Bereaved Parents
My Most Favorite Father
By: Amber Mangrum He made all the phone calls. He sent all the texts. Over and over, he repeated to family and friends, “Our girls are here.” We knew going into the hospital that it was not going to be sunshine and rainbows for us; our identical twin daughters were already gone. Giving birth was…
Read MoreDear Grieving Mother,
By: Sabrina Ivy Dear Grieving Mother, First, let me tell you I am so sorry you carry this weight of baby loss. With Mother’s Day just around the corner I understand some of the thoughts that are taunting you. I have them, too. This day looks nothing like it should for us. Whether you held…
Read MoreWhat I Want For Mother’s Day
By: Nora LaFata My first Mother’s Day was as it should be. Breakfast in bed and fingerprint flowers. All of my problems, diluted with brunch. All of my children, alive. I’ve had exactly three Mother’s Days like this, and I will never have another. In late February 2014, my daughter died. She died on a…
Read MoreWhen You’re Not Feeling Well on Mother’s Day
By: Brooke Taylor Duckworth In the months after my first daughter was unexpectedly stillborn, I began to get used to the weight of grief. I became familiar with that sense of stumbling around in a fog, the air around me feeling thick with my own unshed tears. I grew accustomed to the way my throat…
Read MoreTrue Colors: Celebrating on Mother’s Day
By: Robyn Busekrus As Mother’s Day approaches, we may be flooded with memories of our own mothers, longing to be a mother, the pain of losing a child and the joys of becoming a mom. These are just some ways we may connect to the concept on Mother’s Day. For myself, the day is…
Read MoreTo Ask For and Receive The Courage of No Quick Fixes
By: Justine Brooks Froelker I am a 39-year-old woman who doesn’t have kids, the most common question I get everywhere I go? “How many kids do you have?” Because I am a speaker of the unspoken, my response is always, “We tried really hard to have kids, lost three babies, and work hard to find…
Read MoreDear Fertile Friend,
By: Kim Dames I know you had no issues getting pregnant. You decided one month it was time to start a family and the next month you received the positive pregnancy test. You had a normal and easy pregnancy. Delivery was even better. You bounced back easily and fit back into your clothes effortlessly. You…
Read MoreCandace’s Story
April 2011 “It’s not good, Candace”. The words I never thought I would hear at my scheduled 21 week ultrasound. A flood of tears overwhelm me. “Where’s Josh? Is he here yet?” I ask the tech through sobs and gasps for air. This can’t be happening to me. This isn’t real. Josh comes in and…
Read MoreChapter Highlight: Southeast Share Chapter
Chapter Name: Southeast Share Chapter Location: Steinbach, Manitoba (Canada) Chapter Leader: Candace Loewen, Share Southeast Chapter Leader Support Group Information First Thursday of every month at Southeast Helping Hands at 525 Main St in Steinbach from 7:00 – 8:30pm. What have you learned since starting Southeast Share Chapter? I am shy by nature. I don’t…
Read MoreHow Showing Empathy Can Help You Support Others
By: Elizabeth Lowder When a friend or loved one has experienced a loss like a miscarriage, failed IVF or even a negative pregnancy test, we want to do something to help. To take the pain and sadness away and to help them feel better. Common responses couples hear when they’re going through infertility might be…
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