Helpful Resources

Pregnancy After Loss Support – Go-to resource for pregnancy after loss, week-by-week phone app, support groups, online magazine

The Morning – Faith-based encouragement, podcast episodes, blog, 40-week guide, online community

Hope Mommies – Faith-based blog, devotionals

Return to Zero – Pregnancy after loss tips and encouragement, virtual support group

The Pink Elephants – Support networks, inspirational stories

Tommy’s – Video of other moms’ experiences, helpful information, tips, quotes from moms

Blog Posts

Addie’s Anatomy Ultrasound

I know too much. Even though the 20 week anatomy ultrasound went really well in Ginny’s pregnancy, I was scared for what we might learn this time around. There is so much that can go wrong. In fact, when things go right, it feels like a miracle. I know so many people whose anatomy scans…

Pregnant Again!

Ginny is a big sister! That’s right. We are pregnant again! I am 14 weeks along with a baby due in July. We are very happy and hopeful but also scared and feeling every emotion. The doctors told us I needed to wait at least 6 months after Ginny’s stillbirth to be physically ready. Sometimes…

High Risk

Just a few hours before we found out we were pregnant again, Daniel and I were talking with a wise friend after church. We were talking about losing Ginny and how it can be difficult to hear of others giving birth to living babies. She said that as a community of friends, we agree to…

The First Ultrasounds

One thing I was most nervous about getting pregnant again was going back to the ultrasound clinic at the hospital. The waiting room was the last place in our former “before” life. The dark room was where our world came crashing down. The thought of going back there frightened me, but I knew it would…

It’s a…

Finding out the sex of the baby is by far my favorite moment of this pregnancy so far! We decided to do the cell-free genetic screening this time around. This blood test checks for a few different genetic disorders and also identifies the sex chromosomes. We met with genetic counselors. They explained that all of…

Balancing Trust and Trust

“Just trust God.” Pregnancy after loss…well actually anything after loss can be very scary. Knowing that bad things do happen and they do happen to you is a realization that can cause so much fear.  Often the advice is to trust God. But I do trust God more than I ever have! But now my…

Halfway There

I’m 20 weeks pregnant. My mind goes straight to the thought that I have reached the cutoff between a miscarriage and a stillbirth. If I lose this baby, it will be considered a stillbirth. That feels like an accomplishment! That’s certainly not something I thought about in my first pregnancy. At this point I had…

Movement

As with everything related to grief or pregnancy after loss, my emotions aren’t simple. The same goes for feeling Chet move and kick in my belly. Every time I feel him move, a swirl of emotion hits my heart.  The most prominent of these emotions is relief. Every kick reminds me that he is alive.…

Making Room

Every second-time mother I know has cried about having another baby. They ask, “How could I ever love another child as much as I love my first? What if I’m not able to continue to give my first child the attention they deserve?”  It wasn’t until I was pregnant that I realized that all of…

Waiting

I’ve entered the third trimester. I’m glad we are that much closer! I’m still a couple months away from how far along I was when we lost Ginny, but that date is looming in front of me. How can I face that time? It feels so overwhelming to think of that week, of that day,…

From: Ginny, To: Chet

When taking down Ginny’s nursery, our family asked us if we wanted to keep things for our future children. What if we have a girl? We have so many cute girl things. I agreed to keep the crib, stroller, pack-n-play, and other large items. We bought those with our whole future family in mind. But…

Realistic Prayers During Pregnancy After Loss

I’ve read pregnancy devotionals full of prayers of hope, expectancy, and joy for women. These are wonderful for most pregnant women, but for loss moms those prayers can sometimes be really hard. As much as I’d like to meditate on prayers of training my children in the way they should go or the plans God…

Monitoring

Since we don’t know exactly what caused Ginny’s death, often this pregnancy feels like I’m in the middle of a monster movie sequel. It feels like a movie that never actually shows the monster, so I am free to let my imagination go wild. Will the monster show it’s face during this pregnancy? Will it…

He’s Actually Here

He’s here! We did it! Chester Thomas Jones was born on July 21 at 9:18pm. He was 8lbs 10oz and 21in long. He is perfectly healthy. He is perfectly perfect! I can’t even begin to describe the amount of joy, gratitude, and relief when I first heard his cries and every moment since. Everyday I…