The Rainbow Connection – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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Rachael Shepard-Ohta, the founder of Hey Sleepy Baby, joins me for an honest and deeply validating conversation about postpartum anxiety, sleep after loss, and what it means to create safety — for both yourself and your baby — in those sleepless early months.

Rachael shares her own experience with postpartum anxiety, how it shaped the work she does now, and why so many mothers silently struggle with sleep. Together, we talk about the myths that make mothers feel like they’re “doing it wrong,” the pressure to sleep train, and how to tune out the noise and listen to your own instincts again.

We talk about:
🌙 The link between postpartum anxiety and sleep deprivation
🌙 Why mothers after loss often struggle with hypervigilance and safety fears
🌙 The science behind co-regulation and why closeness matters
🌙 Safe sleep setups — from bedside bassinets to the safe sleep 7
🌙 How to navigate online overwhelm and conflicting advice
🌙 The role of temperament in baby sleep (and why it’s not your fault)
🌙 Simple, realistic ways to reclaim rest and reduce nighttime anxiety
🌙 Letting go of guilt, bad-habit fears, and the myth that you’ll “spoil” your baby

This episode is a balm for every mother who has ever questioned if she’s doing it wrong. It’s a gentle reminder that there’s no one right way to sleep, to parent, or to heal — and that both you and your baby are wired for connection, not perfection. 🤍

Get to Know Rachael

Rachael Shepard-Ohta is an Infant-Parent Mental Health Specialist, Certified Sleep Consultant, and former Educator. She founded Hey Sleepy Baby in 2020 and hosts two podcasts — No One Told Us and You’re So Right. Rachael lives in San Francisco with her husband and their three young children.

📸 Instagram: @heysleepybaby
🌐 Website: heysleepybaby.com

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Articles & Guides:

• The Safe Sleep Seven — La Leche League International
• Is Bed Sharing Dangerous?
• BabyBay Bedside Sleeper
  
  

Book:

• Safe Infant Sleep by Dr. James McKenna
  
  

Podcast Episodes:

• Bed Sharing & SIDS — The Science and the Myths
• Sleep Training + Bed Sharing — What the Research Actually Says

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌷 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🌙 Mother Like No Other — Loss Mom Community: thedoulalife.ca/mother
📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review — it helps this podcast re

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Simona shares the story of her son, Saul, born still at 19 weeks, and the deep unraveling that followed. From the early days of IVF and endometriosis to the heartbreak of stillbirth and the silence that came after, she invites us into the complexity of love, loss, and lineage.

We talk about:

• Navigating endometriosis and IVF before pregnancy
• The day she learned Saul’s heart had stopped
• Grieving far from family and finding support online
• Discovering her mother’s own unspoken stillbirth
• Breaking generational silence around grief
• The power of embodiment, yoga, and breathwork in healing
• Learning to mother herself and honor her inner landscape
• The compassion she found — and the care she wished she’d received
• The friendships that deepened and those that fell away
• What it means to hold hope for her future rainbow baby

This episode is a tender, powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist — and that love, even in loss, continues to grow.

Saul, this one is for you 🕊

Get to Know Simona:

Simona lives in Berlin, Germany with her husband. Originally from Romania, she works as a user experience designer and is deeply devoted to her healing journey — attending an online Sangha (meditation community) and being an active member of the Healthy Grieving group for nearly two years.

When she isn’t tending to her adult responsibilities, you’ll find her wandering the streets of Berlin, practicing yoga, exploring somatics, or rating ramen restaurants and ice-cream shops across the city. She proudly holds a 2,758-day (and counting!) Duolingo streak in German and Portuguese — and humbly admits that English is not her first language.

Losing her baby boy, Saul, in the summer of 2023 opened a portal into the world of grief. Her path since has been tender and transformative, as she continues to hold hope for her rainbow baby. Through this experience, she’s learned not to hide her inner landscape, to honor her loss out loud, and to be steadfast in calling herself a mother — even when the world doesn’t always recognize it.

Simona is slowly becoming a student and advocate of grief, devoted to practicing this sacred, embodied way of healing.

📸 Instagram: @simona.cilliers

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🌸 Mother Like No Other — Loss Mom Community: thedoulalife.ca/mother
📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review — it helps get these stories and resources into the hands of the women who need them most.
And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. your support means so much. 🌷

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Danielle shares the sacred, heart-shattering, and hopeful story of her two children, Carter and Mackenzie, both lost to early-onset preeclampsia. In this deeply moving episode, she takes us through the shock of her first loss, the traumatic birth experience that followed, and the healing moments she found when holding her daughter, even for just a short time. Danielle also opens up about her decision to stop carrying pregnancies, her journey into surrogacy, and the beautiful ways she continues to honor both of her children.

