Cindy discusses her 5th pregnancy which ended in a loss via ectopic pregnancy. She opens up about her journey, how the Creighton Method and Napro Technology helped her see the red flags in this pregnancy. She talks about advocating for herself with multiple physicians. We discuss postoperative recovery and the grief that came from this loss. We discuss the importance of mental health, healing and good friends. This type of loss is hard to overcome, it feels like a cycle of hope that ends in heartbreak. We hope this story, that was hard to share, helps someone out there that needs to hear these words. You are never alone in your experiences, it is so very important to hold onto that sentiment in your darkest of days. You are loved.

Alex speaks to us about losing her infant daughter, Noel, 10 years ago. At 19 weeks pregnant she received the devastating news that her daughter had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) and would not survive long after birth. When given the option to terminate her pregnancy, Alex made the decision to “carry her child to her death”. Her daughter was taken home on hospice and lived for 15 days. We discuss navigating grief, how grief challenged her marriage, parenting after loss and therapy. Alex and her husband have gone on to have 2 more daughters she shares with us how to incorporate their sister in their lives. She discusses the dichotomy of joy and grief. We know Alex’s story will touch many lives and we are so thankful for her honesty.

“There are times when I see my girls holding hands, playing together and I cry. That is joy and grief coexisting. I am fully taking in that moment, that my two living daughters are here, but I’m also very aware that my first born is not here, and that’s ok.”

In honor of Noel (April 22 - May 11, 2013)

Karem returns to give us an update on her journey. If you remember she was told that her and her husband only had a <1% chance of conceiving on their own. They opted for IVF and had their daughter. Fast forward and she finds out she was pregnant with her second child…. NATURALLY. She tells us all about this amazing and miraculous journey, including her fight for a VBAC.

On this week’s episode we talk to a Labor and Delivery Registered Nurse. She has been a nurse since 2018 and worked in L&D units in El Paso before starting her travel nursing career. She talks to us about how her travel assignments have differed from her work in El Paso as well as how they have shaped her views on physiological and unmedicated birth. We talk about some tips for women who are giving birth in El Paso. We talk about potential limits as a nurse and working for the hospital and within the hospital system. Disclaimer: The views expressed are not to be taken as medical advice of any kind based sheerly on the experiences our guest has had in the years she’s been working.