Send us a Text Message. Early Pregnancy Loss Association's treasurer, Abby Strehle, tells the story of her miscarriage, which was also her first pregnancy, and how she was an EPLA "success story," as she was connected to our organization and provided with a Miscarriage Care Kit soon after her loss. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instag…

Send us a Text Message. Only a few weeks into her first pregnancy, Haley Naida was surprised to discover she was experiencing a Missed Miscarriage. The following days, weeks, months, and years brought grief and confusion as she and her husband muddled through the spiritual, emotional, and physical suffering. But they also experienced great hope and…

Send us a Text Message. As we approach Mother's Day many mothers are left grieving the children they never knew. Miscarriage not only robs us of our child's life, but sometimes it feels like it can rob us of our motherhood. You are a mother. Your motherhood began at conception. If you are suffering this time of year know that both Bereaved Mother's…

Send us a Text Message. Ten years ago our co-host, Emily, discovered that her first child, affectionately known as Baby, no longer had a heartbeat. It was the end of April and she and her husband were looking forward to a new house, new job, and new baby, only to be told Baby had died. While Emily has told her story before this episode specifically…

Send us a Text Message. Emily and Steph talk about a world where no one suffers miscarriage alone. What does that look like? How do we help women and families? What can we do to make this world a reality? Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @miscarriagecare Email: Miscarriagecare@gmail.com …

Send us a Text Message. After suffering and recovering from miscarriage many women and families experience an urge to help others. In this episode Emily and Steph talk about ways to help your community, ways to help EPLA, and ways to meet the needs of other women and families suffering miscarriage around you. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Face…

Send us a Text Message. Grieving is hard and when our friends are grieving we often want to fix it. But does that really work? So if we can't fix grief, how do we help women as they walk through miscarriage? We personally loved this little video about grief: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2zLCCRT-nE Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Ins…

Send us a Text Message. The holiday season is over and 2024 is now on a roll. Christmas trees have been cleaned up and the family rooms reset to their "normal" arrangement. But what if life doesn't feel normal yet? What if you aren't ready for it to feel normal. While we often look to a new year with hope and anticipation, this can be particularly …

Send us a Text Message. The emotional, spiritual, and physical burden of miscarriage are painful enough. Then, often as women are starting to feel a little better the bills start coming. Medical expenses can start to add up quickly. Depending on the her physical needs a bereaved mother might face bills for ultrasounds, emergency room visits, surger…

Send us a Text Message. Steph Gordon joins us to share her story of loss. From the moments she started bleeding, to taking misoprostal, and the days and weeks afterwards, the memories remain clear for Steph even though her loss happened over a decade ago. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter:…

Send us a Text Message. Grief can sneak up on us during what we might have always known as the happiest time of the year. Emily and Maria remember their first Christmases after loss. Emily felt deep sadness missing her baby, Maria suffered missing her baby bump. Whatever it is something is missing and something is not right. If you are grieving thi…

Send us a Text Message. Anne Bradstreet weathered the harsh New England Winters and the hard life of starting a society in the new world. America's first poet, Bradstreet chronicles the joy and pain of her life experience. While she never lost any of her own children - she suffered the grief of infant death losing several of her grandchildren. Her …

Send us a Text Message. Emily and Maria take time to give thanks for all of the blessings we have at the Early Pregnancy Loss Association this year. We are especially thankful for our listeners and we wish you a gentle holiday season full of healing and hope. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twit…

Send us a Text Message. Women suffering early pregnancy loss are often unable to bury their babies, especially in cemeteries. This can be for many reasons sometimes they are unable to collect the body, the body was needed for testing, or they do not have the resources available bury their little one. Many women aren't even given the information nec…

Send us a Text Message. For Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month we are resharing the special story of Kathryn Wales and her sweet daughter Theodora. This episode originally ran September 20, 2022. ------- Kathryn joins us to share her story of the death of her dear Theodora at 16 weeks gestation. While miscarriages most commonly occur during …

Send us a Text Message. For a long time myths and misconceptions have haunted women suffering miscarriage. In this episode Emily and Maria tackle some these frustrating lies that pollute the miscarriage conversation. People Have Misconceptions About Miscarriage, And That Can Hurt Miscarriage Resource Packet Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebo…

Send us a Text Message. For Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month we encourage you to think about gentleness as you care for your heart and remember your little one. Wherever you are in your grief journey, this episode serves as a good reminder to care for yourself where you are. We are republishing this episode from December 20, 2022 to help u…

