Blindsided - A Perinatal Loss Podcast

07/08/2024

Check out the latest episode!🤍

In this episode of The Blindsided, we sit down with Bridget, a Philadelphia mom who is navigating the unthinkable. We first met Bridget at the Lucas James fundraiser, and her story touched us…

03/07/2024

NEW PODCAST ALERT!!!!

https://theblindsided.com/2024/07/03/liz-cressman-arias-story/

16/06/2024

Father's Day special podcast with dad, Brad Entrekin, who shares about losing his son Connor to stillbirth. Thank you so much for sharing your story Brad, and HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to all the dads out there!!!

with Brad Entrekin Brad and his wife Jenna, lost their son Connor to stillbirth on November 11, 2016. I was honored to have been able to take photos (like the one above) of Connor and his beautiful…

06/06/2024

Check out our latest episode!

Dr. Terrell Hatzilias is a neuroscientist and medical writer. She is the proud mother of two children, her living daughter and stillborn son Kegan. Since the death of her son, Terrell has made stil…

11/05/2024

On April 13th, we attended the fundraising event at Spartan Gym to honor Lucas James Swartz. During the event, we were able to conduct mini-interviews and heard some beautiful stories of love and loss from other loss parents.
Here their stories here, on our latest podcast episode!

https://theblindsided.com/2024/05/11/stories-from-the-lucas-james-fundraising-event/

29/04/2024

Ann Coyle, Manager of Perinatal Bereavement Programs at Virtua Health

As the overseer of the Perinatal Bereavement Program, Ann ensures that families grappling with the loss of a pregnancy or an infant have access to a comprehensive array of services aimed at providing solace and assistance. Furthermore, Coyle plays a pivotal role in organizing Run with the Docs, an annual 5K event held outside Virtua Voorhees Hospital, which serves as a fundraiser for the Perinatal Bereavement Program....

Manager of Perinatal Bereavement Programs at Virtua Health As the overseer of the Perinatal Bereavement Program, Ann ensures that families grappling with the loss of a pregnancy or an infant have a…

15/04/2024

Our latest podcast is now live!

Hope and Lou met in the most unique way, after the loss of their first babies. Join us as they share their stories, their eventual meeting and what having a friend who “understands” has done in their lives! Each has gone on to have another baby, and they share how their pregnancies after loss were also a trying time for them.

https://theblindsided.com/2024/04/15/hope-and-lou-honoring-lilly-anna-and-noah/

10/04/2024

The loss of a baby through stillbirth is a profound and deeply personal experience. While grieving mothers navigate immense emotional pain, there's the added concern of managing practical matters, including understanding your employment rights in relation to returning to work. Navigating this comple...

10/04/2024

NATIONAL SIBLINGS DAY!

Did you know that Siblings Day was started in 1995 by a woman who wanted to honor two siblings she had lost in accidents when she was younger?

Honor and celebrate the siblings of your baby today, and share with them our latest podcast!

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-blindsided/id1705805704?i=1000651951877

09/04/2024

https://theblindsided.com/2024/04/07/emily-entrekin-big-sister-to-connor/

GUYS!!!!!!!!!
Tomorrow, April 10th, is National Siblings Day and we were soooo honored to interview Emily, big sister of baby Connor, and what it meant for her to meet him!

Connor was born silently in 2016 when Emily was just 4 years old. Since that time, Emily has continued to speak of him and made sure he’s included in family conversations.

Her mom, Jenna, also shared about the day she lost Connor, and the headspace her family was in.

One of my most favorite interviews!

09/04/2024

The loss of a baby through stillbirth is a devastating experience for families, leaving them in a state of shock, grief, and confusion. Despite its prevalence, many parents are left feeling unheard and unsupported. As healthcare providers, we have a crucial role to play in helping families navigate....

01/04/2024

Our April Newsletter is out now! Check it out, and if you want to be included on our monthly newsletter, sign up on the top left corner of the newsletter or let us know and we can add you!
https://mailchi.mp/6486c1066bcb/whats-new-this-april

We are also taking parents or grandparents, who would like to share their story on our podcast! We are now booking recording dates into the summer.

The weather shift is something else. I am so thankful for these longer days when it is still sunny for the dogs evening walks. I find in those moments, when I am outside, I am able to reflect on my day and emotions. I appreciate and need that time.

01/04/2024

Finding the freedom as baby loss parents to grieve how we want to without judgment, without time restraints, and without being silenced into isolation is like going on an egg hunt. We are on the hunt for shoulders to cry on, the ability to parent our babies any way we see fit, and the ability to sit in our grief as it arises.

QUESTION OF THE DAY 🗣:
What other “eggs” are you on the hunt for as a loss parent on your grief and/or healing journey?

01/04/2024

Nikki Berry is the Assistant Nursing Professor at Saint Martin’s University in Washington State. Her research in perinatal loss, grief, and bereavement focuses on decreasing the emotional trauma parents experience in the wake of a life-limiting fetal diagnosis. When we stumbled across her research articles, we just knew we had to interview her for the podcast! In this episode, we were excited to sit down with Nikki Berry, a former OR nurse turned nurse educator and researcher, with a focus on the grief and trauma of perinatal loss.

Nikki Berry is the Assistant Nursing Professor at Saint Martin’s University in Washington State. Her research in perinatal loss, grief, and bereavement focuses on decreasing the emotional trauma pa…

24/03/2024

Yes, please!!!! Or a different time!!!!

