September 30, 2012 By 10 Comments

Jenna

Mom to Gia Elizabeth

Born still August 28, 2012

Cape Coral, Florida

I was 21. I was a single girl just living life. I wasn’t trying to conceive, in fact, I was trying to avoid getting pregnant. I found out I might be pregnant on January 7, 2012 when I realized my period was late. On January 8th I went to Gia’s dad’s house and we got a pregnancy test. Before I even peed on it, I knew I was pregnant. I knew something wasn’t right in my body. I could tell things were different. I remember in the week before and until I took the pregnancy test I had this queasy, uneasy feeling in my stomach. As soon as I saw the + on the pregnancy test, the feeling in my stomach went away. I had figured it out, I was pregnant. I immediately had to leave Jeff’s house and go see my mom. I got home and ran into her room. I was scared to tell her. “Mom, I think I might be pregnant.” “Jenna, are you serious? When was your last period? We have to go get a pregnancy test.” I told her I had already taken one and it was positive. We left to go to the beach and on our way we picked up 4 tests. We walked down the beach with the dogs and talked, it was then and there that I knew I was going to keep the baby. It was the beginning of the rest of my life. I was going to be a mom! [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, Florida, Fullterm, Stillbirth
September 30, 2012 By 2 Comments

Megan

Mom to “Monkey”

Stopped growing at 6 weeks 4 days,
D&C August 23, 2012

Madison, Alabama

I always told my friends the only thing I wanted in life was to be a mom. In fact, my biggest fear was that I wouldn’t be able to have children. I am a worrier by nature. Well, that might be the understatement of the year. I would just ATTEND a party and I spent the whole time wondering if everyone was having a good time and making sure they have everything they need. When I hear police sirens near my house, I call my husband obsessively if he doesn’t answer to make sure he is not dead. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 6 weeks, Alabama, D and C, Late First Trimester Miscarriage, Missed Miscarriage
September 29, 2012 By 3 Comments

Kate

Mom to triplets

Evie, born and died December 14, 2009,

Jack, stillborn December 22, 2009,

and

Will, born January 1, 2010 and died January 14, 2010

Currently Tampa, Florida (military family)

Time to Tell Their Story (written February 3, 2012)

I have never written about the details of losing Evie, Jack, & Will. It’s been over two years now since we lost the pregnancy and tonight is the first night that I’ve actually felt like I could write about how they were born.  I don’t know how this is going to go, but I feel ready to give it a try.  I am going to ask for patience, please, as I search for the words to tell this story.

It started the night of December 2nd, 2009.  It was a Wednesday. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2009, 2010, 22 weeks, 23 weeks, 24 weeks, Florida, Infant loss, NICU, premature birth, Preterm labor, Second trimester loss, Stillbirth, triplets, twin to twin transfusion syndrome
September 29, 2012 By 1 Comment

Brandy

Mom to Baby July

Lost July 5, 2012 at 6w5d gestation

Albion, Michigan

After giving birth to a beautiful baby boy in September 2010, come April 2011, I was ready for another baby. My husband was not on board whatsoever at that point. We finally sat down and discussed a good time line to begin trying to conceive again. We both decided that April 2012 would be the perfect time to start adding to our family. So in the middle of April, my birth control was finished and it was time to start trying for another baby! It was a long and agonizing year of waiting to try to conceive. But it was finally here and we were both more ready than ever! After 2 cycles of trying, we got our first positive test on June 13, 2012 at 3w4d pregnant. I was so ecstatic! I waited to tell my husband because I wanted to make it a special Father’s Day for him. But…the excitement took over and I suspected that my husband sort of knew already with my happier mood! So the next day, I decided to give him his Father’s Day card a few days early and in it…a positive digital pregnancy test with the word “PREGNANT” plain as day across the screen! We were just so excited and happy. Even our son, who was only about 20 months at the time, seemed to be super excited, even though he hadn’t a clue what was going on. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 6 weeks, Early Miscarriage, Michigan
September 22, 2012 By 4 Comments

Claire

Houdini

Miscarried April 5, 2012 (blighted ovum)

Tampa, Florida

My boyfriend and I were not trying to get pregnant at the time. I missed my period while we were on a ski trip, and I had decided that if I still didn’t have my period by the time we got back to Florida that I was going to take a test. When I took the test and saw two pink lines, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to feel. I was scared and overwhelmed as well as happy. We live in a 1 bedroom condo and both hate our jobs. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 12 weeks, 2012, blighted ovum, Early Miscarriage, Florida
September 22, 2012 By 1 Comment

