Send us Fan Mail

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

Send us Fan Mail

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. 🌷

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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. 

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this deeply vulnerable episode, Tyla shares the story of her twin daughters, Jhene and Raelyn. From the joyful surprise of a twin pregnancy to the unimaginable heartbreak of a stillbirth at nearly 26 weeks, Tyla takes us through the sacred, painful, and powerful moments that changed her forever.

We talk about:

• Navigating a high-risk twin pregnancy
• The moment she was told there were no heartbeats
• The trauma of birth and hospital decisions
• How she and her husband walked through the days and weeks that followed
• Finding meaning, motherhood, and the courage to try again
• Welcoming her rainbow baby

This episode is an emotional, essential listen for anyone who has loved and lost a baby, and for all of us seeking to better understand the depth of grief— and the depth of love— that loss parents carry.

🕊️ Jhene and Raelyn, this one is for you.

Get to Know Tyla

Tyla lives in Oshawa, ON with her husband, her earthside son, Lincoln and her furbaby Lyla. Outside of constantly colouring with Lincoln, keeping him from feeding Lyla and going on adventures at the park so Lincoln can find all the pinecones and chase all the birds, she is getting back into body movement via Crossfit. She considers herself a reality TV connoisseur; everything from The Real World to Love Island to Traitors, she's seen it all. She also loves a good skincare routine, root beer and sushi. 

Connect with Tyla on instagram: @tylacampbell

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website:The Doula Life

🌈 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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this powerful first episode, Parisa shares her deeply personal story of pregnancy, loss, and life after. From a missed miscarriage and the loss of her daughter, to conceiving again just weeks later, she opens up about how her faith, marriage, and motherhood were transformed.

We talk about:

• Grieving while parenting a toddler
• The emotional aftermath of a D&C
• Coping with Pregnancy After Loss
• Finding strength in surrender and support
• Preparing for birth with fear and faith in hand

If you’re navigating life after loss, TTC again, or pregnant with your rainbow— this story will remind you that you are not alone. 💛 

Lily, this one is for you 🕊

Get to Know Parisa 

Parisa is a wife, mom of two, and a psychosomatic therapist. She helps clients deepen their connection to both their bodies and their faith while working through personal and generational trauma. Believing that healing these areas is essential for a healthy and peaceful life, Parisa provides practical, accessible tools to achieve lasting well-being.

Connect with Parisa 

Instagram: @parisa.living

Website: parisaliving.com

Connect with Kristin 

📍 Website: The Doula Life

🌈  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!

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Jessica Zucker joins Kristin for an honest, compassionate conversation about miscarriage, shame, and the lifelong work of normalizing women’s experiences.

Jessica opens up about her own second-trimester loss, what inspired her to write I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, A Movement, and how one New York Times essay became a viral campaign that changed the way we talk about reproductive loss. She also shares her journey through breast cancer, her latest book Normalize It, and the lessons she’s learned about grief, womanhood, and resilience along the way.

We talk about:

• The story behind the I Had a Miscarriage movement and its impact worldwide
• Why shame thrives in silence—and how storytelling helps it dissolve
• The cultural discomfort around grief and why “at least” statements cause harm
• How to truly show up for someone after loss (and what not to say)
• Why pregnancy loss education should begin in sex ed
• The ripple effect of sharing our stories and normalizing pain
• The importance of acknowledging hidden griefs—from miscarriage to menopause
• How Dr. Zucker continues her mission to support women after loss

This episode is a gentle invitation to move closer to the parts of our stories that hurt—and to discover how connection, compassion, and truth-telling can help us heal.

Get to Know Dr. Jessica Zucker
Dr. Jessica Zucker is a Los Angeles–based psychologist specializing in reproductive and maternal mental health. She is the author of I Had a Miscarriage: A Memoir, a Movement and Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women’s Lives, and the creator of the viral #IHadaMiscarriage campaign. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Vogue, and more.

Website: drjessicazucker.com
Instagram: @ihadamiscarriage
Dr Jessica's newest release: Normalize It: Upending the Silence, Stigma, and Shame That Shape Women's Lives

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
💛 Mother Like No Other — TTC After Loss Support Space: thedoulalife.ca/mother
📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review—it helps get the show and the resources mentioned 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Welcome to The Rainbow Connection— a podcast for mothers navigating life, loss, and the sacred space in between. In this short trailer, you'll hear what inspired this space, what you can expect in future episodes, and why your story, no matter where you are on your journey, belongs here.

I can't wait to chat 🤍

Send us Fan Mail

Cathy shares the sacred and devastating story of her daughter Sage, stillborn just days after a healthy ultrasound at 36 weeks. In this raw and powerful episode, she walks us through the shock of hearing “I’m sorry, there’s no heartbeat,” the 30-hour labor she endured, and the precious five days she and her husband spent with their daughter in the hospital. Cathy also opens up about her subsequent pregnancy with her son River—a complicated, fear-filled journey marked by early labor, infections, and the exhaustion of navigating pregnancy after loss.

Now, as a mother of both Sage and River and pregnant once more, Cathy reflects on resilience, legacy, and the daily balancing act of holding grief and joy side by side.

We talk about:

• The innocence of first pregnancy and the devastation of stillbirth
• Choosing induction, enduring a 30-hour labor, and advocating for an empowering birth even in loss
• Spending five days with Sage, and the importance of acknowledgment and memory-making
• The secondary losses of strained relationships and misguided support
• The emptiness of leaving the hospital without her baby
• Navigating TTC, delayed cycles, and the complexity of pregnancy after loss
• River’s birth and the overwhelming relief of hearing his first cry
• The coexistence of joy and grief in mothering both a living and non-living child
• Honoring Sage’s legacy while raising River and preparing to welcome another baby

This episode is a deeply moving reminder that grief is never just one goodbye — motherhood after loss means holding the “should-have-beens” alongside the living present.

🕊️ Sage, this one is for you.

Get to Know Cathy:Cathy Nguyen is a podiatrist, yoga teacher, and mother to her daughter Sage and son River. Born and raised in Perth, Australia, Cathy shares her motherhood journey openly, weaving grief, resilience, and advocacy into her life and work.

Instagram: @cathy.nguyen93Cathy's book: It Started with... "I'm Sorry, There's No Heartbeat"

Connect with Kristin:📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca

🌈 The Haven – Pregnancy After Loss Support Program (use promo code RAINBOW to save $100)🕊 Mother Like No Other – Loss Community (use promo code MOTHER to get your first month for only $11)📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review. Please share it with someone who could use this kind of support—your support helps this podcast reach the women who need it most.

Send us Fan Mail

Emily Green, known to many as Emily the Medium, shares her profoundly moving story of becoming pregnant with her long-awaited daughter, the magical signs that led up to conception, and the heartbreaking miscarriage that followed. In this episode, Emily reflects on what it was like to experience loss as a spirit baby medium, how her daughter continues to communicate with her through dreams, signs, and synchronicities, and how we can all cultivate a deeper connection with our babies in spirit.

We talk about:

• How Emily first discovered her gift of connecting with spirit babies
• The magical dreams, dragonflies, and synchronicities that surrounded her pregnancy
• Navigating the push and pull of uncertainty throughout her pregnancy
• The heartbreaking day she learned her daughter had passed
• Moving through grief as both a mother and a medium
• The circular love between parents and their spirit babies
• Practical ways to keep the “portal” open for signs and connection
• Reframing intuition and learning discernment in grief

This episode is tender, spiritual, and a reminder that love transcends time and space— our babies are always with us.

🕊️ this is for you, baby girl.

Get to Know Emily:Emily Green, also known as Emily the Medium, is a spiritual teacher, intuitive guide, and author who has supported thousands of families in connecting with their spirit babies. Through her sessions, podcast, and book, she helps parents navigate loss, conception, and connection with the souls of their children.

