Landscape of Loss: Haven the Podcast Haven

Summary
Jessi Michel shares her heartbreaking story of stillbirth and her advocacy work to prevent stillbirths. She recounts the day her daughter Freya was born still and the emotional journey that followed. Jessi emphasizes the need for better education and awareness about stillbirth, as well as improved data collection and research. She discusses two bills in Congress, the Maternal and Child Health and Stillbirth Prevention Act and the Shine for Autumn Act, which aim to address these issues. Jessi encourages listeners to support these bills by contacting their congressional leaders.
Takeaways
Stillbirth is a devastating experience that affects thousands of families each year.
Improved education and awareness about stillbirth are crucial in preventing future cases.
There are two bills in Congress, the Maternal and Child Health and Stillbirth Prevention Act and the Shine for Autumn Act, that aim to address stillbirth prevention through enhanced data collection, research, education, and awareness.
Supporting these bills by contacting congressional leaders can make a difference in advancing stillbirth prevention efforts.
More funding and resources are needed to train pathologists in stillbirth autopsies and to provide better support for families who have experienced stillbirth.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Personal Story
21:33 Living with Loss and Finding Purpose
32:46 Advocacy for Stillbirth Prevention
43:00 The Urgent Need for Education and Awareness
48:15 Improving Research and Data Collection
51:26 Taking Action to Support Stillbirth Prevention
Links in this Episode:
*Stillbirth Support link to message congressional leaders: bit.ly/StopStillbirth
*To join Minnesota’s Stillbirth prevention advocacy groups: mnstillbirthlegislation@gmail.com or facebook group: Minnesota Stillbirth Prevention Advocacy
*SHINE for Autumn Act on socials: Instagram; Facebook, website
*Healthy Birthday, Inc on socials: Instagram; Facebook; website
*Measure the Placenta on socials: Instagram; Facebook; website
*Freya’s Hospital Library Wish list: tinyurl.com/FreyaLibrary

Childbirth is more than just that precious moment when a baby takes its first breath; it’s also about being fully prepared for everything that comes before. In today’s episode, we are thrilled to be joined by the Childbirth Advocate and Author of A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth, Gina Mundy. In over 21 years as an attorney who specializes in childbirth cases, Gina has spent countless hours meticulously scrutinizing childbirth cases, conducting interviews with delivery teams, and thoroughly examining medical records to gain an in-depth understanding of every decision made during labor and delivery. These experiences paved the way for her writings, and her recently released guide is loaded with vital information that you probably won’t find in any other pregnancy book. Our conversation begins with Gina explaining her unique background in law and how it influenced her book. Then, we get a glimpse at the dangers of Pitocin misadministration before comparing the infant mortality rate and other statistics between America and other countries.  We also learn why fetal monitors are important, why and how Gina made her book less “scary” than other pregnancy books, how childbirth attorneys engage with stillborn cases, and the role of baby advocates. To end, our guest highlights the most important things for expecting mothers to be aware of, and she explains in detail why and how her book is going to positively impact the future of childbirth. 

Key Points from This Episode:
Introducing the Attorney and Author, Gina Mundy.  Exploring Gina’s unique background in childbirth law and how it influenced her writing.    A closer look at her book, A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth, and why she wrote it.  The Pitocin dilemma.  How statistics (like infant mortality rate) differ in America versus in other countries, and why. Advocating for fetal monitors.  Why Gina prioritized making her book less scary for expecting parents to read.  How she and other childbirth attorneys engage with stillborn cases.  The top 5 things that every pregnant mom must know, including how to find the right doctor.  Assessing the role of a baby advocate.  Why Gina believes that her book, when read, will positively impact the future of childbirths.   Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 
Gia Mundy  
Gina Mundy on LinkedIn 
Gina Mundy on Instagram 
Gina Mundy on Facebook  
Gina Mundy Email  
A Parent's Guide to a Safer Childbirth 
A Parent’s Guide to a Safer Childbirth Chapter One 
TNMD Law 
Haven 
Tellwell  

