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...]
Jennifer
Mother to Jude Allen
December 21, 2011
Parker, Colorado
Jude’s Story (from my blog)
Jude was the child God had for us from the beginning. We will probably never know completely why we weren’t able to spend this life with him, but we wait with eager anticipation for the day we will all be together again in Heaven.
Amy
Mom to Aliya Amy and Bennett Paul
Lost August 5, 2011
Tenino, Washington
Paul and I were introduced in April 2005 by my friend Amanda, who was engaged to Paul’s younger brother (she’s my sister-in-law now). Even though I was dating someone else at the time, she declared me Paul’s perfect match and would not let it go! She was right, of course…although very different, we were perfect for each other. Our paths crossed again in July 2005, and since I had broken up with the other guy, Paul found the nerve to ask me out. We had our first date a couple of weeks later and have been together ever since. We got engaged Thanksgiving weekend 2005 and married in September 2006. We started trying for our first child in October 2007, one month after our first wedding anniversary. I’d been on and off birth control for years to prevent pregnancy…little did I know how difficult it would actually be for us to get pregnant. [Read more...]
Kaitlin
Mom to Jordan
Lost September 9, 2011,
Ectopic pregnancy, September 2009
and
Missed miscarriage, March 2009
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
My name is Kaitlin and I am 29 years old. I am married to Scott and have a daughter Emma.
I am sharing our journey with you as demonstration of our commitment to this process. Please take the time to understand where we have been and how we got to this place. [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...]
Elyce
Madelyn Elizabeth born and passed away on November 16, 2011 at 22w3d
Liam James born and passed away on November 18, 2011 at 22w5d
Miamisburg, OH
After two and a half years of infertility and three cycles of Clomid/Ovidrel/IUI, my husband and I were overjoyed to find out we were expecting and were due in March 2012. At seven weeks, we found out we were expecting twins! Through the shock, we were beyond thrilled.
My pregnancy was incredibly uneventful until I got to 19 weeks. I noticed some dark brown spotting and went to the doctor. He couldn’t find a reason for the bleeding, so I was sent to my high risk doctor the next day for an ultrasound. When I had that done, we found out that we were definitely having a boy and a girl! I also learned that my cervix was measuring at 3.5 centimeters. The ultrasound tech and the doctor assured me that was a good measurement and there was no apparent cause for my bleeding. I was sent home with the instructions to take it easy for the rest of the weekend.
My anatomy scan was scheduled for the following Tuesday. By that time, the bleeding had stopped and I was feeling great. The ultrasound showed everything was as it was the previous week. My cervix was still measuring fine (though I didn’t get an exact measurement), and the babies were healthy and active. Since everything was looking good, my husband and I finally decided to create our registry (I had been putting it off because I was so paranoid something would go wrong). We had a blast going through the baby aisles of Target, daydreaming about using all this stuff with our son and daughter. About halfway through the registry, I started to feel some gas pain and pressure. I just assumed it was the typical pregnancy constipation. By the time we got home, the pressure was pretty intense, so I laid in bed the rest of the evening, drank water, and watched television. I kept going to the bathroom to try to relieve the pressure, but it didn’t really help. I eventually decided to go to bed early and hope that I felt better in the morning. When I went to the bathroom one last time before turning in, there was bright red blood on the toilet paper. I knew something was seriously wrong and rushed to the hospital.
Cassandra
Mom to an angel, Bradley Frederick Carr
Born sleeping February 24, 2012
Orlando, FL
In the beginning of November 2011 I received the most amazing news. I found out that I was pregnant about eight weeks along. I had my suspicions seeing as I was nauseated all of the time and certain foods were turning me on and off. I had never been so excited. I automatically called my Fiance and told him the fantastic news. He was of course thrilled seeing as it is difficult for me to get pregnant since I had poly-cystic ovarian syndrome and it is very difficult for me to get pregnant we looked as this as a miracle. [Read more...]
Karen
Mom to Tobin Robert & Miles Edward
Delivered at 16 weeks on November 16, 2011
Colorado Springs, Colorado
After a 2 ½ year struggle with infertility, we were blessed with our first pregnancy. We found out on August 22, 2011 that the IUI we did was a success! We went for our first ultrasound on September 8, 2011, our 4th wedding anniversary. My fertility specialist was surprised that it was identical twins! We were thrilled! [Read more...]
Katie
Mom to Drake
Lost May 17, 2011 at 20 weeks
Tipton, United Kingdom
I was 18 when I got pregnant. It wasn’t planned, but as the pregnancy progressed as every woman. I started to get excited. My pregnancy wasn’t easy and from 2 months I was continuously spitting and couldn’t stop; I had bad morning sickness up until I gave birth. [Read more...]
Teneal
Mama to Kamryn Avery, bornstill March 11, 2006
and
Oliver Cullen, bornstill January 17, 2012
Raleigh, North Carolina
Judi
Mom to Conner
Born still February 22, 2011
Bozeman, Montana
My son Conner was stillborn on February 22, 2011. It was the worst day of my life, an experience that has changed me forever. I went into labor around midnight and he was delivered naturally just after 1:00 pm. I was only 21 weeks pregnant, and Conner was too young to survive outside the womb. I pleaded with my doctor, “Can’t you do something? Please, do something, anything, to stop my labor and keep him alive!” She just held my hand, crying with me, and said, “I’m sorry, there’s nothing I can do. Conner is not going to survive.” The placenta was heavily damaged and there was no more amniotic fluid. [Read more...]
