Ep 6: Amber Shares Her Miscarriage Journey and How Opening Up to Others Has Helped Her Heal

Disclaimers:

This episode may contain sensitive topics related to miscarriage, infertility, and infant loss. If these subjects are triggering for you, please listen with care. While there may be conversations about medications or medical treatments, I am not a doctor, and I am not offering any medical advice. Please consult an actual doctor for your own medical care.

My friend Amber’s first pregnancy was easy and joyful. Then when her son was just shy of his third birthday, she found out she was pregnant again—unplanned. Having just launched her new business, she was worried and terrified of how she and her husband would handle having another baby. Normal feelings that everyone goes through. And then, she had a miscarriage. Fast forward three more years to a planned pregnancy that ended in another miscarriage.

In today’s episode, Amber shares vulnerable details about her miscarriages and the emotional and mental roller coaster that happens on this journey of hope and loss. She opens up about how talking to others has helped her heal and realize that she is not alone, and she reflects on the difficult decision of deciding not to try again to have a baby. 

What’s in this episode:

• Amber’s emotional journey with her unplanned pregnancy when her first son was three years old [3:56]
• Her difficult and honest reaction to her first miscarriage [8:39]
• Her experience with a natural miscarriage that lasted weeks and continuing to work at her business instead of taking time off [10:49]
• The importance of opening up to friends and family about a miscarriage so as to break the stigma of it “not being a big deal” (it is a big deal, and your emotions are valid) [14:57]
• How different Amber’s second miscarriage was from the first [19:41]
• How the body sometimes doesn’t let go of pregnancy symptoms, even when you’re miscarrying [22:31]
• Turning toward social media as an outlet for support and connection during the isolation of COVID [24:00]
• How COVID brought mental health to the forefront and why it’s so important to talk about it [28:12]
• Why it would be helpful to have more support and resources from doctors on what happens to your hormones and how you’ll feel following a miscarriage [31:36]
• How immersing herself in things and experiences she loved brought her joy during a dark time [34:25]
• How her son wants a sibling and the mental strain that comes with the thought of miscarrying again [37:33]
• Why it’s important to know what you can handle and how she feels lucky to have a child [44:23]
• How she talked to her son about her miscarriages [47:58]
• How grief and loss never go away, and those feelings can creep in years after the fact, and you will need to talk about it and work through it [52:50]
• Keeping the memory of your miscarried baby alive [57:12]

If you’ve struggled on your healing journey after a miscarriage and want to feel less alone, I invite you to tune in to this episode.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://www.apieceofmyheartpodcast.com/episodes/006

Looking for support on your own journey? Explore the support groups at Infertility Unfiltered: https://www.infertilityunfiltered.com/

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