• Instagram: @emilythemedium
• Website: thedoulalife.ca🌈 The Haven – Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/the-haven — use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100 on enrollment🕊 Mother Like No Other Community: thedoulalife.ca/mother (use promo code: MOTHER for your first month for only $11)📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life
• If this episode touched you, please subscribe, rate, and review—it helps this podcast reach more mothers who need it. And share it with a friend who could use the reminder that love and connection with our babies in spirit never ends.

Send us Fan Mail

Danielle Lampman opens her heart and shares the devastating story of her daughter Rosie, born still at 37 weeks. In this tender and courageous episode, Danielle walks us through the night everything changed, the birth and goodbye that followed, the trauma and PTSD that rippled through her first year of grief, and the long road to welcoming her rainbow baby.

We talk about:

• The night Danielle realized her baby girl had stopped moving
• Giving birth to Rosie and choosing to let family and friends meet her
• The beauty and heartbreak of including her daughters in saying goodbye
• Navigating the early days of grief and postpartum without a baby in her arms
• Living with trauma, panic attacks, and PTSD symptoms after stillbirth
• Finding answers through pathology and the questions that remained
• The journey of trying to conceive again and facing infertility after loss
• Becoming pregnant with her rainbow baby, Poppy, and navigating a new kind of hope and fear

This episode is a tender reminder that even when life doesn’t go as it was “supposed to,” mothers carry an unshakable love and strength that endures.

🕊️ Rosie Noel, this one is for you.

Resources Mentioned:

• https://countthekicks.org/
• Zuranolone Information (Postpartum Depression Treatment) — learn more about this newly approved medication for postpartum depression and how it’s offering hope for mothers navigating the hardest seasons of recovery. 

Get to Know Danielle:

Danielle is a psychiatric nurse practitioner, wife to Chris, and mother to five daughters: Lily, Holly, Rosie (forever loved), Poppy, and another little girl due soon. She lives in Durham, North Carolina, and is passionate about mental health, family, and honoring all of her babies.

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 – Support for Navigating Life After Loss: thedoulalife.ca/mother (use promo code: MOTHER for your first month for only $11)📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review — it helps bring these stories into the hands and hearts of mothers who need them most. And share it with someone who could use this kind of support.

Send us Fan Mail

In this deeply personal solo episode, Kristin shares the sacred and heart-shattering story of her daughter, Vienna Elisabeth. Recorded on the 4 year anniversary of publicly sharing Vienna’s stillbirth, Kristin finally tells her full story — from pregnancy, to the subtle warning signs that were overlooked, to the sacred and devastating moments of birth, and the grief and healing that followed.

We talk about:

• Experiencing multiple pregnancy losses before Vienna
• Weeks of bleeding, bedrest, and the hope of reaching milestones
• The joy of preparing for a baby shower and dreaming of motherhood
• The ignored warning signs in her third trimester that led to stillbirth
• The powerful, sacred, and oxytocin-filled moments of birthing Vienna
• Holding, naming, and spending 24 hours with her daughter
• The heartbreak of leaving the hospital without her baby
• Receiving a diagnosis of antiphospholipid syndrome as the likely cause
• How Vienna’s life continues to inspire The Haven, her doula work, and her motherhood

This tender and transformative episode is a reminder that even in loss, birth can be sacred — and that our love for our babies never ends. 

Vienna, this one is for you. This is all for you. 🕊

Get to Know Kristin:🌷 Website: thedoulalife.ca🌈 The Haven - Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven — use promo code: RAINBOW to save $100📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If you enjoyed this episode, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate, and review — it helps get these stories 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Siobhan Koch’s journey to motherhood spanned over a decade of infertility, foster parenting, adoption, and finally the miraculous unassisted pregnancy of her daughter, Talitha. In this sacred and heart-shattering episode, Siobhan shares the story of her waters breaking at 18 weeks, Talitha’s birth and brief life, and the trauma and beauty interwoven through her loss. She also opens up about becoming pregnant again by surprise, navigating the intense anxiety of pregnancy after loss, and how she and her family honour Talitha while raising her two brothers.

We talk about:

• 12 years of infertility and unexpected adoption of her son Paul
• Becoming pregnant with Talitha after years of fertility treatments
• Premature rupture of membranes at 18 weeks and the waiting game that followed
• Talitha’s birth, the sacred hour she spent alive, and saying goodbye
• Postpartum hemorrhage and trauma recovery
• Navigating deep grief while parenting an older child
• The surprise rainbow pregnancy with Silas and its intense anxiety
• Learning to hope again and finding support through loss
• Honouring Talitha daily and integrating her memory into family life

This episode is tender, raw, and full of hope— a reminder that grief and joy can coexist, and that every baby’s story matters. 🕊

Get to Know Siobhan:Siobhan Koch lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with her husband and two sons, Paul and Silas, while holding close the memory of their daughter Talitha. She is a former foster mom, adoption mama, and runs a charity building tiny homes for vulnerable communities.

📷 Instagram: @siobhan.koch

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: thedoulalife.ca/mother— use promo code: MOTHER to save 50% off your first month📷 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If this episode resonates, please subscribe, rate, and share—it helps get these stories into the hands of the women who need them most.

Send us Fan Mail

Sarah Herron shares the deeply moving story of her son Oliver, conceived through IVF, and the heartbreaking moment she had to say goodbye. In this powerful conversation, Sarah walks us through the shock of infertility, the devastation of loss, and the sacred ways Oliver’s spirit continues to guide her. She also shares the emotional, high-risk journey of carrying twins after loss, their early arrival at 32 weeks, and what it means to step into motherhood with grief, gratitude, and resilience.We talk about:- Navigating infertility, IVF, and a diminished ovarian reserve diagnosis- The pregnancy and loss of her son, Oliver, at 25 weeks- Moving through postpartum grief, guilt, and spiritual searching- Choosing IVF again and discovering she was pregnant with twins- The anxiety and milestones of pregnancy after loss- Her daughters’ premature birth and NICU stay- The tension between grief and joy, and how Oliver remains present in her motherhood- Parenting twins while navigating physical disability and societal perceptions- The gifts, strength, and perspective loss brought to her life and marriageThis episode is a tender, vulnerable reminder that love and grief are forever intertwined— and that it can be a portal in becoming a more compassionate and loving human.

🕊 Oliver, this one is for you.Get to Know SarahInternationally recognized as “Sarah Herron from The Bachelor,” Sarah is more intimately known as an adventure enthusiast and IVF warrior. She has used the platform she gained from reality TV to build both virtual and real-life communities for women walking vulnerable spectrums of life—disability, infertility, pregnancy loss, grief, and now, motherhood to one-year-old twin girls.Sarah is the founder of the nonprofit SheLift, the virtual support group The Infertile Circle, and the hiking collective Tents Without Gents. Her work continues to inspire and uplift women navigating complex and courageous paths.🌐 Learn more at walkwithme.org📸 Instagram: @sarahherron

Connect with Kristin📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven🕊 Mother Like No Other -- TTC Community: thedoulalife.ca/mother📸 Instagram: @the.doula.lifeIf you enjoyed this episode of the podcast, please don’t forget to subscribe, rate and review—it helps get the show and these stories into the hands of the women who need them most. And share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this deeply moving episode, Amanda shares the sacred and heart-shattering story of her daughter, Iona. She takes us inside her beautiful home birth, the unimaginable loss that followed, and her journey through grief, healing, and now pregnancy after loss.

We talk about:

- The joy of being pregnant with Iona and choosing a home birth

- The beauty of her 25-hour labor and the shock of losing her daughter

- Facing judgment and misunderstanding after a home birth loss

- Navigating postpartum grief, isolation, and honoring Iona

- Rituals and ways Amanda connects with her daughter

- The hope, fear, and love of pregnancy after loss

This episode is a tender, courageous reminder that grief and love can coexist—and that our babies remain part of our families forever.