Send us a Text Message. Emily and Maria talk abou how Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness (PAIL) Month has grown over the years. They also offer ways to remember our children and care for our hearts and bodies during this time. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @miscarriagecare Email: Mis…

Send us a Text Message. Emily miscarried 9 years ago. Her mother, Linda, thought her daughter's experience and care might be different than her own loss nearly 30 years earlier. But it wasn't. Emily was stuck with the same hushed culture and confusion surrounding miscarriage. There was a lack of educational resources and limited community support n…

Send us a Text Message. Working through the trauma of miscarriage can take its toll on a relationship. Each person might experience grief differently, have different needs, or even different expectations. Emily and Maria talk about some of these challenges and look for ways to love, care, and support each other following early pregnancy loss. Find …

Send us a Text Message. The frontlines of miscarriage care are diverse. While medical professionals are an integral part of this, they are not the only ones faced with serving women and families after loss. Due to the nature of miscarriage and prenatal care, some women aren't even in the care of a doctor yet at the time of their loss. This leaves o…

Send us a Text Message. The U.K. Government recently reviewed an independent report concerning was to improve care following early pregnancy loss. As a couple of Americans looking on, Emily and Maria take this episode to respond to the recommendations. Maybe there really is a better way? So many of our stories talk about painful interactions with m…

Send us a Text Message. Early pregnancy loss brings grief to the whole family. Often parents, in the midst of their own grief, are also left to guide their living children through the loss of a sibling. Later on families might face the difficulty of sharing their previous losses with children born after their miscarriage. Either way, talking about …

Send us a Text Message. Starting with one bereavement basket in 2007 Forget-Me-Not Baskets has served Northeast Ohio and beyond for over 15 years. Since then they have given away thousands of baskets to families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss. Emily and Maria are joined by Sara Ringle to talk about the changing culture of pre…

Send us a Text Message. Only a few weeks into her first pregnancy, Haley Naida was surprised to discover she was experiencing a Missed Miscarriage. The following days, weeks, months, and years brought grief and confusion as she and her husband muddled through the spiritual, emotional, and physical suffering. But they also experienced great hope and…

Send us a Text Message. This is our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY EPISODE and we want to honor this achievement with you. Be sure to listen for opportunities to give us your feedback and receive some special EPLA swag! On June 7, 2022 we launched Hope Blooms: Surviving Miscarriage Together with our first episode: The Changing Culture of Pregnancy Loss: An I…

Send us a Text Message. Kathy Petersen joins Maria and Emily to talk about her prespective as a Labor and Delivery Nurse and a loss mom herself. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @miscarriagecare Email: Miscarriagecare@gmail.com P.O. Box 179 Hillsdale, MI 49242 To request a miscarriage ca…

Send us a Text Message. Well here it comes again: Mother's Day is on the horizon. And did you know there is a Bereaved Mother's Day too? Do we need two holidays? Does it help? Does it hurt? What should you do on Mother's Day? How should you feel? We don't have the answers to all of these questions, but we are here to say: Dear miscarriage mamas, Yo…

Send us a Text Message. Grieving a miscarriage is complicated. The life lost was real. The grief is real. But there feels like there is so little to hold onto. Maybe an ultrasound, a pregnancy test, some early baby presents. But there are no pictures, no birthdays, no conversations, or stories. How do we remember little ones we never met living? Em…

Send us a Text Message. Emily had an idea: She wanted to provide relief for medical bills incurred due to miscarriage. This was really the seed that planted what would become EPLA, but we still don't do it. In this episode Maria and Emily discuss the early days of EPLA, the vision of medical bill relief, and our hopes for what is on the horizon! Fi…

Send us a Text Message. "I didn't want the claim that she was happy to mean I wasn't allowed to be sad." Jordan Wales shares his story of losing Theodora and how he cared for his wife Kathryn and worked through his grief in the coming days, weeks, months, and years. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociati…

Send us a Text Message. Maria and Emily explain the two miscarriage care kits offered by EPLA. This episode is a great opportunity to understand what is in each kit and why. For more information about miscarriage care kits visit our website: https://www.miscarriagecare.com/blog/epla-service-miscarriage-care-kits To request a kit for yourself or a l…

Send us a Text Message. Poetry lends itself to a deep expression of feelings and is often able of capturing the most painful parts of the human experience. This week we are joined by Dr. Elizabeth Fredericks, Assistant Professor of English at Hillsdale College to look at three Irish poems on early pregnancy loss. We hope that these guided readings …

Send us a Text Message. Working through grief after pregnancy loss can be really challenging. Ben and Heidi pick up where we left off in our previous episode discussing their own path through grief and working through that grief within their marriage. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @mi…