Jessica

Mom to Makayla Lynn

August 17, 2012 – August 21, 2012

Wichita, Kansas

It all started when I was visiting family in Oklahoma. My husband and I were trying for another baby after our miscarriage in Nov. 2011. I was feeling off and just feeling pregnant, so I went to the store and got a test. On March 26th, 2012 I got those 2 beautiful pink lines! It was midnight when I tested and because my husband works all over for an oil company, I texted him the picture saying, “We did it!!” I was so nervous yet so happy! So excited! As soon as the 12 week mark passed I thought I was in the clear. I didn’t know how wrong I was. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 24 weeks, brain bleed, Kansas, miscarriage, Neonatal death, NICU, NILMDTS, premature birth
September 22, 2012 By 5 Comments

Kelly

Mom to Mirayah Michelle

Stillborn July 5, 2012 at 38 weeks

Shawnee, Oklahoma

My husband, Matt, and I discovered we were pregnant on November 7th, 2011. We have one son that I had from a previous relationship, and Matt adopted him. This would be our first child together. We were over the moon and filled with joy and excitement. My sister was also pregnant and was given the due date of June 30th while mine was July 17th. My sister and I were so excited to share the experience of pregnancy and raising our babies together. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 38 weeks, Fullterm, No heartbeat, Oklahoma, Stillbirth
September 22, 2012 By 2 Comments

Laura

Mom to Caitlyn Joann

Born still August 8, 2012

Dalton, Georgia

Caitlyn Joann Leach was born of August 8th 2012 at 8:14 pm. She weighed 4lbs 5ozs and was 17 inches long. She had a full head of red hair. I got to wash and dress her. I held her for almost 24 hours. I didn’t want to let her go. I thought if I did, then it was really true that I had lost my daughter, and that made me so angry. I remember cursing God and everyone that came near me.

I am tired of people telling me that I am young and that I can always try again…that maybe true that I can always have another baby, but it won’t be the one that I lost.
[Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 35 weeks, Georgia, Stillbirth
September 16, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Amber

Mom to Langston Elliot

Miscarried November 15, 2011

West Carrollton, Ohio

I first found out I was five weeks pregnant with Langston exactly one month before we lost him, October 15, 2011. This was my first pregnancy and my husband and I were ecstatic! We had not planned for a child, but we were happy nevertheless. We already had a name picked for him and began to come up with nursery ideas right away. We decided on Classic Pooh whether it was a boy or a girl. Even though Langston passed away before we really knew his gender, I could just tell he was boy by the way I felt. We had mapped out the nursery and told our family and friends early on (we even bought a crib set off eBay). We felt like a miscarriage could never happen to us, because my mom kept telling me how I was born to have babies. I never thought anything of it. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2011, Early Miscarriage, ohio
September 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Kiri

Mom to Angel

Ectopic pregnancy September 2010

Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom

On September 16, 2010 I went into hospital with really bad pains, which I thought was my appendix. I didn’t have a clue where my appendix or anything in my stomach was. I went into A&E at 7pm I saw the nurse, and she had came back with my blood results and said that I was pregnant. I didn’t know what to feel, I was only 16 have now turned 17 I have my life ahead of me. I wasn’t exactly disappointed; I felt a bit of excitement in me. So, my boyfriend and I looked at each other in shock and the nurse said that she was going to take me for a scan. It came to 2am when I was getting my scan and the nurse was looking and looking but couldn’t find a baby in my womb. At this point I’m beyond worried. She then called a doctor in to have a look, but he couldn’t see anything either. After a while of looking, the doctor said that it could be an ectopic and that I would have to stay in. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2010, Ectopic pregnancy, Ireland, United Kingdom Tagged With:
September 16, 2012 By 4 Comments

Megan

Mom to Byron Matthew
Born and died at 20 weeks on October 10, 2008,

Early miscarriage, June 5, 2009,

and

Isabella Madison
Stillborn at 16 weeks on December 6, 2009.

Jacksonville, North Carolina

Whenever I thought about having children, I never imagined anything bad, scary, traumatic. You see so many women have normal, healthy pregnancies where nothing ever goes wrong and it just never occurred to me that I wouldn’t be one of those “normal” women. Never in one million years would I have imagined that I would be where I am today.