Iona, this one is for you 🕊

Get to Know Amanda: 

Amanda lives in the mountains of Mendocino County, Northern California, with her husband Leonello and their two pups. Before her loss, she worked at a pottery studio and loved baking sourdough. Now, she and Leonello spend their days tending fruit trees, caring for their old homestead, and walking the creek that runs through the land where Amanda grew up. Since losing her daughter Iona, she has found comfort in nature—especially swimming in ponds, creeks, and lakes nearby. At nearly 32 weeks pregnant after loss, Amanda is taking time to slow down, be present, and honour this tender journey. Her wish for other loss mothers is that they know they are never alone, and that connection and community can be found.

📸 Instagram: @amandakatz

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

🕊 Mother Like No Other community - thedoulalife.ca/mother

📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, rate, and share—it helps get these stories into the hands of the women who need them most.

Send us Fan Mail

Sue shares the extraordinary and deeply human story of becoming a mother at just 17, and the impossible, selfless choice she was forced to make — to give her baby up for adoption. From the isolation of a maternity home in the 1980s to the moment she held her son again 18 years later, Sue reflects on the heartbreak of loving from afar, and the profound healing that reunion brought.

Her path to motherhood took many winding turns. After reconnecting with her firstborn, she experienced a miscarriage — a loss she didn’t have the opportunity to process until many years later, something so many women quietly carry. Eventually, Sue welcomed her rainbow baby, and found redemption and fullness in a chapter she had once feared she’d never reach.

In this conversation, Sue opens up about grief, forgiveness, adoption, reunion, miscarriage, and the love that asked her to let go… only to find its way back home.

We talk about:
 - Becoming pregnant at 17 and being sent to a maternity home
 - The emotional weight of giving her baby up for adoption
 - Writing letters to her son during pregnancy
 - Reuniting with him 18 years later
 - Meeting his adoptive mother and finding unexpected connection
 - Experiencing miscarriage years later and grieving it in hindsight
 - Welcoming her rainbow baby Nick
 - How her story shapes the way she now supports families through loss

Sue’s story is a powerful reminder that motherhood is not defined by proximity, timing, or circumstance — but by love, in every form it takes.

🕊 This one is for the mothers who’ve had to love from afar, and for the love that always finds its way home.

Get to Know Sue:
Sue lives in Burlington, Ontario with her husband Joe and their two spoiled cats. She is the proud mother of two young adults, Nick and Hailey, who are both emerging artists in the film and musical theatre industries. Sue is a doula specializing in surrogacy births and pregnancy & infant loss, a certified Grief & Loss Coach, and a long-time facilitator of grief support groups. When she’s not supporting families or working as an Executive Assistant, she can be found long-distance cycling with Joe.

 📧 Email: sue@jsbalaz.com

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven – Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🌿 Mother Like No Other – Loss Mom Community: www.thedoulalife.ca/mother
📸 Instagram: @the.doula.life and @therainbowconnectionpodcast

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review — your support helps this show reach more families who need it.

Send us Fan Mail

Tallia Deljou shares the story of her son, born at 22 weeks, and the transformative journey that followed — through miscarriage, grief, and the slow reimagining of what motherhood could look like after loss. In this heartfelt conversation, Tallia opens up about rebuilding trust in her body, choosing not to become pregnant again, and finding peace and purpose in the waiting as she prepares to grow her family through surrogacy.

We talk about:
- Navigating multiple pregnancy losses and a 22-week delivery
- The shock, grief, and meaning-making that followed loss
- Rebuilding trust in her body and marriage after trauma
- Choosing not to get pregnant again and honoring her boundaries
- Exploring surrogacy and learning to wait with hope
- The spiritual and emotional lessons of loss and surrender
- Creating Mothers Rising, a space for moms-in-waiting
- Healing through community, reflection, and inner work
- Learning to give hope a place to live again

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

Get to know Tallia:
Tallia Deljou is a life coach and writer on emotional health. Grounded in positive psychology and Internal Family Systems, her work offers insight, frameworks, and tools to help people navigate their inner landscapes, heal emotional wounds, and find their way forward. As a loss mom, she brings a deep understanding of grief, resilience, and the courage it takes to rebuild— weaving her lived experience into everything she teaches and creates.

Instagram: @talliadeljou
Website: talliadeljou.com/workshop-library

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.

Send us Fan Mail

Shelby Corallo shares the story of her son, Luke, born at 22 weeks after a long and deeply hoped-for pregnancy following two years of IVF. In this episode, Shelby invites us into the joy of finally becoming pregnant, the sudden and traumatic turn that led to preterm labor, and the sacred hours she and her husband spent holding their baby boy. She reflects on grief, signs, and the ongoing journey of healing as she navigates life, motherhood, and pregnancy after loss with courage and honesty.

We talk about:

• Two years of IVF and the joy of finally seeing a positive pregnancy test
• A sudden hospital visit and the shock of preterm labor at 22 weeks
• Giving birth to Luke and the sacred hours spent holding him
• Leaving the hospital without a baby and the layers of early grief
• Learning to say her son’s name and claim her motherhood after loss
• Finding comfort in signs like rainbows and cardinals
• How grief shows up differently for partners
• Therapy, coping, and caring for yourself after loss
• Navigating the fear and hope of trying to conceive again after pregnancy loss

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

Get to Know Shelby:

Shelby Corallo lives in Peterborough, Ontario, and works as a resource consultant in Durham Region. She is a wife, a dog mama, and the loving mother of her son, Luke. Shelby shares openly about loss, healing, and the quiet ways her baby continues to be part of her life. When she’s not lakeside soaking up the views, she finds comfort in cooking, cozy TV shows, and moments that help her feel close to her son.

Instagram: @shelbycorallo

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: https://www.thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: https://www.thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: https://www.thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 Mother Like No Other — Loss Mom Community: https://www.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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this deeply moving episode, grief coach and mother of three, Krista Wilson, shares the story of her son, Harrison, who was born at 23.5 weeks after an unexpected preterm labor during a winter trip to Whistler. Krista recounts the ambulance ride down the Sea-to-Sky Highway, the NICU moments she will never forget, and the heartbreaking choice she and her husband had to make when machines became the only thing keeping Harrison alive.

She also opens up about her pregnancy after loss, including a high-risk journey marked by cervical sutures, nine weeks of hospital bedrest, and the emotional birth of her rainbow baby, Julia — born almost to the minute Harrison passed. This is a story about infant loss, pregnancy after loss, and the extraordinary resilience of a mother’s love.

We talk about:

- The night Krista went into preterm labor at 23.5 weeks
- The ambulance ride through a snowy mountain highway
- Meeting Harrison, holding him, and saying goodbye
- Pregnancy after loss while navigating trauma, fear, and hypervigilance
- Nine weeks of strict hospital bedrest for her rainbow pregnancy
- Julia’s premature birth and the cord around her neck
- The moment Krista realized Julia arrived almost exactly nine months after Harrison’s death
- How grief ultimately shaped Krista’s calling to support others through pregnancy and infant loss

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

Get to know Krista:

Krista Harrison lives in Richmond, BC with her husband, John, and their youngest daughter, Jaina. After raising two biological children and fostering four others over 25 years, Krista felt called into grief work following the loss of her son, Harrison, and the high-risk pregnancy that brought her rainbow baby, Julia, into the world. Today, she is a life and grief coach specializing in pregnancy and infant loss, supporting families through some of the most tender and transformative moments of their lives. Krista brings warmth, lived wisdom, and deep compassion to every woman she supports.

Instagram: @kristaharrisoncoaching

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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 feel free to share this episode with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this powerful episode, Channing Hart shares the heartbreaking story of losing her sons—Leo, who she and her husband lovingly chose to release at 16 weeks after a Jacob syndrome diagnosis, and Oliver, who was stillborn at 26 weeks following severe intrauterine growth restriction, reverse blood flow, and rapid decline. While navigating her grief and fear in pregnancy after loss, Channing also faced a shocking diagnosis of papillary thyroid carcinoma at just eight weeks pregnant. Through impossible decisions, profound love, cancer treatment, and the quiet work of rebuilding her life, Channing speaks openly about grief, survival, motherhood after loss, and the hope she now holds for trying to conceive again. 