Being resilient in the face of unimaginable loss and choosing to heal and carry on is an unimaginably difficult task. Today’s guest has suffered incredible loss but she made the remarkable choice to take those hardships in her stride and create a platform to help other people through their grief. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about Barbara’s life, the loss of her infant son and 21-year-old son, and how she found purpose in creating support groups, as well as learn about her books, how she started to see her son’s life as a gift not just a loss, and so much more! We discuss some of the signs that your lost loved one is visiting you and Barbara tells us about the incredible signs she’s experienced before we delve into the importance of talking about your grief. Finally, Barbara tells us why she believes that healing is a choice and walks us through some of the first steps of resilience. As always, please listen with care and take note of the trigger warnings in the key points for this episode. 
Key Points from This Episode: 
Welcoming Dr. Barbara Hopkinson with a brief overview of her background.  TW: For listeners who wish to skip Barbara’s account of the horrific loss she has suffered, please skip the audio between [00:01:55] and [00:04:36]. TW: For listeners who wish to skip Barbara’s account of attempted suicide, please skip the audio between [00:08:18] and [00:09:01].  How starting The Compassionate Friends and A Butterfly’s Journey gave Barbara purpose.  When she knew that helping others would help her heal.  Why she views her son’s life as a gift, not just a loss.  Signs that your lost loved one is around you and why you need to remember them. Insight into A Butterfly’s Journey, Faces of Resilience, and Barbara’s grief methodology.  Why it is healing to talk about your loss and connect with others who have experienced loss.  What it looks like to choose to heal and take the first steps of resilience.  An overview of Barbara's experience with mediums.  Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 
Barbara Hopkinson on LinkedIn 
Barbara Hopkinson on Instagram 
A Butterfly’s Journey 
Free Song Download  
A Butterfly’s Journey on Facebook 
A Butterfly’s Journey on Instagram 
A Butterfly’s Journey on YouTube 
A Butterfly’s Journey: Healing Grief After the Loss of a Child 
Faces of Resilience 
Faces of Resilience 
ABJs Faces of Resilience on Instagram 
Faces of Resilience on Facebook 
Giving Hearts Day 
The Compassionate Friends 
Haven 
Tellwell  

For all of us – not just those who are dealing with loss – the holidays can be a troublesome period filled with overwhelming emotions and events. But navigating holiday landmines is as simple as always putting yourself first. Today, we welcome Hannah Stonehouse Hudson back to the show for the third time, as she shares some advice on how to get through the most emotionally-intimidating time of the year. We begin by learning how to properly plan for holiday gatherings, how to harness healthy holiday expectations, how to arm yourself with exit plans, and how the holidays (contrary to popular belief) are all about putting yourself first, especially if you are dealing with a new loss. We also discuss the importance of having check-in partners and an arsenal of canned responses before diving into the strategies for navigating holiday landmines and triggers. The remarkable Hannah Stonehouse Hudson shares tips on how to prioritize your own well-being in any given situation, and she explains why adequate self-care and finding joy in the holidays is easier to achieve than one may think. As ever, due to the sensitive topics discussed on this podcast, please listen with care. 
Key Points from This Episode:
•    For the third time on this podcast – a very warm welcome to Hannah Stonehouse Hudson. 
•    How to plan for holiday gatherings. 
•    Why it is important to have healthy expectations for the holidays, and what that looks like. 
•    The best exit strategy for uncomfortable holiday gatherings: just leave. 
•    Why you need to give yourself permission to feel the way you feel in any moment.
•    The value of a check-in partner, and why canned responses are your number one ally. 
•    Navigating holiday landmines and triggers. 
•    How to prioritize yourself when someone else needs the support that you’re not ready to give. 
•    Finding joy in the holidays once again; assessing what you need in/from any situation.  
•    Self-care: How to maintain mental, emotional, and physical health during the holidays. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on LinkedIn
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Instagram
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Threads
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on X
Hannah Stonehouse Hudson on Facebook 
Time.Grace.Space
Stonehouse Photo 
‘Bonus Episode: LIVE The Many Ways we Grieve Loss with Hannah Stonehouse Hudson’
‘Episode 14: About the Grieving Process with Hannah Stonehouse Hudson’ 
‘Self-Care: What It Really Is | Susannah Winters | TEDxHiltonHeadWomen’  
Donna Ashworth
Haven
Tellwell 