I remember finding out I was pregnant for the first time like it was yesterday. I was 20 years old and had been married to my husband for almost one year. My hand was shaking so hard I could barely show him the test results. I was nervous, excited, scared…so many different emotions all at the same time. I had my first ultrasound when I was 9 weeks pregnant. I cried as soon as I saw my little baby and heard his heart beat. It was such an amazing thing to me to see this life that I had created. That moment was something I could never really find the words to explain. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 16 weeks, 20 weeks, 2008, 2009, Early Miscarriage, Neonatal death, North Carolina, premature birth, Preterm labor, Second trimester loss, Stillbirth
September 16, 2012 By 2 Comments

Shannon

Mom to Alfonso (Alfy) Anthony

Born into Heaven April 6, 2012

Omaha, Nebraska

From Shannon’s blog post, Alfonso (Alfy):

It took me almost a full month to type Alfy’s story. 

Thursday, April 5, 2012, I had an appointment with my OB.  I was 28 weeks pregnant.  I remember going to work that day and being so excited for my afternoon appointment, for two reasons.  1) I couldn’t wait to hear Alfy’s (note that at this time we still referred to him as “the baby” because we did not know the sex) heartbeat again and to see how we were progressing.  2) We were doing staff interviews for our summer employees and the appointment meant we had to end interviews early that day.  I love my job and even doing the interviews, but interviewing approximately 70 college students in the matter of 5 days can be a bit overwhelming and tiresome at times, especially when you are 28 weeks pregnant.  I even missed an interview that afternoon due to a post office/lunch run with one of my hallway friends.  Either way, I was excited for my appointment, to learn a little bit more about my kiddo. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 28 weeks, Nebraska, No heartbeat, Stillbirth
September 16, 2012 By 7 Comments

Lisa

Mom to Maddox Ford

November 7, 2011 – December 26, 2011

Plainfield, Illinois

I found out I was pregnant with Maddox Ford May 20, 2011. It was a Friday and I was at work. I was so excited about being a mom and my family was, too…finally, grandkids! The first ultrasound and every doctor’s appointment I grew more and more anxious and fell more and more in love with my child I hadn’t even met yet. My pregnancy was easy, no morning sickness, no issues. I was a healthy 26-year old with a whole new world in front of me. I didn’t get any of the genetic tests done, or any of the other tests done, because I was a low risk pregnancy. Once the first trimester passed, I thought like everyone else thinks, I’m in the clear. It never really occurred to me that something might actually happen to my baby. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2011, 28 weeks, Fatal Diagnosis, Genetic Disorder, Illinois, Neonatal death, NICU, premature birth, Skeletal displasia
September 16, 2012 By 4 Comments

Felecia

Mom to Kennedy Aleecia
April 5, 2012 – April 6, 2012

and

Blighted ovum, February 2011

Indianapolis, Indiana

The pregnancy wasn’t planned at the time (it was a future plan my boyfriend and I had), but finding out in December 2011 that it was happening was the greatest thing ever! We found out in March 2012 we were having a little girl (it was a Wednesday, to be exact), and we already agreed to name her Kennedy Aleecia.

Well, that Friday I continued on with my day like normal, but my body felt funny; there was so much pressure down there, but I overlooked it and just thought, “OK, I’m going to go home lay down go to sleep.” I woke up when my boyfriend got off work around 5am…and I was bleeding. We go to the ER. They tell  I’m getting admitted to maturity. We get upstairs, they look and check and tell me my cervix is open and they’re going to do a surgery and tie (vaginal cerclage). Baby is fine (heart rate and everything)…so they do they surgery. I stay there a few more days, and then I’m home. The next day I need to go back, they said I’m fine and sent me home. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 20 weeks, 2011, 2012, blighted ovum, Cerclage, cervical incompetence, Incompetent Cervix, Indiana, Stillbirth
September 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

Tara

Mom to Antton David and Rayland Joseph

Lost September 6, 2012

Burlington Junction, Missouri

We found out in July that we were expecting “momo” twins. This was quite a shock. I went to the ER because I thought I was starting to miscarry. They couldn’t find the heart beat and sent me down for an ultrasound. The tech found the heart beat immediately. Such a relief, but then she moved to get a better picture of our baby and found there were two and only one placenta and one sac. This is what they call monochromic/monoamnionic twins. We were so excited. At the time I was around 14 weeks. Our girls, ages 4, 6, 8 and 10, were happy as well. Our youngest said she wanted baby sisters because little boys are mean, but the other three wanted baby brothers because they just don’t get along with each other and I guess they thought that boys would be more fun or something. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 18 weeks, 2012, Late Miscarriage, Missouri, Monoamniotic Twins, Second trimester loss, Twins
September 16, 2012 By 1 Comment