We talk about:

• Channing’s surprise first pregnancy and the TFMR decision for her son Leo
• Navigating stigma, grief, and family dynamics after termination for medical reasons
• Becoming pregnant again and receiving a cancer diagnosis at eight weeks
• Severe IUGR, reverse blood flow, and the loss of her son Oliver at 26 weeks
• The agonizing decision between labor & delivery and a D&E for Oliver
• Post-loss cancer surgery, healing, and the meaning she found in timing
• How she honors both her sons daily and keeps their memories woven into her life
• The role of community, connection, and storytelling in her healing
• Moving toward trying to conceive after loss with fear, courage, and hope

This episode is a tender, powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist—and that birth, even in loss, can be sacred. Channing’s story invites us all to slow down, soften, and honor the complicated, courageous truth of motherhood after loss.

Get to Know Channing:

Channing Hart lives just outside Washington, DC with her husband and their two cats, Boots and Joni. She is the mother of two angel sons—Leo, who she and her husband released at 16 weeks, and Oliver, who was stillborn at 26 weeks in February 2025. Channing is also a recent thyroid cancer survivor, diagnosed at eight weeks pregnant with Oliver, and now finds deep purpose in connecting with other mothers navigating cancer during pregnancy. With a background in Studio Art, she finds joy in interior design, photography, cooking, and time spent near the ocean. She is profoundly grateful for the community of mothers she’s found through The Doula Life, walking this path of grief and healing together.

Instagram:  @channing.hart

Hope for Two - The Pregnant with Cancer Network: https://hopefortwo.org/

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 feel free to share this episode with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this tender episode of The Rainbow Connection, Laurel Schaffman shares the heartbreaking and beautiful story of her son Miles, born at 24 weeks after severe fetal growth restriction and complications that led to his passing just two days later. Laurel speaks honestly about their NICU time, navigating grief, and the overwhelming return home to a quiet nursery. She also invites us into the truth of pregnancy after loss, the fear that surfaced when she conceived again, and the careful, monitored journey that brought her rainbow baby Theo safely into her arms. Through her story, Laurel reflects on motherhood after loss, honoring Miles, and learning to live in the present with her son on earth.

We talk about:

• The whirlwind beginning of her first pregnancy and the first signs of concern.
• Receiving devastating news at 24 weeks and the decision to deliver early.
• The two precious days Laurel and Josh spent with Miles in the NICU.
• The disorienting early grief, funeral arrangements, and advocating for her son even after his passing.
• The longing to try again and the emotional complexity of pregnancy after loss.
• Navigating fear, frequent monitoring, and finding the right support team.
• Setting boundaries during PAL and choosing who to tell — and how.
• The redemptive, carefully planned C-section that brought Theo safely into the world.
• How motherhood after loss reshapes everything: language, presence, gratitude, and identity.
• Honoring Miles while raising Theo, and learning to mother both her boys in different ways.

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

Get to Know Laurel:

Laurel Schaffman is an elementary school teacher and mother from West Hartford, Connecticut. She is the mom of two beautiful boys — her angel baby, Miles, and her rainbow baby, Theo. Typically a private person, Laurel found that walking through pregnancy loss, NICU loss, and pregnancy after loss opened her heart in new ways. She now shares her story so other women walking this path know they are not alone, and so Miles’ life continues to be honored through the ways she mothers.

Guest Links:
Instagram: @lshaff13
 

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 get these stories into the hands of the women who need them most. And feel free to share this with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this tender and faith-rooted episode, Julie Wells shares the story of her son Gabriel, who she lost at 14 weeks after a traumatic and mishandled ER experience. She walks us through the early joy of his pregnancy, the sudden shift into contractions, her water breaking in the hospital hallway, and the heartbreaking moment she delivered him after a sneeze. Julie speaks vulnerably about holding Gabriel, naming him through tears, and navigating the deep grief that followed — as well as the regret and acceptance that came with his burial.
She also opens her heart about pregnancy after loss, fearfully approaching the 14-week mark again, and the miraculous, spiritually-charged birth of her rainbow baby girl, Amayah, born after a fast labor while her husband was sick with norovirus. This is a story of grief, motherhood, faith, and the thin places between earth and heaven.

We talk about:

• The early symptoms, sickness, and intuition Julie had during Gabriel’s pregnancy
• The ER experience where her concerns were dismissed and minimized
• The moment her water broke, the instant grief, and giving birth in the hallway 
• Holding Gabriel, naming him, and finding meaning in the sacredness of his life
• Navigating postpartum grief without a baby in her arms
• Wanting to conceive again and becoming pregnant a month later
• The fear of reaching (and passing) 14 weeks in her rainbow pregnancy
• The powerful birth of her daughter Ameya and the “veil” feeling thin between worlds
• How she honors Gabriel today — scones, ducks, keepsakes, and connection
• Walking alongside other loss moms as a way of honoring her son’s life

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

Get to know Julie:

Julie Wells is a Minnesota-based mama to three: her toddler son, her angel baby Gabriel, and her rainbow baby girl, Ameya. A former certified midwife for developing nations and a full-time mother, Julie carries a deep passion for maternal health, faith, and creating everyday adventures with her little ones. Her heart for loss families shines through everything she does — honoring Gabriel by supporting other mothers walking through pregnancy after loss. 

Instagram: @mrs.juwells

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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this tender and courageous episode of The Rainbow Connection, Kristine McNeil shares the story of her daughter Banks, the profound loss that reshaped her life, and the emotional landscape of navigating miscarriage, trying to conceive after loss, and pregnancy after loss. Kristine opens up about the early signs she tried to ignore, the intuition she wishes had been heard, and the grief that followed the moment everything changed. She also reflects on the journey toward her rainbow baby—what it meant to carry both fear and hope, how she rebuilt trust in her body, and the ways she continues to honour Banks in her motherhood today. This episode holds space for the complexity of stillbirth, pregnancy loss, healing after miscarriage, and the transformative path of motherhood after loss.

We talk about:

- The early signs and intuition that something wasn’t right
- The devastating moment of losing Banks
- Navigating grief, trauma, and the unraveling that followed
- The fear and emotional weight of trying to conceive after loss
- How pregnancy after loss changed the way she trusted her body
- Rebuilding connection with herself while honouring her baby
- The birth of her rainbow baby and the emotions that came with it
- Motherhood after loss and living with both grief and gratitude
- The ways Banks continues to shape her life
- What healing now looks like for Kristine

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

Get to Know Kristine:
Kristine McNeil lives in Greenville, South Carolina with her husband, Shawn, and their three beautiful children Earthside—Cadence, Sutler, and Cash. She also carries the love of her daughter, Banks, who lives forever in her heart. Kristine is a devoted mother, a lover of home decorating, and someone who finds joy in cheering her kids on from the sidelines and spending time with the people she loves most. Having walked through profound grief, she approaches life with gratitude, tenderness, and a commitment to finding beauty and purpose in every moment.

Instagram: @kristineemcneil

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support: 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 feel free to share this episode with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Rainbow Connection, Colleen shares the story of her daughter, Kyleigh, conceived after years of infertility and IVF. Her pregnancy — filled with hope, anxiety, and countless ultrasounds — took a sudden turn when decreased cord blood flow and rapidly escalating blood pressure revealed severe preeclampsia. At just 27 weeks and 5 days, Colleen delivered baby Kyleigh, who entered the world fighting with every ounce of strength she had. Colleen and her husband held her, loved her, and spent sacred hours with her in the NICU before she passed. This is a story of pregnancy loss, premature birth, motherhood after loss, and the deep imprint one tiny life can leave on the world.

