In the final episode of this season, I talk to Sheri Johnson about how she found joy in life after loss. Sheri suffered three miscarriages and infertility before deciding not to undergo further fertility treatment. She now helps others find healing and joy after pregnancy loss. In the interview, we talk about: Sheri’s first miscarriage and delivering her baby on the toilet (13:37) Struggling to get pregnant again, miscarrying and a suspect ectopic pregnancy (19:42) Hearing a heartbeat for the first time, only to then miscarry a third child (23:38) Exploring spiritual healing to come to terms ..read more

In episode 59 of Footprints on our Hearts, I chat to Rachael and Hannah about their experience of baby loss and pregnancy after loss. Rachael is Hannah’s mother and grandmother to Grace who died shortly after she was born in 2018. In the interview we talk about: Hannah’s pregnancy with Grace and going into premature labour when she was 21 weeks pregnant (5:44) Having Grace whisked away and not being told that she had been born alive (15:24) Hannah’s experience of grief and how Rachael felt trying to support her daughter through her dark days (23:32) Receiving support from Tommy’s following Gr ..read more

In Episode 58 of Footprints on our Hearts, I talk to Ali Ande, whose first son, DJ was sadly stillborn in 2016. Her second son Grayson and her third son, Gavin were both born prematurely, Gavin at the height of the covid-19 pandemic last year. In the interview, we talk about: Ali’s journey to getting pregnant and the naivety of pregnancy before loss (09:13) Going into hospital to give birth to DJ and spending time with him after he was born (20:44) How a nurse’s wise words helped prepare Ali for grief (27:08) Experiencing anxiety while pregnant with her second son, Grayson, and how she felt w ..read more

In Episode 57 of Footprints on our Hearts, I welcome Ruth Hopkins back to the podcast! Ruth was my guest in Episode 4, when we talked about her ectopic pregnancy, her son, Dexter, who was stillborn, and her subsequent miscarriage. Last year, Ruth and Dave decided to apply to become adoptive parents and Ruth kindly agreed to come back onto the podcast to talk about the process their went through and the emotional aspect of deciding to grow their family in a different way. In the interview, we talk about: Ruth’s experience of baby loss and unexplained secondary infertility (05:05) Why they deci ..read more

This week, I talk with Laura Gallagher, the author of Robo-Babies a children’s book that explains the many varied ways in which families can form. We discuss Laura’s experience of IVF, parenting after infertility, birth trauma and loss, and the two ectopic pregnancies she sadly experienced after her son’s birth. In the interview, we talk about: Feeling embarrassed and alone having been told they would need to go through IVF to conceive (15:02) The pressure of only having one viable embryo and Rafe’s birth (19:46) The challenges of bonding with your baby after infertility, birth trauma or loss ..read more

This week, I talk to Claire Cassidy about her son, Finn, who lost his fight for life after 34 days. Finn was diagnosed with three congenital heart defects and underwent multiple surgeries before he sadly passed away. We chat about Finn, Claire’s grief and the impact on her older son, Lucas, who wasn’t allowed into the hospital to see his brother due to Covid-19 regulations. In the interview, we talk about: Realising Finn wasn’t well, being rushed to the NICU then transferred to Glasgow Children’s Hospital (6:56) Receiving a diagnosis of three heart conditions and watching Finn undergo two ope ..read more

In Episode 54, I chat with Sarah Chapman about her daughter Eliza, who was stillborn in 2018, and her rainbow baby, Liberty. We discuss grief, secondary infertility, IVF and parenting after loss, plus how they include Eliza in their day-to-day family life. In the interview, we talk about: Sarah’s pregnancy with Eliza, going into labour and finding out her baby had died (7:38) How Sarah felt about meeting Eliza after she was born (16:31) How having her parents live in the States and suffering a further family bereavement shortly after Eliza’s death impacted on Sarah and her husband’s grief (26 ..read more

In Episode 53 of Footprints on our Hearts, I chat to Clint Watkins who lost two sons at different stages of pregnancy. We discuss Clint and his wife’s dilemma over whether to continue with her pregnancy after having been told their son would not survive and what plans they made to honour their son both during pregnancy and after he was born. We also chat about Clint’s faith and the role of grief and lamentation in faith. In the interview, we talk about: Getting pregnant and finding out that their baby had anencephaly (2:18) Facing an impossible decision and deciding to continue with the pregn ..read more

This week, I have a special bonus episode to celebrate one year of the podcast! I’ve been catching up with a few of my past guests, reflecting on what I’ve learned from talking to so many parents about their experiences of baby loss and sharing my own reflections on the past year. In Part One, I share seven things I’ve learned from the stories that I’ve shared on Footprints on our Hearts. (3:10) In Part Two (18:00), I share some reflections on the past year. In my mini interview with Karl, we talk about the healing that his third child has brought to their lives, the motivation behind his spor ..read more

In Episode 51 of Footprints on our Hearts, I chat with Claire and Andrew about their daughter Alexandra who died shortly after she was born. Claire describes Alexandra as having the dubious accolade of being “the biggest and the sickest baby on the NICU”. We discuss why they chose to explore organ donation, grief, counselling, and pregnancy and parenting after loss. Following the arrival of the couple’s second daughter, Ophelia, they experienced two years of unexplained infertility. At the time of recording the interview, Claire was pregnant with their third child and they have since welcomed ..read more