Send us a Text Message. Ben and Heidi Kafferlin join Maria and Emily to share their miscarriage story. From a traumatic trip to the hospital to the emotional aftermath of loss, the Kafferlin's open up about working through miscarriage as a young couple in early marriage. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossasso…

Send us a Text Message. Robin Bertram joins us to talk about her lack of experience with early pregnancy loss and how that led her to be one of EPLA's most active volunteers. We often talk about the prevalence of early pregnancy loss, but that doesn't mean everyone has had first hand experience. This lack of personal experience doesn't mean you can…

Send us a Text Message. We are quick to prescribe gentleness in times of grief, but do we even know what that means? Has the command to be 'gentle with yourself' become just one more thing to do in a time of helplessness? How do we understand gentleness in a way that allows for healing and restoration. Emily and Maria start the conversation digging…

Send us a Text Message. What is a grief coach? How is it different than therapy? Can we really live a happy life after grief? Often it is hard to find the right support following early pregnancy loss. Maybe support groups aren't your thing, maybe therapy didn't work, often there isn't a one size fixes all solution to grief. So what else is out ther…

Send us a Text Message. Emily Carrington sits down with her brother-in-law, Nick Carrington, to talk about walking through miscarriage with loved ones. Nick addresses his own grief watching his family suffer miscarriage while also recognizing his role as a support person. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossass…

Send us a Text Message. Emily's first Thanksgiving after two miscarriages was very hard. In this episode Emily remembers the agony she felt passing her own due date, welcoming her new nephew, and failing to help in the kitchen. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @miscarriagecare Email: Mis…

Send us a Text Message. While still in her first trimester, Maria's first pregnancy ended in a trip to the emergency department. In this episode EPLA President and Co-Founder, Maria, talks about the physical and emotional experience of sitting in the ER with the grief of losing a baby. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypr…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode from our archives of the Hope Blooms podcast, Emily talks with Dr. Marguerite Duane. Dr. Duane is co-founder and Executive Director of FACTS. A Board-certified family physician, she serves as an Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University, where she directs an introductory course on natural or fertil…

Send us a Text Message. A hushed culture surrounding pregnancy loss has not nurtured respect, privacy, and space; instead we have isolated women, encouraged shame, and failed to provide for their basic needs during and following early pregnancy loss. To kick of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month Emily and Maria discuss how an open dialog of …

Send us a Text Message. Kathryn joins us to share her story of the death of her dear Theodora at 16 weeks gestation. While miscarriages most commonly occur during the first trimester of pregnancy, any pregnancy loss before 20 weeks is considered a miscarriage. Kathryn's story details the experience and grief of a second trimester miscarriage. Find …

Send us a Text Message. In this edition of the Hope Blooms podcast, we revisit an archived episode from January 2019. Emily is joined by Patti Budnick of Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support to discuss their wonderful organization. Share is the national organization discussed in our last episode with Metro-Detroit Share. Emily and Ms. Budnick ta…

Send us a Text Message. Emily and Maria host Angie Winton of Metro-Detroit Share to talk about the benefits of support groups after pregnancy loss. In addition to these support groups, Metro-Detroit Share also offers many amazing services throughout Michigan. Over the last three years EPLA and MDS have partnered to distribute 1,500 miscarriage care…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode Emily Carrington, EPLA Executive Director and Co-Founder, shares the story of her three miscarriages and what led her to start EPLA. Find us any time: Hope Blooms Blog Facebook Instagram: @earlypregnancylossassociation Twitter: @miscarriagecare Email: Miscarriagecare@gmail.com P.O. Box 179 Hillsdale, MI 49242…

Send us a Text Message. As a nurse and therapist, Nancy Kingma RN, LLP, LPC, NCC, offers her insight to the grief of grandparents and children experiencing pregnancy loss. This is a the fourth episode of a four part series. This interview was recorded in 2019 as part of a four part series examining miscarriage care and the grief families experience…

Send us a Text Message. As a nurse and therapist, Nancy Kingma RN, LLP, LPC, NCC, offers her insight to the grief of a father experiencing pregnancy loss. This is a the third episode of a four part series. This interview was recorded in 2019 as part of a four part series examining miscarriage care and the grief families experience after loss. Find …

Send us a Text Message. As a nurse and therapist, Nancy Kingma RN, LLP, LPC, NCC, offers her insight to the grief of a mother experiencing pregnancy loss. This is a the second episode of a four part series. This interview was recorded in 2019 as part of a four part series examining miscarriage care and the grief families experience after loss. Find…