Debbie
Mom to Mila
December 15, 2011
Moreno Valley, California
I had butterflies in my tummy the moment I found out I was pregnant. I knew this would be my baby girl instantly. I am the mother of 2 healthy boys and I was finally going to have my baby girl. In October I had my first prenatal visit and heard the heartbeat of my precious angel. My husband and I had not planned on having another child at this time, but we were ready to welcome a new baby. We made plans instantly, planned how we would reorganize the house to make it ready for our baby, we started saving since we were no amateurs and knew how much diapers and formula cost. We decided together not to tell our families until we knew the sex of the baby and we didn’t want the kids to know until we knew if they were having a brother or sister. I had all of my routine first trimester lab work and ultrasound done and everything was fine. We had a due date on May 20, 2012, right before summer which was perfect (I didn’t want to be pregnant in the dry desert heat). [Read more...]
Cathy
Noah Alexander 10/2/10
Second Trimester Loss
Madison, AL
After being told at 19 that I had a million to one chance being able to get pregnant I went on to have 4 kids. I was that woman other people teased..we would talk about having another baby and I would find out I was pregnant. I was also that happy pregnant woman. I got as big as a house but I loved it!
Mary
Mom to Beau David
Born without a heartbeat January 5, 2012
Bozeman, Montana
My beautiful baby boy Beau David was supposed to be the apple of my eye. The missing part to my life. The one to make a difference. Even though he is gone he was the greatest and biggest piece to becoming a woman. [Read more...]
Lindsay
Mom to Ava Nicole
Lost at 18.5 weeks on November 21, 2011
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The beginning of August I started to wonder if the way I was feeling was due to being pregnant. I took a few home pregnancy tests which at first I thought were coming back negative, but then I noticed the 2nd line was coming through very faintly. I scheduled a Dr’s appointment where it was confirmed that yes, I was DEFINITELY pregnant!!! [Read more...]
Hannah
Mom to baby lost at 6 weeks August 2007
Benjamin Jason and Naomi Makenzie (twins), lost at 17 weeks
Born sleeping January 2, 2010
Albuquerque, New Mexico
In 2007 I found out I was unexpectedly pregnant. It definitely wasn’t planned, but I was immediately very excited from the time I saw those two pink lines! I was on cloud 9 because all I ever wanted was to be a mommy. My boyfriend at the time was living out of town so he decided he would move to where I live and we would get an apartment and start our little family. We started thinking of names for our baby. My boyfriend thought of Doroteo for a little boy, named after his grandfather, who was his main father figure and who he actually called dad rather than grandpa. I agreed that if we have a boy he would be named Doroteo and I decided I liked Imalda for a girl. I started being very cautious of everything I ate, drank, I didn’t lift heavy things, I took my prenatal vitamins every day. I made sure to take care of my baby so I could have a healthy little boy or girl. [Read more...]
Alisha
Mom to Hunter Grace
Born still on December 17th, 2009
Wareham, Massachusetts
My husband and I were so excited to find out that we were expecting baby number 3 in September 2009. We already had two girls 5 and 2 1/2 years old. [Read more...]
Lindsey
Mom to Lily Sarah Ellen
Lost on August 31, 2011
Mountain View, CA
“There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
My daughter Lily went from living in my womb to residing forever in my heart on August 31, 2011. I was 14 weeks and 4 days pregnant. At the time I am writing these words, it has been nearly three months since I lost my baby girl, just about the length of time I carried her in my body. Many of these lines were lifted straight from the journal I started while I was hospitalized following her death. If it seems disjointed, it’s because it was written over a period of many days, during many different moods. It has been a difficult process, putting them to type, but one done in loving memory of the baby who will always be, to me, my first child. Not a “miscarried fetus” or a “hope of a baby that never was,” but my first child: a true, unique and beloved individual. My story is a tribute to her memory, and is written in the hope that it may bring both comfort to other mothers who have lost their precious unborn babies, and awareness to those who, having never experienced such a tragedy themselves, are struggling to understand the experience. [Read more...]
Laura
Mom to twins, a boy and a girl, lost at 18 weeks on March 30, 2006
Mila Louise, stillborn at 41 weeks on July 1, 2011
Minneapolis, Minnesota
In 2004, when I was 27, my husband and I began trying to conceive. After months of not having any sign of a menstrual cycle, we were referred to a reproductive endocrinologist. After many more months of brutally high doses of fertility drugs we finally got pregnant through intrauterine insemination. We were thrilled, however terrified at the same time because over stimulation of my ovaries caused me to become pregnant with quadruplets. At the suggestion of our perinatal doctor, we reduced the pregnancy to twins at 12 weeks. At 14 weeks and then again at 16 weeks my water broke. It was a gushing of fluid, but I thought I had incontinence and never considered that it could be amniotic fluid. On March 27, 2006, at 18 weeks, we went in for our level II ultrasound and found that neither baby had any amniotic fluid. Our baby boy did not have a heartbeat and our baby girl was alive but struggling with no amniotic fluid remaining. I had a D&E and began the journey to become parents once again. I was devastated, angry, and afraid, but we would not stop until we had our baby. [Read more...]
Mirian
Mom to Luke Jackson
Born and died on October 16, 2011
Northport, Alabama
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