Putting a face on miscarriage, stillbirth and infant loss
Jen
Mom to Mariah and Juliette
Born and died March 5, 2012
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
My husband and I have been married seven years and through patience, hard work, dreaming, and a bit of luck – we have managed to build a beautiful and fulfilling life together. A couple years ago we decided we were ready to start trying for our family. [Read more...]
Dawn
Mom to Easton
Born sleeping March 5, 2012
Vandergrift, Pennsylvania
We had been married a full month when we found out we were pregnant with our “honeymoon” baby. We were both so excited and kind of surprised it happened that soon. (I had been married before and we had unexplained fertility and a miscarriage). [Read more...]
Amber
Mom to Samuel Joseph
February 21, 2012
Philadelphia, PA
I don’t think I need to tell anyone how exciting the moment you find out you are pregnant is. You immediately begin planning your child’s life, what the nursery will look like, where he will grow up, what kind of parent you will be. [Read more...]
Anissa
Mommy to Isaac Louis
January 31, 2012
Center Township, Pennsylvania
I couldn’t have been more prepared to welcome our second child, Isaac into this world. The nursery was stocked full of all the necessities. (items that with our first child I was sending my husband out in the middle of the first night to get). [Read more...]
Grace
Mom to Grace-Ann Drew Wynter (“Wynter”)
Born and died January 18, 2010
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
January 2010 proved to be month of raging storms, literally and figuratively. Deemed the coldest winter ever by weather announcers throughout the east coast, I had no idea I would feel the cold so deeply that it reached the core of my being. [Read more...]
Tiffany
Mom to Brayden Nicholas, died on May 23rd, 2009 at 8 weeks
and
Angel Christopher, died on March 17th, 2011 at 5 weeks
Eastern Pennsylvania
When I was15 years old I found out I was pregnant with my ex. He was 17 at the time. Ninth grade was coming to an end. It was the middle of May when I told my boyfriend. He was more than ecstatic. He was beyond elated with happiness. He had always wanted a family. A few days after I told him, I got up and got ready for school like any normal day. History class was my first class of the day. There was a guy in that class that constantly fought with me. Sometimes physical, sometimes not. Well, he decided to pick a fight with me that day and punched me directly in the stomach. I remember the pop feeling and the pain. I went home early due to INSANELY HORRIBLE cramps and miscarried around eight weeks. It was May 23rd, 2009. I know I was nowhere near finding out the sex but I knew in my heart and soul that it was a baby boy. My mom or family still to this day doesn’t know about the miscarriage. It just would cause more problems that aren’t needed. [Read more...]
Savana
Mom to Michael Leonard Williams Jr.
March 4, 2011 – August 1, 2011
Center Township, PA
During my pregnancy we found out our son would be born with a single ventricle heart. August 17, 2010, was the day that my life would change forever. The scariest thing a mother can hear is that her baby isn’t perfectly healthy. In my son’s case this was an understatement. He was born Michael Leonard Williams Jr. on March 4, 2011 at 9:33. He was the most perfect little boy I’ve ever seen. As it is for all mothers, it was undying, unbiased love at first sight. He was just the most amazing little miracle a mommy could ask for. [Read more...]
Tania
Mom to twins Jackson and Isabella
Passed away at 18 weeks and 22 weeks
D&E December 20, 2010
York, Pennsylvania
We live in York, PA where we have one of the best NICUs around. We know this because of our experience with our son, Wyatt, who was born 5 years earlier at 27 weeks gestation, weighing 1 lb 9 oz and measuring 12 inches long. There was no explanation as to why he was born so prematurely, other than the blood flow through the cord was not adequate. Every other test on me, the placenta and the cord…nothing was found. We had a lengthy stay in the NICU, three and a half months, but were able to come home and today, five years later, have a healthy thriving boy, our miracle! [Read more...]
Amy
Mom to Katelyn Mary
August 27, 2011
Coal Township, Pennsylvania
I should be getting ready to have my daughter this week – not writing this submission. My due date was supposed to be Christmas day, and we were so happy! It was a blessing and miracle that I was even pregnant in the first place…I have Lupus and high blood pressure, and never really thought I’d have children. My husband and I were married 7 months when we found out we were expecting. We started thinking of names right away, and dreaming about what our future child would be like. [Read more...]
Allison
Mom to Jordan Reed
November 16, 2011 to November 18, 2011
Cranberry Township, PA
Nine months ago, I found out I was pregnant with my second child. This came only a couple of weeks after my only sister delivered her stillborn son, Kohl. I was devastated at her loss and was nervous for my own pregnancy. I had a normal pregnancy and was in my third trimester. I was getting so excited to welcome another son into our family. The holidays were approaching. The Christmas gifts were wrapped and the stockings were hung. The only thing missing was the baby.
Jolon Sherin
Mom to Larissa
Stillborn on her due-date, November 15, 2010
Pittston, PA
It was March 11th, 2010 when the word ‘pregnant’ on a Clear Blue digital pregnancy test changed my life forever. From that moment on, I was a mom. [Read more...]