In the tough journey of grief, getting to a place where we can accept our loss or a traumatic experience isn't easy, it takes time and real effort. Today, we have Heather Gilbert with us, sharing her raw and emotional story of navigating loss and grappling with depression afterward. She is 18 years into her life journey with loss, and presently a mother of four children with one in heaven. Join us as Heather takes us through the heart-wrenching details of losing her unborn child, planning a funeral two days into her postpartum trimester, and finding her way through life after loss. She shares her experience journeying through her second pregnancy and the moment depression ultimately took hold. Tune in to be inspired by Heather's resilient story through loss, life after loss, and beyond. Thank you for listening.
Key Points from This Episode:
•    An introduction to our guest, Heather Gilbert.
•    Heather takes us back to the very beginning of her story.
•    She takes us through the experience of losing her baby very close to her due date.
•    Planning a funeral two days postpartum. 
•    She details the journey of her second pregnancy and month after the loss of her first baby.
•    When the depression finally hit. 
•    What changed her suicidal ideation and led her to see a therapist.
•    She recounts her first experience with a psychiatrist.
•    Heather shares about dealing with a divorce, four years after the loss. 
•    When the tears broke through. 
•    How she found her way to a home church. 
•    Her encouragement to anyone going through trauma: don’t do it alone.

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:
Haven
Tellwell 

Hope is one of the first casualties of loss, closely followed by a breakdown in faith. And while it’s necessary to experience grief to its furthest point, it’s just as important to recover your hope to begin living life to the fullest once again. We are thrilled to be joined by Rachel Lohman for today’s episode as she gives us behind-the-scenes access to her latest book, Miscarried Hope, a guide to help women who want to recover their faith after experiencing a loss. Rachel is also the Founder and Creative Director of Hope Again Collective, an online store that uses jewelry to tell the stories of moms who have suffered pregnancy and infant loss. Rachel details her miscarriage experience and explains what it means to be gifted with tragedy, before explaining where and how she found the moms whose stories can be found on her website, and why every one of the 250-plus stories is worthy of celebration. We also discuss how her work has been a catalyst for healing and growth, how loss breeds perspective, her intended purpose for Miscarried Hope, The five stages of hope, and how Silent Saturday replenished her hope reserves. If you’re struggling to give yourself grace and are looking for ways to restore your hope and faith after a loss, then Rachel has some important advice just for you! As always, please listen with care. 
Key Points from This Episode: 
•    Welcoming Rachel Lohman to the show as she briefly shares her background. 
•    Rachel’s miscarriage experience. 
•    What it means to be gifted with tragedy. 
•    How Rachel found the group of moms that influenced her jewelry line, Hope Again Collective.    
•    The many faces of grief: the stories and testimonials that she shares on Hope Again. 
•    Celebrating the 250 stories that she’s shared so far, and their accompanying jewelry pieces. 
•    How her work has been an avenue for self-healing and growth. 
•    Loss and perspective and being guided by faith. 
•    Rachel explains the purpose of her book, Miscarried Hope. 
•    The five stages of recovering hope: expectation, despair, shock, grief, and active hope.  
•    Silent Saturday: a pivotal moment in Rachel’s life when hope became bigger than fear.  
•    Her advice to moms who are in the early stage of questioning God and their faith.  
•    How to give yourself grace and why it’s important to do so. 

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode: 
Rachel Lohman 
Rachel Lohman on LinkedIn
Rachel Lohman on Instagram
Hope Again Collective
Miscarried Hope
The Bridge
Haven
Tellwell