We talk about:

• The long journey through infertility, IVF, and finally seeing a positive pregnancy test
• Anxiety during pregnancy after years of trauma and uncertainty
• Decreased cord blood flow, preeclampsia, and conflicting medical advice
• The maternal-fetal medicine doctor who helped save precious hours with Kyleigh
• The emergency C-section at 27 weeks and Kyleigh’s beautiful birth
• Meeting their daughter — her long legs, her fighting spirit, and her tiny movements
• The moment everything changed in the NICU
• Holding her, baptizing her, and the sacred time gifted through the cuddle cot
• The community who showed up with love, cards, and gestures that meant everything
• What life looks like now and the ongoing reality of postpartum after loss

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


Get to Know Colleen:

Colleen lives in the quiet hills of Sayre, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their two dogs — and, most recently, a pair of very loved pigs. She has been with her husband since they were sixteen and now teaches sixth grade at a small, close-knit school just over the New York border. When she’s not in the classroom, you can usually find her on the porch with a good book. Colleen is the proud mother of her daughter, Kyleigh, whose short but powerful life continues to shape her heart and her work in the world.

Instagram: @coll.meehan and @kyleighslove_lives

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 get these stories and resources into the hands of the women who need them most. And if you feel called, share it with someone who could use this kind of support. Your support means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this tender and emotional episode, Lindsay Jackson shares the story of her daughter Amelia, who was born still just one week shy of seven months. Lindsay walks us through her pregnancies — a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, and finally her long-awaited baby girl — and the moment everything changed at her anatomy scan. Through fear, intuition, medical trauma, and the sacred weeks she carried Amelia against all odds, Lindsay offers an honest and deeply human look at pregnancy loss, stillbirth, and healing after heartbreak.

We talk about:

• Lindsay’s first miscarriage and the difficult, drawn-out process that followed
• Navigating an ectopic pregnancy and the emergency decisions she was forced to make
• Becoming pregnant again after loss and the terror of every ultrasound
• The moment her anatomy scan revealed devastating news
• How Amelia continued to hold on for six more weeks
• Hearing “there’s no heartbeat” and walking into labor with a broken heart
• The physical trauma and multiple surgeries that followed her loss
• How she and her husband are beginning to consider their future — including surrogacy
• What hope looks like when life keeps dropping you to your knees
• The ongoing process of healing while still honoring her daughter’s life

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

Get to Know Lindsay:
Lindsay Jackson is a marketing professional living in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her husband of four years and their beloved 14-year-old dog. Originally from Georgia, Lindsay has spent the last several years navigating a long and deeply emotional journey through miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, and the stillbirth of her daughter, Amelia. Her story is one of courage, intuition, and the daily work of choosing hope even when the path ahead feels uncertain. Lindsay’s openness, honesty, and resilience offer comfort and connection to anyone walking the road of pregnancy loss or motherhood after loss.

Instagram: @lsparis

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven

🌸 Mother Like No Other: 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.

Send us Fan Mail

In today’s episode, I’m joined by mother and coach, Joy Harrington, who shares the powerful story of her son, Sterling — a beautiful baby boy who died shortly after birth from early onset Group B Strep. Joy brings us into the shock, trauma, and unraveling that followed, and the long path toward healing, pregnancy after loss, and welcoming her rainbow baby, Stella. Now pregnant again, Joy also talks about intuition, spirit baby connections, and the grounded peace she feels in this pregnancy.

We talk about:

- Joy’s pregnancy and home birth with Sterling
- The signs that were missed and the shock of losing him within hours of birth
- Navigating trauma, marriage strain, and the search for answers
- How infant loss reshaped her motherhood, identity, and marriage
- Her spiritual experiences and the belief that Sterling wasn’t “done”
- The infertility journey that followed and the eventual conception of her rainbow baby
- How pregnancy after loss felt physically, emotionally, and spiritually
- What bringing Stella home healed — and what it didn’t
- The grief differences between partners and rebuilding connection
- Her current pregnancy and the profound sense of knowing she carries with her

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

Get to Know Joy:

Joy Harrington is an Arizona-based mother of three, currently pregnant with her fourth baby, and the host of The Resentment Trap — her signature program supporting high-functioning women in healing resentment within their marriages. After losing her son, Sterling, in 2022 to early-onset Group B Strep, Joy’s life, motherhood, and marriage were reshaped in profound ways. Her story weaves together grief, redemption, spiritual connection, and the courageous journey of pregnancy after loss. Today, Joy shares her lived experience to help other women feel seen, supported, and less alone.

Instagram: @joyharrington.ig

Connect with Kristin
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Membership: 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 the show. It helps these stories and resources reach the women who need them most. And if someone you love is navigating life after loss, please share this episode with them — your support truly means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this deeply moving episode, Bethany Womack invites us into her decade long journey through recurrent miscarriage, preeclampsia, emergency birth, postpartum PTSD, NICU trauma, and the heartbreaking loss of her son Gabriel. She speaks honestly about the emotional and physical toll of pregnancy loss, the impossible decisions she faced, the grief that reshaped her, and the long, winding path toward her rainbow baby, Teddy, born after years of fear, healing, and rebuilding trust in her own body.

Her story is a powerful testament to the truth that joy and grief can coexist — and that motherhood after loss unfolds in many forms.

We talk about:
- Recurrent early miscarriages and the shock of becoming “the statistic”
- Bowen’s traumatic birth, preeclampsia, hemorrhage, and postpartum PTSD
- Navigating a 22-day NICU stay during Hurricane Harvey
- The emotional and physical devastation of losing Gabriel at 20 weeks
- The sacred, heartbreaking moments of saying goodbye
- How trauma shaped her next pregnancies and birth choices
- Anxiety, hypervigilance, and learning to feel safe in her body again
- The long journey to her rainbow son, Teddy, and his 28-day NICU stay
- Grief within marriage and how she and her husband supported each other
- What it meant to finally leave the hospital with a living baby after so much loss

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

Get to know Bethany:

Bethany Womack lives in Houston, Texas with her husband, Mark, and their three sons, Bowen, Jack, and Teddy,  while lovingly holding the memory of their son, Gabriel. Her journey through motherhood has carried her through recurrent miscarriages, preeclampsia, traumatic birth, postpartum PTSD, and the tender complexities of NICU life. A photographer and storyteller at heart, Bethany shares her experiences with honesty and warmth, helping other loss mothers feel seen in their pain and reminding them that joy and grief often live together. She is passionate about creating space for women to feel less alone in the aftermath of loss.

Instagram: @bethanybwomack

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Membership: thedoulalife.ca/haven 
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim (use promo code RECLAIM to save $100)
🌸 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 get these stories into the hands of the women who need them most. And if someone in your life could use this kind of support, please share it with them. Your support truly means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this solo episode of The Rainbow Connection, Kristin Mundy shares more of her personal motherhood story — including her first miscarriage, a significant health crisis, and the early experiences with grief that shaped who she is today. Kristin reflects on where her motherhood truly began, long before holding a baby in her arms, and how loss quietly influences identity, timing, and becoming. This episode offers an honest look at the parts of the journey that are often unseen, and why slowing down and telling the fuller story matters.

In this episode, Kristin shares:

- Why she felt called to record a solo episode and revisit her own story
- Her experience with her first miscarriage

- Finding herself paralyzed and navigating a major health crisis

- Being diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis and Lupus

- The decision to start chemotherapy on her baby's due date

- Living in the “before” and “after” of loss
- What a viral post revealed about visibility, grief, and untold parts of the story


This episode is a gentle reminder that motherhood doesn’t always begin the way we expect — and that grief, healing, and becoming often start long before the moments the world can see.

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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 get these stories and resources into the hands of the women who need them most. And please share this episode with someone who might need this kind of support.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Rainbow Connection, I sit down with Canadian mom and pediatric nurse, Carmen Grover, to talk about her eleven pregnancies — including early miscarriages, TFMR, the second-trimester loss of her daughter Kaia Bell, and the long, complicated road of pregnancy after loss. Carmen speaks so beautifully about the memories that tether her to each of her babies, the moments that nearly broke her, and the ones that helped her begin to heal. This is a tender story of grief, motherhood after loss, and finding hope again.

