Episode #007: Unexpecting: What to Expect When You’re No Longer Expecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss (with Rachel Lewis)

Written By Lindsay Blair

This week I was able to finally meet with Rachel Lewis, the author of Unexpecting: Real Talk on Pregnancy Loss, the founder of Brave Mamas, an online community offering support to thousands of bereaved moms, and well-known contributor to Still Standing magazine and Pregnancy After Loss Support. Rachel’s work and family have been featured by the Today show, Upworthy, AdoptUSKids, and Babble. Rachel has experienced the loss of five pregnancies, as well as the unique grief of reunifying a foster son with his birth family.

I have felt drawn to Rachel ever since I found her book last year, and I am so excited to have finally been able to connect with her after taking a break from the podcast over the summer. Rachel has such a gift with words and connecting with others on a genuine and personal level and I love her candor and passion for sharing her story and the legacy of her babies in heaven in a way that is inspiring, encouraging, honest and authentic. In this episode, Rachel and I talk about the reality of the experience of “unexpecting” and what that shift and process looks like when you go from “expecting” a baby to “unexpecting”. Rachel shares practical tips to help listeners prepare for and navigate triggers after experiencing a loss, how to move forward “with” your life alongside your grief, and how loss, lament, love, and legacy can all intertwine in a really beautiful and authentic way throughout this lifelong healing process. I hope this episode sparks courage and ignites hope for you in the week ahead. Let’s dive in.

Connect with Rachel:

 

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Lindsay Blair

Lindsay Blair is a certified Trauma Specialist, Birth and Bereavement Doula, Fertility Coach and creator of Catalyst for Courage. Lindsay understands how difficult the journeys of infertility, pregnancy loss, and pregnancy after loss can be because she’s lived them. Through her own journey of healing, Lindsay is now passionate about empowering individuals and couples to transform their suffering into a catalyst for courage no matter where they are in their fertility journey. Lindsay combines her backgrounds in trauma recovery, miscarriage and loss support, and holistic fertility coaching to support fertility from a mind-body perspective. Her approach is science-driven, evidence-based, and holistic. The journey to parenthood can be filled with many challenges, but Lindsay helps individuals and couples navigate the challenges in a way that makes them feel empowered, courageous, strong, and supported. Her coaching practice weaves together lifestyle changes, mindset shifts, and education that teaches women to understand their bodies and take their health and fertility into their own hands.

https://catalystforcourage.com/about-lindsay
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Episode #006: What to Look for in a Therapist (with Licensed Professional Counselor Molly Dalva, LPC)