We talk about:

• Experiencing early-onset preeclampsia in both pregnancies
• The day she couldn’t find her son’s heartbeat and knew something was wrong
• Navigating a traumatic D&E and the grief of not seeing her son
• The bittersweet gift of holding her daughter for an hour before she passed
• How Mackenzie’s birth brought a measure of peace after Carter’s loss
• The decision to pursue surrogacy and what that process has been like
• Building a deep connection with their surrogate and feeling excitement about pregnancy again
• The traditions they keep each year to honor Carter and Mackenzie
• Why continuing to check in with loss parents months and years later matters so much

This episode is a tender, powerful reminder that grief and hope can live side by side—and that parenthood can take many different, beautiful forms.

 🕊️ Carter and Mackenzie, this one is for you.

Get to Know Danielle:Danielle Kipp is a registered nurse, military spouse, and proud mom to two angel babies. Caring for pregnant women has long been one of her professional passions, but after walking through two high-risk pregnancies and losses of her own, it became a true labor of love. With a special place in her heart for the infant loss community, Danielle hopes her journey helps create space for connection and hope for those who need it most.

Connect with Danielle:Instagram: 

Connect with Kristin: 📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca 🌈 The Haven – Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven — use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100 on enrollment 🤍 Mother Like No Other Community: www.thedoulalife.ca/mother 📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review—this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

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Lin Yuan opens her heart to share the story of her son Keelan, born still at 38 weeks, and the life-altering moments that came before and after his birth. She takes us into the day she realized he wasn’t moving, the surreal drive to the hospital, and the moment she saw his face — knowing instantly that he was both hers and gone.

Lin reflects on the early days of grief while parenting her toddler son, the quiet and everyday ways she continues to honor Keelan, and the complicated emotions of her pregnancy after loss with her daughter, Logan. She speaks candidly about navigating fear, reclaiming her birth preferences, and the power of calling her stillborn son into the birth space of her rainbow baby. Today, Lin carries Keelan’s legacy into her work as a doula, walking alongside other parents facing the unimaginable.

We talk about:

• The sudden and heartbreaking loss of Keelan at 38 weeks
• The moment of meeting her son and feeling both love and loss
• Parenting a toddler while grieving a baby who isn’t coming home
• The quiet, everyday ways of honoring a baby after stillbirth
• The complexity of pregnancy after loss — holding hope and fear together
• Advocating for birth preferences after loss
• Welcoming her rainbow baby, Logan, and calling Keelan into that space
• Turning grief into purpose through bereavement doula work

This episode is a tender, raw, and hope-filled reminder that grief and love can coexist — and that a baby’s legacy can live in the quietest moments.

 🕊️ Keelan, this one is for you.

Get to Know Lin:Lin is a proud mom of three beautiful children and calls Brooklyn, NY home. In April 2023, she lost her middle baby, Keelan Paxton, at 38 weeks—a heartbreak that changed everything. In his honor, she founded A Little Peace, a doula practice in NYC dedicated to pregnancy after loss and bereavement care. Lin has found her life’s work in helping families who walk this path feel less alone. She finds joy in arranging Trader Joe's flowers, baking birthday cakes for her kids, and commiserating with fellow Brooklyn parents over a glass of wine (or three). You can connect with Lin at littlepeacedoula.com. 

Connect with Lin:📸 Instagram: @linyuan15Little Peace Doula: @littlepeacedoula

Connect with Kristin:📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use code RAINBOW to save $100🕊 RECLAIM -- The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim -- use promo code: RECLAIM to save $100

📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

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MJ shares her raw and powerful story of being told she would likely never be able to have children—and the emotional, spiritual, and physical healing journey that followed. After a heartbreaking miscarriage and years without a menstrual cycle, MJ began the work of reconnecting with her body, her nervous system, and her grief. In this conversation, we explore the pain of medical dismissal, the surprising discovery that changed everything, and the deep healing work that eventually brought her to her two living children.

We talk about:

• Growing up without regular periods and being told pregnancy might never be possible
• The trauma and heartbreak of miscarriage after a miracle conception
• Being gaslit by doctors—and trusting her intuition anyway
• The white-knuckling anxiety of pregnancy after loss
• Postpartum OCD and navigating intrusive thoughts
• How somatic healing, breathwork, and nervous system regulation changed everything
• Why creating safety in her body—and her life—was key to welcoming new life
• Her passion for helping others cry, heal, and reconnect with their emotional bodies

This episode is a beautiful reminder that grief and joy can live side by side—and that healing is possible when we honour all that we’ve been through.

🕊️ This one is for MJ’s first baby, never forgotten.Get to Know MJ:

MJ Renshaw is a breathwork facilitator, podcast host, author, and founder of The Being Method, a science-backed spiritual education platform that teaches students to heal and reconnect with their bodies through breathwork. After her own journey overcoming childhood trauma, MJ launched The Being Method in 2020, quickly establishing it as uniquely comprehensive, blending breathwork science, trauma-informed care, and practical business training. Her podcast, also ‘The Being Method,’ explores the intersection between science and spirituality. Her new book, How to Cry, a #1 New Release in Emotional Mental Health, explores the powerful science behind the emotional release of crying.

