today's episode I am talking with one of our Joyful Mourning Community members, Amy Lagomarsino about her motherhood journey. A journey that has been filled with incredible loss and yet even amidst tears Amy speaks with joy and hope. Amy shares her story of infertility and seasons of waiting, she shares about pregnancy loss and miscarriage, she shares about her daughter Ella who received a life...

Today I will be spending our time together answering your questions. But not just any questions, I will be answering your questions about the tender and difficult topic of pregnancy after loss . I have said it many times before and I will say it again. Apart from losing my son Aaden, being pregnant again after losing him was one of the hardest things I've ever experienced. And I know I am not alon...

This week we are talking all about what it looks like to love a friend that is grieving the loss of a baby. For this interview I get to chat with two friends, Anna and Anna. I thought it would be helpful to not only get the perspective of a mom who has experienced loss but also of her friend -- to have the conversation with them both at the same time about what it looked like to love a grieving fr...

Back in Episode 55 I had the privilege of interviewing Sarah Garvey -- she shared her story of motherhood that included years of infertility, multiple miscarriages, losing triplets at 22 weeks and today she is back on the podcast to talk about what it has been like to be a parent to her living daughter after having walked through so much loss. Listen in to this very real and honest conversation wh...