Empowering You

*If you know someone who has experienced loss or grief don’t skip this thinking it doesn’t apply, it does*

One thing I’ve found myself saying through our grief process is, “you don’t know until you know.”

You don’t know what will hurt until it’s said. You don’t know what will gut you until it’s seen.

Pregnancy announcements, ultrasound pictures, baby shower invitations, birth announcements and milestones can all take your breath away. It doesn’t mean you aren’t happy for those people, but it can be unexpected salt in wound you thought was starting to heal. And that’s okay.

I’ve had family members and friends call us and tell us they were going to announcement their pregnancy and/or gender, but wanted us to know first so it didn’t come as a surprise. This was honestly the kindest thing that could have been done. It selfishly told us that we were seen and our pain was acknowledged by others, months after the loss of son. Sure, no one owes us anything, but to know you are considered, when it feels like the world has moved on, means so much.

So if you know someone experiencing loss, think about them. Take them into consideration.

To protect myself against triggers, I’ve had to unfollow/mute accounts that just brought too much pain. It took awhile for me to realize that was okay, and I needed to do what I had to to survive.

It’s not that these things reminded me of Wellston, I think about him every second of every day, it’s that it reminded me of what was loss and what would never come. So if you know someone experiencing loss that has maybe stepped back from their relationship with you, or isn’t as involved, it’s not that they don’t love you. They are in self preservation mode.

It won’t last forever, but it’s necessary for the now.

To the person experiencing loss that had been triggered by the unintentional actions or well intended words of others, try and give Grace. You don’t know until you know. People don’t know what will be salt in a wound they’ve never felt, and while it may not be an opportunity we want, we have the opportunity to bring awareness and help other people navigate these waters, either for themselves or their loved ones.

Took Baby Morton to meet Big Tex.

This has been the hardest secret to keep.

We were torn between telling now vs waiting until 12 weeks.

I feel like historically, people wait until 12 weeks to announce their pregnancies, because that’s when miscarriage rates drop drastically. However, in doing so, we normalize NOT talking about loss.

So here we are, sharing our almost 8 week pregnancy with the world ♥️

My heart goes out to all the mamas trying, still trying, and those that have experienced loss.

Being a women’s health nurse practitioner is legitimately a DREAM.

Pap smears, breast exams, cancer screenings, genetic testing, PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, amenorrhea, hypertension, insulin resistance, infertility, pregnancy, weight loss, anxiety, depression, s*x, self love, identity, incontinence, prolapse, the list is ENDLESS.

Women’s health is all encompassing and I can’t belie I get to wake up and do this job every single day 🖤

✨GIVEAWAY✨

Have you or someone you know experienced loss? As a labor and delivery nurse, I stood by so many moms as they experienced loss, and I know there are no words that can be said to lessen that pain.

and I want to gift someone with two perfect reminders of your strength, resilience and the promises to come.

Rules:
1. Tag 3 friends in separate comments. The more comments, the more entries.
2. Like this post
3. Follow my page
4. Follow the lovely woman who is making this giveaway possible!

Giveaway ends next Wednesday, September 2nd at 10pm. Winner contacted via DM.

Must be 18 or older to enter. US residents only. Giveaway is not affiliated with Instagram.

We got great news today at our appointment, and it feels like it’s been forever since we had good news.

Moving forward, my husband and I aren’t going to share our transfer date. We want to have that time to be excited or mourn, as a couple, if we need to.

Words cannot express how freaking appreciative I am of everyone’s support, and I still plan on sharing our journey, just step by step at this point in time ♥️