Jimmy and Sherri

Dad and Mom to Andrew and James

Born June 10, 2011, and passed the same day

Tucson, Arizona

We delivered our sons just over 22 weeks gestation. Andy’s heart stopped just prior to delivery. Fifteen minutes later, Jimmy was delivered and died several minutes after in our arms desperately trying to breathe on his own. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2011, 22 weeks, Arizona, Neonatal death, premature birth, Stillbirth, Twins
September 15, 2012 By 2 Comments

Ashley

Mom to Lorelei Grace

Stillborn on April 30, 2012

New Columbia, Pennsylvania

We lost our Lorelei on April 30, 2012 at 36 weeks 6 days, two days before I was supposed to be induced. She was going to need surgery after she was born and would spend time in the NICU because she had a gastroschesis (her bowel, stomach, and bladder had come through a hole in her abdominal wall beside the umbilical cord). We were prepared for that and had come to terms with it, but we were NOT expecting to never bring her home. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 36 weeks, Gastroschesis, Pennsylvania, Stillbirth, Tachychardia
September 15, 2012 By 3 Comments

Stephanie

Mom to Gemma Grace

Born still August 14, 2012

Portland, Oregon

We tried for a year to have another child, and had two early losses that broke my heart and made me wonder if I would be able to get pregnant.

In February 2012, we had another positive pregnancy test, and began to hope a little. As things went on, my blood levels looked good, I got sick, and we were celebrating. I was sure this baby was a boy, because I felt so different than I had with my daughter. I was taking Lovenox and aspirin because of the previous losses, vitamins, and being generally as healthy and conscientious as possible. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 29 weeks, Fatal Diagnosis, Fetal Hydrops, Oregon, Skeletal displasia, Stillbirth
September 8, 2012 By 5 Comments

Molly

Mom to Jovi Sloan

March 16, 2012 to July 10, 2012

Idaho

Jovi was born March 16th, 2012. She was the most content baby we’d seen. She was so happy and so full of life. She did have some major vomit episodes. At one week of age, she had a large vomit (soaked the clothes/floor/bed) and stopped breathing. We had to call 911. She was ok by the time the paramedics arrived. We never had to do CPR, but did have to blow a breath in her face to get her to take in breaths for a bit. The ER checked her out, deemed her fine and sent us home. I encourage everyone to look into ALTE’s (apparent life threatening events) and the treatment for them. Jovi continued to have these large vomits and continued to have a hard time recovering from them. We did see an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist and she did have a swallow study. She also had terrible reflux. This is what we were told was causing the big vomits. She was on meds and we were told to side sleep her, which we did. When she could roll to her tummy, we unswaddled her and let her tummy sleep. She would never sleep on her back. If she rolled to her back, she would wake up in an instant. Reflux babies don’t sleep well on their backs…despite the numerous health scares (also admitted at 5 weeks of age for a fever), she was the best little girl. She was so fun. So happy. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2012, 3 months, Idaho, SIDS
September 8, 2012 By 4 Comments

Claudia

Mom to three little angels

Baby 1: Miscarriage at 8 weeks

Baby 2: Miscarriage at 8 weeks on February 23th, 2011

and

Gabrielle Marie
Born still July 2, 2012

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

My husband and I love children, and, like any young couple, we wanted to start our family and have many kids. But before we got married, my husband’s doctor told us that he had to go under surgery because he had a varicocele, and that would difficult him to get me pregnant; according to this diagnosis, without surgery, he couldn’t get me pregnant. But a couple of months after we got married, I went to the doctor for a regular checkup, while I was on what I thought it was my period, and that was when the doctor told me that was not my period but a miscarriage threat, and that I must keep rest. The next day that threat became a reality, I had a miscarriage. [Read more...]

Filed Under: 2009, 2011, 2012, 39 weeks, 8 weeks, Dominican Republic, Early Miscarriage, Multiple loss, No heartbeat, Stillbirth
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