20/03/2024

Ashley is on the podcast today sharing the story of her daughter Nora with us! Nora was born on June 3, 3023 and sadly passed away just one short week later from NEC.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us Ashley!!

This episode we sat down with mom Ashley Kreyskop-Naglak from Levittown Pennsylvania. She lives there with her husband Blake and their furry friends.  Ashley and her husband Blake learned they…

17/03/2024

The loss of a pregnancy, whether through miscarriage or stillbirth, is a deeply personal and emotionally devastating experience. While the physical aspects of this journey are crucial, the psychological impact on women often goes unseen and under-addressed.This blog post highlights the powerful role...

12/03/2024

Check out the latest episode with Amber Swartz! Thank you Amber for sharing more of Lucas’s story with our listeners!🤍

How lucky are we to sit down with Amber Swartz again? You asked, she answered! This episode we go over some listener questions for Amber. She continues to amaze us with her passion and positivity i…

04/03/2024

We are excited to share the story of Aria with you, as told by her mom, Brittney Basquez. Brittney and her fiance' lost Aria in April of 2021 at 20w6d gestation. Her story will resonate with so many, and help anyone who might feel that they are alone.

Thank you for sharing Aria's story with us Brittney!!

Brittney is a stay-at-home mom living in South Jersey with her son, daughter and fiance’. She lost her daughter Aria, at 20 weeks 6 days gestation on April 27, 2021. After a very complicated …

19/02/2024

Originally posted HERE in Penn Medicine News. When Gina Herrera and Daniel Pennacchi got married in the summer of 2019, they knew they wanted to start a family. So when they learned in October that year that Herrera was pregnant, they were excited and had no reason to expect any difficulties ahead.....

18/02/2024

17/02/2024

Check out the latest episode of the Blindsided - A Perinatal Loss Podcast!
In this episode we sit down with Ana Vick and talk about the advocacy work she does for babies everywhere. Most importantly, she shares the story of the life and legacy of her son Owen. Thank you Ana for sharing your story with us!

After Ana tragically lost her son Owen to stillbirth on October 3, 2015, she redirected her focus towards advocacy, prevention, education, and raising awareness. Active under the moniker “Sti…

07/02/2024

Our February Newsletter went out today! Check it out and we hope to see you at support group on Tuesday, Feb 13th!

Here we are and it’s already February. For me, January was never-ending but now time feels like it’s flying! I have had you all on my mind so often. I have decided to devote more time to healing myself this year. This has looked like me reading more, meditating regularly, and trying to fill my h...

26/01/2024

This is a beautiful cradle. Anyone considering purchasing one to donate in memory of their child should look into Cenotaph Products LLC. 🤍

The Cenotaph Amish Cradle was designed specifically so parents and loved ones are afforded the time to properly say goodbye to a deceased baby. It has been p...

23/01/2024

It's Featured Books Friday*, and today we're featuring Rachel Lewis, speaker & author's Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss.

Rachel Lewis gives a beautiful gift to the pregnancy and infant loss community with Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss, which has become our go-to book for those experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.

She discusses the immediate effects of loss, addresses the ways that grief carries on and the multifaceted impact of loss on a bereaved parents’ life, and explores the idea of moving forward with one’s loss as a part of them. Throughout the book, Rachel shares her experiences while also integrating the experiences of other loss parents.

The book incorporates information from experts in specific fields. Each section has a series of journal questions to allow readers to do additional reflection and processing of their experiences as they read, and each chapter ends with a letter from Rachel addressed directly to the reader.

One of the most powerful aspects of Unexpecting is the way that it centers on helping the reader navigate their feelings, meeting them wherever they are. “Here you are not alone. And here you are welcome, exactly as you are.”

She gives permission to skip parts of the book that do not apply, and also creates room for things such as faith, helping a living child grieve, pregnancy after loss, and parenting after loss to be present for readers for whom these topics are relevant or central to their grieving process. She also includes a specific chapter on father’s grief. Unexpecting makes a clear effort to be inclusive of many different loss experiences. The author holds space for the reader to be true to who they are throughout the book.

Loss parents who read this book will without a doubt feel validated, loved, and supported.

📚Read our full review of Unexpecting, written by Kasey Schultz-Saindon, and get the links to purchase here: https://pregnancyafterlosssupport.org/pregnancy-infant-loss-book-review-unexpecting/

*Each Friday in 2024, we'll feature a favorite book for loss and PAL families. Then, watch out for a monthly giveaway of these featured books.

23/01/2024

We are so excited to share our latest episode with mom, Tina Rouh. She shares the story of her daughter Madelynn with us. Please listen, share your thoughts and send some love to Maddie's family!
https://theblindsided.com/2024/01/22/tina-rouh/

19/01/2024

Lately I have been feeling all of the intense emotions that come with pregnancy after loss. Some days they feel more balanced, while most times they feel incredibly messy and mixed together.

Much like the ingredients that make up a recipe, it takes time and determination, it’s messy and hard, but there’s an element of hope that something beautiful will come out of it.

Pregnancy after loss often feels like:

A scoop of anxiety.

A dash of fear.

A sprinkle of grief.

A heap of hope.

But most of all….

Endless amounts of love.

Whether you calculate the ingredients exactly as the recipe says or measure with your heart, I hope all you create is made with an abundance of love and the idea that sweeter things are ahead.

📸 shared with permission from Holly Ann, on Instagram. Original post: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwD_HGuJL0/