Pregnancy After Loss Resources

 
 

I am currently navigating Pregnancy After Loss and wow - what an absolute head f*ck!!

I am carrying our 5th child. It has been a long, long road to get here.

After Elke was stillborn, we grieved for 6 months before we decided to try again for another baby. I was ready straight away, but it took me a while to convince my husband to go again.

We then went through……

13 months of trying.

3 early miscarriages.

1 x 12 week missed miscarriage.

And finally we have a little babe growing in my belly. Baby #5 is due early April.

(almost 3 years after the conception of Elke. 3 very long years to have a much wanted baby in our arms)

I am sharing all of the resources that have helped me manage my anxiety, and hold onto the belief and hope that this bubba will arrive safely earthside.


I Can Do This Weekly Pregnancy Tracker

I have been using this weekly pregnancy tracker as my weekly affirmation to remind myself that I CAN DO THIS!

It has been a game changer to help manage my anxiety and re-train my brain to believe that this is possible.

affirmations

I have written some positive affirmations that I am reading daily. Affirmations help focus the brain on the positive, rather than being in the fight or flight trauma response 24/7.

They have helped me give permission to myself to experience joy, and believe this baby is going to be in my arms.

  • I trust my baby and my body

  • I relax into this pregnancy

  • I give myself permission to feel joy

  • My baby boy is coming to me

  • I see him arriving safely

  • I tune in and listen to my body

  • I trust my intuition

  • I embracing my growing belly and connect in daily

  • I enjoy this pregnancy

  • I feel safe. I feel loved.

  • I am held

  • Elke is guiding me and this baby to be together

visualisations

Every night before bed, I close my eyes and visualise this baby in my arms. In the beginning, it was very hard to see a newborn. All of the visualisations were of a 2yr old boy, with blonde curly hair. It has taken me a few weeks to be able to visualise a baby in my arms.

I am visualising:

  • holding the baby in my arms in the hospital bed

  • leaving the hospital with the baby in the baby carrier

  • Leon taking the baby carrier out of the car when we get home

  • baby boy lying in his cot

  • baby boy lying in his bassinet in the living room

  • the other kids interacting with the baby on a play mat

I am finding these visualisations are helping with my anxiety.

Our imaginations are amazing things. Our subconscious mind can’t perceive what is real or imagined. So every time we visualise a positive outcome, our brains believe it to be true. Doing this helps to lessen the anxiety and calm the nervous system.

Visualisations are a powerful tool to help train the brain. A way to hold onto hope over fear. A way to help you hold onto the belief that this will happen.

Books on pregnancy after loss