The loss of a baby during pregnancy is traumatic. It doesn’t matter when or how it happens. In my experience, an early loss is the loss of your hopes and plans for the future, while a later loss is that and the loss of a loved one whom you’ve shared your body with for months; you’ve felt them living inside you and are attached — literally and otherwise. Both are a loss of time, which is no small thing for women in their late 30’s and 40’s. All are physically traumatic for the mother — whether...

Dana Kirchoff • Mar 12, 2024

My journey to motherhood began in 2016 when I became pregnant with my son, Luke. I was fortunate to conceive easily and have a smooth pregnancy, until 21 weeks.  On Christmas Eve morning, I began bleeding, and we rushed to the hospital.  Our unimaginable pregnancy loss  I delivered our son, Luke, on Christmas morning at nearly 22 weeks gestation. To this day, we are unsure if the loss was due to an incompetent cervix, preterm labor, or a bit of both. Several weeks later, I was hemorrhaging and it turned out that I had retained placenta,...

Jessie Jaskulsky • Dec 19, 2023

If you’re pregnant and find yourself endlessly scrolling through online forums, you’re not alone. Not by a long shot. With so many dos and don’ts in pregnancy, it’s understandable if you’re not totally sure what’s what. But there’s one question in particular that we’ve seen come up a lot: Can boric acid cause miscarriage? The short answer is… probably not. But that doesn’t make boric acid safe for pregnancy. Here’s what you need to know. What is boric acid? Boric acid is a white power used in hundreds of over-the-counter products, from soil fertilizers to personal...

Sarah duRivage-Jacobs • Dec 5, 2023

When a loved one experiences a pregnancy loss, it can feel like there aren’t enough words in the world that could ease their pain. Sending a gift, no matter how small, can help your loved one through a painful and challenging time and show them that they are not alone. Miscarriage gifts: A little bit goes a long way Below are 11 thoughtful miscarriage gifts we’d recommend for anyone grieving a pregnancy loss.  1. Make daily tasks a little easier  Grief can make mundane tasks like cooking or cleaning feel impossible. Ease this burden with a...

Erin Pettis • Nov 29, 2023

For the 10 to 20% of pregnancies that end in miscarriage, the loss is compounded when there are more people involved in the journey toward becoming parents. And when assisted reproductive technology is part of that journey, there may be an increased risk of early miscarriage. When a gestational carrier experiences pregnancy loss, it’s a devastating period of time for both the surrogate and the intended parents. This can make the web of grief and coping with the loss even more complex for all parties.  Lynetta Cuomo, a surrogate with the agency SurrogateFirst, had three of...

Mara Santilli • Nov 15, 2023

When we talk about abortion rights in a post-Roe world, we often talk about the importance of reproductive choice. As we should: Giving people, particularly people with uteruses, autonomy over their bodies is absolutely crucial — frankly, it feels dystopian to have to even make that point. But the need for universal abortion access isn’t always about choice. Sometimes, people who very much want to carry out their pregnancies are abortion patients — and it’s time we include them in the conversation. Their stories highlight a crucial point: In our post-Roe world, we can’t just fight...

Zara Hanawalt • Oct 29, 2023

Experiencing a miscarriage can be a highly traumatic event that stirs up strong emotions, and it's only natural to wonder how it might affect the intimate moments with your partner. But remember that you're not alone in this; many couples encounter similar challenges. When it comes to the question of when it's okay to have sex again after a miscarriage, there are some important considerations we'll help you navigate. Although the actual time frame you should wait varies by person, the general recommendation is to wait two weeks to have sex after a miscarriage, according to...

Blair Sharp • Oct 16, 2023

The physical and emotional toll on someone experiencing pregnancy loss should never be underestimated because miscarriage can be one of the most traumatic moments in a person’s life. In some cases, a person can even have a miscarriage without knowing it, or before they know they’re pregnant. While this occurrence is colloquially known as a “missed” miscarriage, those in the medical field prefer to use terms like asymptomatic early pregnancy loss, blighted ovum, or anembryonic pregnancy instead.  “An anembryonic pregnancy occurs when a fertilized egg successfully attaches itself to the uterus, yet the subsequent embryo fails...

Sarene Leeds • Oct 11, 2023

You finally got that BFP (big fat positive) on a pregnancy test, and you’re so excited about the changes ahead — but your body is telling you something’s not right. Based on your symptoms, your OB/GYN wants you to be seen for a possible ectopic pregnancy. Thoughts are swirling in your mind, like “How soon can I be seen for an ectopic pregnancy ultrasound?” In this article, we share what to expect if you’re experiencing this type of pregnancy. Read about how it’s diagnosed, including when you can get seen for an ultrasound, and how to...

Alexa Davidson, RN • Oct 7, 2023

The world is a very different place than it was in March 2020. We know far more about COVID than ever before, we have effective tools to prevent and treat it (for those of us who can access them), and most of us have developed some level of immunity against the virus. But that doesn’t mean that COVID is “over.”  In the United States, thousands of people test positive for COVID every day. You don’t need to be a mathematician (I’m certainly not!) to recognize that some of those who test positive will also be pregnant....

Sarah duRivage-Jacobs • Oct 4, 2023