Jen
Mom to Blake Richard and Kamryn Olivia Long
July 24th, 2010
Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania
My husband and I had been married for 3 years, and had been trying for 2 years without success. Once our fertility tests were completed and medications had been started, we got pregnant on our third round of Clomid. To our biggest surprise, we found out that we were pregnant with twins! At our 19 week appointment, we found out we were having a boy and a girl. Both were healthy and the pregnancy couldn’t have been any better (not an ounce of sickness.) [Read more...]
Tia
Mom to Brody Michael
Born Sleeping on August 21st, 2011
Ford City, Pennsylvania
Brody’s Story
Brody Michael Lukehart was a well planned baby. His father and I had some trouble trying to conceive but then magically two months after we got married, our miracle came. I had stopped wanting to take pregnancy tests because time after time, I was just let down. I could hardly believe it. Instantly, I turned into a mother. I became the healthiest I have ever been. I thought twice about everything I ate, drank, and did. I knew I wanted to stay at home so my life drastically changed. I researched everything I could about breastfeeding and became very proud of the fact that I could nourish my child with God given nutrients. I had his room planned out in my head. Frogs would be the theme. I had consumed myself with planning for Brody’s arrival all while having a strong intuition that I would never actually bring him home. I don’t know if it was a mother’s intuition, my own personal feelings of pessimism, or just God’s way of preparing me for the worst pain I would ever feel in my entire life. [Read more...]
Desiree Nelson
Mom to Samuel
Born Sleeping April 13th, 2010
and Natalee Rose
Born Too Early on June 11th, 2011
Pennsylvania
My story starts very typically and ends with such tragedy. I met the man I knew I would spend my life with and be a good dad to my son, we decided to start a family of our own. Right before Christmas 2009 we found out we were pregnant, I had a normal pregnancy with my son but he was born premature at 32 weeks. I can’t explain why but I had a feeling that things were very different this time. I hardly ever felt the baby move even after 16-17 weeks; I kind of blew it off because it was hard for me to remember 5 years ago what it was like. Plus I had an anterior placenta which the doctor told me would block a lot of his movement. [Read more...]
Amanda
Mom to Aubre Lynn and Colton Scott
Miscarried June 23rd, 2011 and June 24th, 2011
Washington/Prosperity, Pennsylvania
Where to start? Well, my husband (Scott) and I tried for 3 years to conceive on our own. Finally, we went and saw a fertility specialist. Long story short we conceived on our 1st try! We both were very excited. My fertility Dr. told me with what my blood count was at he was thinking it was multiples. We ended up conceiving twins. We both were very excited; matter of fact our whole family was excited. I was doing great, feeling great and all of the ultrasounds were great. We had an ultrasound on June 22nd, 2011 (I was 18 weeks 1 day). Both babies were very active and moving around a lot. [Read more...]
Amanda
Mom to Emma Nevaeh
Stillborn December 31st, 2008
& Peanut, Miscarried at 13 weeks, June 2009
Wysox, PA
Its hard to know where to begin…When I got pregnant with my first daughter it was a total surprise & everything went smooth & easy. She was born in 2007 at 8lbs 11oz & so beautiful. In 2008 my husband & I started to try again for our 2nd child, I had an abnormal pap that year (i had precancer cells on my cervix) so we decided to see a doctor for that pregnancy instead of a midwife like our 1st. [Read more...]
Steph
Early miscarriage at 5 1/2 weeks
June 13th 2011
Nazareth, PA
My husband and I have been together for about 3 1/2 years prior to getting married. Before the wedding, we knew that we would want to start trying for a baby right away after getting married – due to the fact that he already has two children from a previous marriage and that he is quite a bit older than I am. We were married on May 20th 2011, and everything went off without a hitch! We spent our honeymoon in Jamaica, which was a wonderful time. It also couldn’t have worked out more perfectly due to the fact I knew I was also ovulating that week during our honeymoon. [Read more...]
Hilary
Mommy to Nevaeh
December 30, 2005 – August 8, 2006
Pennsylvania
I remember that morning (August 8th) as if it were yesterday… I was up early, due to having stomach cramps all night long, I got my oldest daughter, Kiersten (she was almost two at the time) some breakfast in the kitchen, turned on the television in the living room, and started to clean up a little bit. I happened to glance at the clock and seen that it was almost 10am, and it was odd because Nevaeh wasn’t awake yet, she never slept that late. [Read more...]
Samantha Koellhoffer
Mom to Allison Paige Koellhoffer
Delivered stillborn on April 22, 2011
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
It all started out so effortless. We got pregnant during the second month that we tried and my pregnancy was pretty easy. I did not get sick and I did not have a lot of nausea. I was more tired than I had been in my entire life, but aside from that, I was ok. And super excited. Right away, Gary suspected that we had a little girl on the way, but it took longer to convince me. Ok, so it took an ultrasound to convince me! But as much as I wanted a little superhero for my husband to play with (he loves comic books), once they said the words, “it’s a girl”, our lives changed. Gary beamed from ear to ear and I think I almost immediately wondered if there was a minimum age for manis and pedis… [Read more...]
|