We talk about:

- Carmen’s first pregnancy and the early losses that followed
- The heartbreaking diagnosis that led to the TFMR of her daughter Kaia Bell
- How writing became a way to hold, honor, and remember each of her babies
- The complexity of pregnancy after loss and learning to celebrate again
- Parenting living children while grieving the ones you never got to raise
- How partners grieve differently and the strain loss can place on a relationship
- What it looks like to honoUr all of her babies as her family grows
- The unexpected ways her children continue to teach her about love and grief
- Finding healing through community, ritual, and small everyday moments


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

Get to Know Carmen:

Carmen Grover is a Canadian mom to eleven babies — four in her arms and seven she carries in her heart. A pediatric nurse and gifted storyteller, she speaks openly about miscarriage, second-trimester loss, TFMR, and the complex emotions of pregnancy after loss. Carmen’s writing and quiet rituals have become the way she continues to honor each of her babies. She shares her journey in hopes that no parent walking through grief ever feels alone.

Instagram: @adiarytoourbabies
A Diary to my Babies: Find Carmen's book here

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss: 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 get these stories 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Kristen Dunbar shares the story of losing her baby to stillbirth at 38 weeks — a loss that arrived suddenly and changed everything she thought she knew about pregnancy, motherhood, and faith. In this episode, Kristen reflects on listening to her intuition, navigating pregnancy loss without answers, and continuing to mother her living children while grieving the baby she could not bring home. Together, we talk about healing after stillbirth, pregnancy after loss, and what life looks like when joy and grief exist side by side.

We talk about:

- Experiencing stillbirth late in pregnancy
- Intuition and recognizing when something feels wrong
- The shock and anger that can accompany pregnancy loss
- Grieving while continuing to parent other children
- Faith and meaning-making after stillbirth
- The loss of certainty in pregnancy after loss
- Motherhood after loss and continuing to show up
- Healing without answers

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

Get to know Kristen:

Kristen Dunbar is a wife, mother, and homeschooling mom living in Lafayette, Louisiana. She and her husband have been married for nearly 21 years and are raising seven children on earth while honoring the babies they lost through chemical pregnancies, miscarriage, and stillbirth. A former educator, Kristen transitioned to homeschooling and full-time motherhood after a pregnancy-related stroke, grounding her life in faith, service, and family.

Redbird Ministries: www.redbird.love

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Rainbow Connection, Kristin sits down with Dr. Gertrude Lyons for a rich, grounding conversation about motherhood, identity, and what so many women quietly grieve after becoming mothers. Together, they explore how loss, transformation, and mothering intersect — and how many women find themselves navigating not only grief for the babies they’ve lost, but for parts of themselves that have shifted, softened, or disappeared along the way. This episode invites listeners into a more expansive understanding of motherhood — one that honors devotion without demanding self-erasure, and makes room for healing, spirituality, and becoming again.

We talk about:

• Motherhood as a transformational initiation
• The quiet grief of identity loss many mothers carry
• Rewriting inherited narratives of sacrifice
• Holding motherhood and selfhood at the same time
• Loss, healing, and expansion after life-altering transitions
• Why motherhood doesn’t require our disappearance
• Reclaiming creativity, spirituality, and wholeness

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and growth can coexist — and that even after loss, there is space for truth, expansion, and remembering who you are.

Get to know Dr. Gertrude Lyons:

Dr. Gertrude Lyons is an author, coach, and speaker devoted to expanding how we understand motherhood, identity, and creation. Through her coaching, retreats, workshops, and her book Rewrite the Mother Code: From Sacrifice to Stardust, she challenges limiting beliefs around motherhood and gently dismantles the narrow roles women have long been placed in. Her work invites a more expansive truth — that all women mother, that mother energy is accessible to all of us, and that motherhood is deeply connected to spirituality, community, and creation. At the heart of her work is a celebration of women as powerful creators, reclaiming their fullest expression of life.

Instagram: @drgertrudelyons
Website: https://www.drgertrudelyons.com

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven (use code RAINBOW to save $100)
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim (use code RECLAIM to save $100)
🌸 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 these stories and resources reach the women who need them most. And if someone came to mind while listening, please share it with them. Your support truly means so much.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Rainbow Connection, Alana Fear shares the story of her son, Warren, and the shock of experiencing stillbirth after a healthy pregnancy. She reflects on how quickly life can change, the grief that follows when the future you imagined disappears, and how loss reshapes your relationship with hope. Alana also opens up about her pregnancy after loss, navigating fear, cautious optimism, and the reality of carrying new life while continuing to grieve the child who should be here.

We talk about:

• Experiencing stillbirth after a healthy pregnancy
• The loss of innocence that comes with pregnancy loss
• Navigating grief when life felt “perfect” before loss
• Pregnancy after loss and holding hope carefully
• Living as a mother to both the son she lost and the daughter who came after
• How loss reshapes trust in your body and the future
• Finding grounding in simple, ordinary moments after grief

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist — and that love does not end when a baby dies.

Get to know Alana:

Alana Fear lives in Etobicoke, Ontario with her husband, Matt, and their dog, Walter. She is a mother to her son, Warren, whom she lives to remember, and is currently pregnant with her daughter, due this November. Alana finds meaning in the simple things — a warm cup of tea, time in nature, music that meets her in the moment — and finds comfort through journaling, creativity, and storytelling.

Instagram: @fearalana
PAIL Network: https://pailnetwork.sunnybrook.ca/

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/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 — 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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, Deanna shares the story of her miscarriage during an already emotionally heavy season — planning a wedding in the middle of COVID, navigating infertility, and finally seeing two pink lines. Her pregnancy loss unfolded quickly, quietly, and just days before a major life milestone, forcing her to carry grief alongside celebration. We talk about trusting intuition, the complicated nature of early miscarriage, and how pregnancy after loss reshaped her understanding of motherhood, healing, and care.

We talk about:

• Experiencing miscarriage just days before a wedding
• Early pregnancy loss and the validity of early grief
• Trusting intuition and body awareness during pregnancy
• Navigating milestones while grieving
• Pregnancy after loss and becoming a mother
• How loss changes identity and life direction
• Bringing lived experience into motherhood and caregiving
• Holding grief and gratitude at the same time

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief doesn’t follow timelines — and that even early loss can leave a lasting mark. It’s a story about honoring intuition, making space for sorrow, and finding your way into motherhood after loss.

Get to Know Deanna:

Deanna is a registered nurse, mother of two, and perinatal support provider living in Newtonville, Ontario. After experiencing miscarriage and pregnancy after loss, her personal journey deeply shaped the way she shows up for families in the early stages of parenthood. Through her work, she brings empathy, presence, and lived understanding to the care she offers parents navigating both joy and grief.

Instagram: @dee.themamacoach

Website: deanna-kennedy.themamacoach.com

Life With a Baby: lifewithababy.com

Still Held: @still.held

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode, I sit down with Anne Matthews, a fertility acupuncturist and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner based in Oakville, Ontario, to talk about fertility, IVF, IUI, and what integrative support can look like while trying to conceive.

For many women — especially those navigating pregnancy loss — trying again can feel overwhelming. It’s not just about ovulation charts or embryo transfers. It’s about trust, nervous systems, grief, and hope living side by side.

Anne shares how acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine can work alongside Western fertility treatments to support hormone balance, egg quality, uterine health, and emotional regulation. We also talk about the mental load of fertility treatments and how to care for your body without slipping into blame or shame.

We talk about:

• How acupuncture supports IVF and IUI
• The connection between the nervous system and fertility
• TTC after miscarriage and rebuilding trust in your body
• Integrating Eastern and Western medicine
• Supporting egg quality and uterine environment
• The emotional weight of trying to conceive
• Advocating for yourself in fertility care
• Why your body is not broken
  
  

This episode is a grounded, empowering reminder that fertility support can be layered, holistic, and compassionate.