Connect with MJ:Instagram: @beingmethodbreathworkGet one month free of breathwork with The Being Method here: https://shorturl.at/7HFHvWebsite: https://www.beingmethod.ca/How to Cry: www.howtocry.caConnect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca 🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use code RAINBOW to save $100 🤍 Mother Like No Other Community: www.thedoulalife.ca/community

 📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of The Rainbow Connection, please consider subscribing, rating, and leaving a review. Your support helps get these powerful stories into the hands—and hearts—of those who need them most.

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Jasmine shares the heartbreaking story of her daughter Braelynn, who was stillborn at 40 weeks due to a tightly wrapped nuchal cord—a tragedy that could have been prevented. In this vulnerable and powerful episode, Jasmine walks us through her full-term loss, the moments in the hospital that still haunt her, and the journey through postpartum grief, anger, and deep questioning. She also shares the tender and fearful path to her rainbow baby, Archer, and what it took to feel safe enough to give birth again.

We talk about:

• What it’s like to be dismissed by medical professionals while advocating for your baby
• The trauma of leaving the hospital with a box instead of her baby
• The role of grief counselling and community in her healing
• Creating boundaries after loss to protect her space and heart
• The emotional complexity of pregnancy after loss
• The beauty of choosing a birth team you trust
• The empowering birth of her rainbow baby, Archer
• How she keeps Braylon present in their lives every day This episode is a fierce, emotional reminder that mothers know, that advocacy matters, and that healing is possible—even when the pain never fully leaves.

🕊️ Braelynn, this one is for you.

Get to Know Jasmine:

Jasmine lives in Sudbury, Ontario with her husband, their son Archer, and their 12-year-old German Shepherd, Radar—her first and forever furry best friend. She originally studied nursing, but after everything she’s walked through, she’s not sure if returning to the field is part of her future—and she’s learning that sometimes dreams change, and that’s okay. These days, Jasmine is navigating new motherhood while trying to carve out time for connection—with her family, her friends, and herself. You’ll often find her on the dock or curled up on the deck with a good book during quiet moments.

Connect with Jasmine:

Instagram: @jas_kappes

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca 🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100🤍 Mother Like No Other Community: www.thedoulalife.ca/community 📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

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Brianna shares the sacred and heart breaking story of her daughter Caroline, born with a complex heart condition and an incredibly rare genetic diagnosis. In this tender, raw, and deeply moving episode, Bri walks us through her high-risk pregnancy, the decisions that no parent should have to make, and the immeasurable love that carried her through it all. She also shares the beautiful way she now honours Caroline’s memory— through her nonprofit, Caroline Cares— and opens up about pregnancy after loss and what it’s been like to carry her rainbow baby boy.

We talk about:

• Receiving a fetal heart diagnosis at 29 weeks
• Relocating for high-risk care at Stanford
• Balancing hope and fear while fighting for her daughter’s life
• Caroline’s birth and time in the NICU on ECMO
• An emotional mix-up that changed everything
• Making the heartbreaking choice to remove life support
• Holding Caroline for the first—and last—time
• How grief shaped her purpose and how Caroline Cares was born
• The complicated journey of pregnancy after loss

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and love are never separate— and that even in the most devastating loss, mothering never ends.

🕊 Caroline, this one is for you.

Get to Know Brianna:

Hi, I’m Bri. My husband and I are parents to our beautiful daughter, Caroline, who passed away at 27 days old in 2023 due to a rare congenital heart condition called Ebstein’s Anomaly. We miss her deeply every single day and continue to honour her life through Caroline Cares, a charity we founded to support other NICU families by delivering care bags to local hospitals.

In 2024, we experienced an ectopic pregnancy — a heartbreaking loss that came just as we were beginning to hope again. After walking through so much grief, we are now joyfully expecting our rainbow baby this August.

Caroline made me a mother. Her story changed everything. And now, I carry her legacy forward—through advocacy, through love, and through every family Caroline Cares is able to reach.

Connect with Brianna:

Instagram: @briannahansenSupport Caroline Cares: www.carolinecares.us

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca 🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100 🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim — use promo code: RECLAIM to save $100🤍 Mother Like No Other Community: www.thedoulalife.ca/community 📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much. 

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Jessalyn shares the deeply personal and emotional story of her angel baby Camila, who was stillborn at 20 weeks, and the high-risk, complicated journey to welcoming her rainbow baby, Colby. In this moving episode, Jessalyn walks us through the shock of pregnancy loss after an uncomplicated first birth, the heartbreaking misidentification of her baby’s gender, and the complex layers of grief that followed. She also opens up about the fear, anxiety, and resilience it took to navigate a subsequent pregnancy filled with complications, including PPROM, hospital bedrest, and a NICU stay.

