MISCARRIAGE + FERTILITY SUPPORT
MISCARRIAGE + FERTILITY SUPPORT
MISCARRIAGE + FERTILITY SUPPORT
If you are currently experiencing miscarriage or have recently been through it, I am so sorry, and so glad that you’ve landed here. If you are looking to support a loved one going through it, bless you and thank you for being a loving advocate.
Each pregnancy loss experience is as unique as the individual, and the care should be, too. For this focus, there are several care options to choose from, so we can co-create support that is specific to your needs and where you are in the experience.
Likewise, the fertility journey itself is not easy, and the challenges that come with it can be difficult to navigate. Support for both body and spirit on this path is available.
See below for options:
WHAT DOES MISCARRIAGE + FERTILITY SUPPORT LOOK LIKE?
Support during and after pregnancy loss to re-nourish physically and emotionally, as well as support along the fertility journey, with tools including:
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT
VIRTUAL + IN-PERSON
Nutrition + Herbal Counseling to:
revitalize energy and mood
restore the body and spirit during and after loss
direct you to food and plant allies to help you rebalance physically, emotionally, and hormonally
offer guidance when you may feel less motivated to expend energy toward how and what to feed yourself
support the fertility journey with foods, plants, and emotional nourishment for boosting fertility and spirits
Miscarriage Counseling using knowledge and approaches from my miscarriage and bereavement doula training
IN-PERSON
Full-Body Soothing Sessions using tools like meditative hypnotherapy and sound therapy designed to make you feel held, tended to, and deeply soothed with softness and safety
GROUP SUPPORT
VIRTUAL
Monthly WOMB SPACE Circle, a gathering space for those navigating a current or recent pregnancy loss and/or struggling with fertility challenges. This free community offering is held virtually the last Sunday evening of each month, 7-8:30pm EST. Time together will focus on helping one another feel seen, heard, held, and uplifted, with group meditation, optional story sharing, virtual group hugs, tea ceremonies, and special guests to share honest stories about making it through the peaks and valleys of the fertility journey. This journey is not an easy one and we believe community is often the best way through. If you’re seeking community, we’d love to gather with you. Hosted by Emily Wittenhagen and Cassandra Gates. Sign up here for the upcoming meeting!
YOUR EXPERIENCE MATTERS.
There’s a reason miscarriage is so often kept hush hush — it’s hard enough to go through, let alone talk about. But keeping quiet means that so many people are out there toughing it out on their own. It shouldn’t have to be that way, and I passionately believe in turning that around.
Pregnancy loss should not be something anyone feels obligated to keep in the shadows. Not only is it often a profoundly challenging experience, it’s also very common. The National Library of Medicine estimates it may occur for between ten percent and a quarter of pregnancies. Several articles published by the National Institutes of Health, such as this one, recognize that miscarriage takes a significant mental toll on the majority of people who go through it, including partners.
"Contributing to the distress experienced after miscarriage is the fact that society may not recognize the significance of the loss to the parents. Traditionally when a death occurs, families are able to openly mourn their loss and receive support for many months. However, in miscarriage, the loss is sudden and often unexpected, and [childbearers*] may not have shared the fact that they were pregnant, leaving them to grieve alone, socially isolated.”
THERE IS A CARE GAP IN HEALTHCARE FOR MISCARRIAGE SUPPORT.
In speaking with my midwives about this idea, they immediately validated the gap in care that exists for pregnancy loss and how much more support is needed, and they strongly encouraged me to extend this offering. The nature of their work and the volume of patients makes it hard for midwives, obstetricians, and other providers to give adequate attention to miscarriage patients. This NIH article highlights the same:
“The psychological impact of miscarriage is sometimes overlooked because miscarriage is so common and its management is medically straightforward. Although 90% of [childbearers*] desired specific follow-up care from their physician, only 30% of them received such attention. Primary care providers, family physicians, obstetricians, and others may lack comfort and training in assessing patients at risk for mental health problems following miscarriage. Some [childbearers*] are inadequately screened for depression or anxiety following early pregnancy loss, leaving them unidentified, untreated, and at increased risk of mental health sequelae.”
I’m now more motivated than ever to fill that gap in whatever ways I am able.
WHAT IS THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS OFFERING?
In the fall and winter of 2023, I experienced two miscarriages. I felt ill-prepared for how these would affect me both emotionally and physically. Emotionally I felt confused, crushed, isolated, and ashamed of my own body. Physically, I felt depleted and unmotivated to care for myself. It also felt like the world was ill-prepared to offer the kind of support I would have benefited from.
This focus is born out of what I felt missing at those times — guidance and encouragement for replenishing myself, some sort of quiet way to feel deeply held, and a chance to meet with a group of others going through a similar experience. Then I realized there was something I might be able to do. I began to feel extremely pulled to bring the tools that I have to the table and offer them to whoever is seeking these kinds of supports.
More than anything, I want to show others that they are not alone, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel — and many hands more than willing to grab theirs and carry them safely to land.
MISCARRIAGE TREATMENT IS AT RISK.
Miscarriage treatment is currently at great risk in our country due to abortion bans and restrictions. With the distinction between miscarriage and abortion care often being fuzzy, it can lead to legal pressure on providers and barriers to treatment for patients. At the moment, bans are happening at the state level. As of this writing, 13 states have total abortion bans and 8 states ban abortion at or before 18 weeks’ gestation.
D&C (dilation and curettage) procedures and/or medications are necessary for some miscarriages starting around 10 weeks, to “complete” the miscarriage and reduce the risks associated with an incomplete loss. However, as the New York Times reports, “Surgical procedures and medication for miscarriages are identical to those for abortion, and some patients report delayed or denied miscarriage care because doctors and pharmacists fear running afoul of abortion bans.”
For this reason, a portion of proceeds will be going to organizations such as the Center for Reproductive Rights that support patients’ right to treatment that is often essential for a person’s health and quality of life, and at times is life-saving.
*”women” replaced with “childbearers” throughout for inclusivity