Get to Know Anne:

Anne Matthews is a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner and fertility acupuncturist based in Oakville, Ontario. With advanced training in Chinese medicine and nutrition, Anne specializes in supporting women through fertility challenges, IVF and IUI cycles, and integrative reproductive care. Her approach blends evidence-based practice with whole-person support — helping women feel informed, empowered, and cared for while trying to conceive.

Instagram: @energytreeanne

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Membership: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 Mother Like No Other — TTC After Loss 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Mahaley and Ravi Patel join me to share the story of their daughter, Saachi.

After complications during birth led to meconium aspiration, Saachi spent five days in the NICU before her parents said had to say goodbye. In this episode, Mahaley and Ravi gently reflect on those early days — the hope, the uncertainty, the sacred time they were given — and the heartbreak of leaving the hospital without their baby.

Mahaley, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, grief, trauma, and infant and child loss, speaks openly about what it was like to be supporting families through birth trauma and NICU experiences while navigating the loss of her own daughter. Losing Saachi profoundly deepened and redirected her work — shaping how she now holds space for bereaved parents and ultimately leading her to write her book, Your NICU Story, a resource born from both clinical expertise and lived experience.

Ravi shares honestly about fatherhood in grief, the strain and strengthening of their marriage, and what survival mode truly looked like in those first months.

Over time, their story expanded to include pregnancy after loss, surrogacy, and the arrival of their rainbow babies — all while continuing to honour Saachi in their everyday lives.

We talk about:

• Saachi’s birth and her time in the NICU
• Meconium aspiration and unexpected birth complications
• The sacred and painful experience of saying goodbye
• Grieving differently within a marriage
• Supporting one another when both partners are hurting
• How losing a child reshapes identity and professional calling
• The creation of Your NICU Story and supporting other NICU families
• Pregnancy after loss and cautious hope
• Parenting rainbow babies while carrying enduring love

This episode is a reminder that a baby’s life — no matter how brief — can alter the course of a family forever. Saachi’s life continues to ripple outward, shaping the way her parents love, parent, work, and serve other grieving families.

Get to Know Mahaley:

Mahaley Patel, LMFT, PMH-C is a licensed therapist specializing in perinatal mental health, grief, trauma, and infant/child loss. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA and a Master’s degree from Pepperdine University. With a compassionate and client-centered approach, Mahaley is dedicated to supporting individuals navigating their journey to and through parenthood. She also serves on the bereaved parent advisory board at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and runs a child loss support group for grieving parents. Beyond her professional work, she is a wife, a mother of four, and a bereaved parent, bringing both personal and clinical experience to her practice.

Website: www.mahaleypatel.com
Instagram: @mahaleyhpatel
Read her book "Your NICU Story": https://a.co/d/07dscQMi

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven (use code RAINBOW to save $100)
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim (use code RECLAIM to save $100)
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Alexa Conlon joins me to share the story of her son, Kayde, who was stillborn after a pregnancy that appeared healthy and full of hope. In this episode, Alexa reflects on the shock of stillbirth, the unraveling that followed, and what it means to continue mothering—both the children she holds and the one she carries in her heart. We explore healing after stillbirth, the complexities of motherhood after loss, and the quiet resilience that so many loss mothers embody.

We talk about:

• The shock and disbelief that often accompany stillbirth
• Letting go of the illusion of “safe” milestones in pregnancy
• Grieving a baby while parenting living children
• The long, non-linear path of healing after stillbirth
• Creating space for grief without trying to fix it
• Honouring a baby’s legacy through advocacy and community support
• The quiet strength of mothers who carry both love and sorrow

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist—and that love continues, even after goodbye.

Get to Know Alexa:
Alexa Conlon is a nurse, mother of two earthside children, and a loss mom honoring her stillborn son, Kayde. Based in Alberta, Canada, she is the founder and host of Beyond the Birth Story Podcast and the Founder & Coordinator of The Kayde Foundation, a non-profit offering perinatal loss support services. Alexa shares her story with honesty and heart, believing deeply in the quiet strength of mothers who carry both love and sorrow.

Instagram: @beyondthebirthstorypodcast @alexaa.conlon @thekaydefoundation
The Kayde Foundation: https://thekaydefoundation.wixsite.com/thekaydefoundation

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

Send us Fan Mail

Elle Margetson shares the story of her triplets — a pregnancy that began with surprise and quickly became something much bigger than she ever imagined. After conceiving with the help of medication, Elle discovered she was carrying three babies — a moment that shifted everything.

But as her pregnancy progressed, complications arose, and she was faced with infection, medical dismissal, and ultimately premature labour. Her babies were born far too soon — each one alive, each one deeply loved — and each one lost in the days that followed in the NICU.

In this episode, we talk about pregnancy loss, neonatal loss, and what it means to become a mother in the midst of unimaginable grief. We also talk about pregnancy after loss, postpartum mental health, and the complex journey of welcoming a rainbow baby while still carrying the love for the babies who came before.

We talk about:

• Conceiving after infertility and PCOS
• Discovering a triplet pregnancy
• Medical gaslighting and infection during pregnancy
• Premature birth and NICU experiences
• Losing each of her babies after birth
• Grief and identity in motherhood after loss
• Pregnancy after loss and the fear that comes with it
• Postpartum anxiety and mental health after bringing a baby home
• Finding purpose through supporting other loss moms
• Holding grief and hope at the same time

This episode is a reminder that grief and love do not exist separately — they live side by side, shaping the way we move forward.

Get to know Elle:

Elle Margetson is a grief therapist, loss mom, and the creator of The Loss Mama Method. After losing her triplets following premature birth in 2021, Elle turned her experience into a mission to support other women navigating pregnancy loss, neonatal loss, and motherhood after loss. Through her work in Superconscious Grief Therapy, she helps mothers release guilt, calm overwhelm, and reconnect with themselves. Based in the UK, Elle has supported over 120 loss moms worldwide — offering a space where healing and remembrance can exist together.

Instagram: @elle.hypnotherapy

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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!

Send us Fan Mail

In this solo episode, Kristin Mundy reflects on the emotional weight of Mother’s Day after loss while sharing the story of her son William, whose life and passing deeply shaped the creation of Held Through. Through her own experiences with miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant loss, Kristin speaks openly about navigating loss within the medical system, the importance of informed choices, and the sacred moments we get with our babies.

We talk about:

•  Grief after Mother’s Day and Bereaved Mother’s Day 
•  Kristin’s pregnancy and loss with William 
•  Navigating a life-limiting diagnosis during pregnancy 
•  The difference between informed and unsupported loss experiences 
•  Advocacy, options, and decision making during pregnancy and loss 
•  Creating meaningful, sacred time with your baby 
•  The impact of birth and postpartum experiences on grief 
•  The gaps in care for women experiencing loss 
•  The creation and purpose behind Held Through
•  Supporting mothers, loved ones, and practitioners through loss 

This episode is a reminder that even in the most heartbreaking circumstances, there can be moments of connection, love, and meaning — and that no mother should have to walk through loss without support.

Get to know your Host:
This is a solo episode with Kristin Mundy — birth, postpartum, and bereavement doula, childbirth educator, and founder of The Doula Life. Based in Hamilton, Canada, Kristin supports women through pregnancy, loss, and motherhood after loss with a compassionate, trauma-informed approach. Her work is rooted in her own lived experience of loss and her mission to ensure no mother feels alone in any part of her journey.

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🕊 The Held Through Series: thedoulalife.ca/held
🌸 Mother Like No Other: 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Samantha Vera Cleland shares her journey through pregnancy loss, beginning with an early miscarriage that was minimized by others, and continuing into her pregnancy with her daughter Vera — a baby she already saw as her rainbow after loss. In this episode, Sam opens up about the anxiety of pregnancy after loss, the emotional weight of navigating milestones, and how her identity has evolved as both a bereaved mother and a mother to her living son. Her story is an honest reflection on grief, healing, and the complexity of motherhood after loss.