We talk about:

• Experiencing a missed miscarriage after her first healthy pregnancy 
• Losing her daughter Camila at 20 weeks and discovering her true gender days later 
• The emotional and physical toll of an induction after loss 
• The complicated decision to try again while deep in grief
• Navigating pregnancy after loss with high-risk care 
• A ruptured membrane at 26 weeks and hospital bedrest far from home
• Bringing her son Colby home after a premature birth and three weeks in the NICU 
• The ongoing balance of grief, healing, and joy in parenting both her living and angel children

This episode is a tender, honest reminder of the strength it takes to survive life after loss and how joy and sorrow can exist side by side. Jessalyn’s story is proof that even through the most devastating chapters, we can find our way through.

🕊️ Camila, this one is for you.Get to Know Jessalyn:

Jessalyn is a 35-year-old mom of three — an angel baby and two living children — living in Clarington, Ontario with her husband Carlos and their rescue dog, José. She grew up in Port Perry and still holds a special love for her hometown, with hopes of moving back one day. Jessalyn and Carlos have known each other since their early teens and have been together since their late teens, with a few years apart along the way. She works in Toronto and commutes a couple of days a week, balancing family life, work, and the ongoing journey of mothering all of her children.Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca

🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use promo code RAINBOW to save $100 on enrollment

🕊️ RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim — use promo code RECLAIM to save $100

📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

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In this raw and redemptive episode, Courtney shares the story of her son Beau, who was stillborn at 39 weeks, and her rainbow baby Daisy, born almost exactly one year later — in the very same hospital room.

She takes us through the shocking moment she heard “there’s no heartbeat,” the sacred experience of birthing and holding her son, and the decision to return to that same space to bring Daisy into the world — surrounded by love, memory, and the presence of her firstborn son.

We talk about:

• The unexpected loss of her son Beau at full term
• The out-of-body experience of being told there was no heartbeat
• Choosing to birth Beau unmedicated, and the power in that decision
• Parenting her two younger daughters through grief and sibling loss
• Navigating pregnancy after loss and the decision to be induced
• Returning to the same birth room — and how that became an act of reclamation
• Welcoming Daisy and honouring Beau in every step

Courtney’s story is honest, heartbreaking, and full of the fierce love only a mother could give. It’s a testament to what it means to walk through unimaginable loss — and to find healing in the most unexpected places.

🕊️ Beau, this one is for you.

Get to Know Courtney:

Courtney is a mother of 3 daughters, Taylor, Briar and Daisy, and 1 angel baby boy, Beau, who lives in Collingwood, Ontario. Right now she is on maternity leave with her rainbow baby, but when she is in the working world, she works as an Educational Assistant with the School Board. Courtney enjoys baking sourdough (when she remembers to feed her dying starter), going for hikes, creating new embroidery art and spending time working in the garden planted for Beau. 

Connect with Courtney:

Instagram: @courthodgson

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven -- use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100 on enrollment🕊 RECLAIM -- The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim -- use promo code: RECLAIM to save $100📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

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Ashley shares the sacred and heart-shattering story of her daughter Marigold, born after a fatal diagnosis. In this deeply moving episode, Ashley walks us through the months of preparing to say goodbye, the home birth she fought for, and the moments of peace, presence, and pain that came after. She also shares the path to her rainbow pregnancy and the emotional birth of her son, Wesley, born just over a year later.

We talk about:

• Receiving a life-limiting diagnosis halfway through pregnancy
• Choosing comfort care and preparing for her daughter’s death
• Planning a home birth for a baby who wouldn’t stay
• The sacred 43 minutes she spent holding Marigold
• The moment her two daughters met— just before Goldie passed
• Navigating postpartum grief, rage, and the aching silence that followed
• Becoming pregnant again just 4.5 months later
• The emotional and physical intensity of birthing after loss
• The healing, heartbreak, and transformation that comes with mothering all her children

This episode is a tender, powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist— and that birth, even in loss, can absolutely be sacred.

🕊️ Goldie, this one is for you.

Get to Know Ashley:

Ashley Thorup is a mom to three children, Luca June, Marigold, and Wesley, a wife to Michael, and a home birth midwife from Fayetteville, Arkansas. When she isn’t with her loved ones or attending births, she enjoys being outdoors, reading, writing, gardening, and eating really dark chocolate.

Connect with Ashley: 

Instagram: @ashley.thorup

Website: marigoldmidwifery.com

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca

🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven -- use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100 on enrollment

🕊 RECLAIM -- The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim -- use promo code: RECLAIM to save $100

📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review– this helps get the show and resources mentioned into the hands of the women that need them! And please share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.