We talk about:

- Experiencing early miscarriage and the impact of dismissive language around loss
- Why “chemical pregnancy” doesn’t reflect the depth of grief
- The anxiety of pregnancy after loss and daily testing for reassurance
- Navigating the myth of a “safe zone” in pregnancy
- Holding the identity of both a bereaved mother and a present parent
- The emotional reality of postpartum after a rainbow baby
- Learning to carry grief and gratitude at the same time
- The evolving definition of motherhood after loss
- Supporting families through baby loss and changing the narrative
- Finding moments of connection with both babies — here and not here


This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist and that even after loss, motherhood continues in so many forms.

Get to Know Samantha:

Samantha Vera Cleland is a mental health social worker, bereaved mother, and advocate for families navigating pregnancy and infant loss. After the death of her daughter Vera, Sam’s identity shifted in ways she never expected — shaping how she sees motherhood, grief, and healing. Now parenting her living son, she is passionate about changing the narrative around baby loss and supporting other families through their own journeys. She lives with her husband and their beloved pets, finding comfort in connection, family, and the quiet moments at home.

Instagram: @remembering_verarose

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 Mother Like No Other: 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!

Send us Fan Mail

Lindsay Hall joins me to share her story of infertility, a twin pregnancy, and the devastating loss of her daughter Rosalind after childbirth. In this episode, Lindsay opens up about giving birth to both twins, bringing Josephine home while navigating postpartum grief, and how motherhood after loss asked more of her than she ever expected. She also reflects on her later pregnancy after loss with her daughter Scarlett, and how fear, grief, and hope followed her into that chapter as well.

We talk about:

• Infertility and fertility treatments
• Discovering a twin pregnancy
• Giving birth to twins and experiencing postpartum loss
• Losing Rosalind and bringing Josephine home
• Navigating postpartum grief while parenting
• The long-term impact of loss on motherhood
• Pregnancy after loss with Scarlett
• Fear, resilience, and continuing forward after loss

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

Get to Know Lindsay:

Lindsay Hall is a mother of four daughters — three earthside and one angel baby — living in Windsor, Colorado with her husband, Bruce. She works part time in the education non-profit space and spends the rest of her time mothering and delighting in her girls. Lindsay’s story reflects the quiet strength it takes to continue forward through loss, grief, and pregnancy after loss.

Instagram: @lindzhall

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Constance joins me to share the story of her daughter Lucy who passed shortly after birth due to a life-limiting diagnosis of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). In this conversation, Constance reflects on receiving Lucy’s diagnosis at the 20-week anatomy scan and navigating a medical system that often felt clinical and outcome-focused, rather than centred on her baby’s life.

We talk about what it means to continue a pregnancy with a life-limiting diagnosis — to choose presence, advocacy, and deep connection, even in the face of uncertainty. Constance shares about Lucy’s birth, the time they had together, and the heartbreak of saying goodbye.

She also opens up about how this experience reshaped her faith, identity, and understanding of motherhood, and what it looked like to step into pregnancy after loss, eventually welcoming her rainbow baby while continuing to honour Lucy as a foundational part of her story.

This is a conversation about intentional love — about mothering a baby for their entire life, no matter how long that life is.

We talk about:

•  Receiving a CDH diagnosis at the 20-week anatomy scan 
•  Navigating medical care that felt impersonal and outcome-driven 
•  Choosing to continue the pregnancy after a life-limiting diagnosis 
•  Advocating for Lucy and her birth experience 
•  Birth and time with a baby who passed shortly after 
•  Grief, faith, and rebuilding identity after infant loss 
•  Pregnancy after loss and holding fear alongside hope 
•  Welcoming a rainbow baby while honouring Lucy 
•  Motherhood after loss and living in both grief and love 

This episode is a reminder that even the briefest lives are deeply meaningful and that the love we carry for our babies continues to shape us, forever.

Get to know Constance:
Constance is a stay-at-home mom and military spouse living in Georgia. She is a former professional ballerina who danced with Ballet Austin in Austin, Texas, before stepping away from the stage to become a mother. Life after loss has taken her through grief, rebuilding her faith, cross-country moves, and the realities of military life — all while mothering her children and honoring the daughter who changed everything.

Guest Links:
Instagram: @constybleek

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Fernanda shares the story of her daughter, who was diagnosed during pregnancy with metatropic dysplasia — a rare and life-limiting condition. After weeks of uncertainty, testing, and slowly losing hope, Fernanda and her partner were faced with an impossible decision: to continue the pregnancy knowing their daughter would suffer, or to say goodbye.

In this episode, Fernanda speaks openly about choosing to say goodbye to her daughter at 27 weeks, the three days she had to hold her close and prepare her heart, and the sacred, life-changing moment of meeting her after birth.

She also takes us into the depths of grief — what it truly looks like to live in the aftermath of loss — and the hard, intentional work it took to survive. Finally, she shares about her rainbow baby, Theo, and how becoming his mother helped bring her back to life while still carrying love for her first baby.

We talk about:

• Receiving a rare diagnosis during pregnancy
• The emotional weight of waiting for answers
• Making an impossible, compassionate decision
• Carrying her daughter and preparing to say goodbye
• The sacred experience of birth after loss
• What grief actually looks like in the months after loss
• The role of therapy, routine, and medication in healing
• The deep desire to become a mother again
• Pregnancy after loss and the fear that comes with it
• Meeting her rainbow baby and learning to feel again

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and love are never separate — and that even in the darkest moments, there can still be connection, meaning, and a path forward.

Get to know Fernanda:

Fernanda is a creative, graphic designer, and community leader based in Berlin, Germany, where she lives with her husband and their son. Originally from Santiago, Chile, she has built a life rooted in creativity, movement, and connection. Her journey through pregnancy loss and motherhood after loss has deeply shaped the way she sees the world — and the way she shows up in it today.

Instagram: @mandarina.caiman

Connect with Kristin:

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum, neuroscientist, author, and doula, joins me for a deeply grounding conversation on how early experiences shape both baby and mother — especially in the context of pregnancy after loss and raising a rainbow baby. We explore the intersection of science and instinct, and what it really means to nurture, connect, and rebuild trust in motherhood after loss. This episode offers a powerful reframe: that the closeness you feel called to offer your baby is not only valid — it’s biologically essential.

We talk about:

• How early experiences shape brain development in babies
• The neuroscience behind attachment and connection
• Parenting a rainbow baby after pregnancy loss
• Rebuilding trust in your body and instincts after loss
• The impact of nurturing on maternal mental health
• Letting go of fear-based parenting narratives
• Why closeness is not “spoiling” — it’s protective
• The intersection of grief, healing, and motherhood after loss
• How to feel more grounded and confident in your parenting choices

This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and beauty can coexist — and that the way you love and nurture your baby truly matters.

Get to know Dr Greer:

Dr. Greer Kirshenbaum is a neuroscientist, author, and educator dedicated to transforming how we understand early development. Trained at the University of Toronto, Columbia University, NYU, and Yale, she brings together cutting-edge research and her lived experience as a mother and doula. Through her work, Greer helps families understand how nurturing the mother–baby relationship supports both infant brain development and maternal mental health. She is the author of The Nurture Revolution and leads a global movement empowering parents to raise emotionally resilient children through connection and care.

Instagram: @drgreerkirshenbaum
Website: www.nurture-neuroscience.com

Connect with Kristin

📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Support Program: thedoulalife.ca/haven
🕊 RECLAIM — The PAL Birth Course: thedoulalife.ca/reclaim
🌸 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.

Send us Fan Mail

Abbie shares the story of her son Rowan — a pregnancy that felt calm, grounded, and deeply connected, until everything shifted. In this episode, we talk about pregnancy loss, grief, and the identity changes that come with motherhood after loss. Abbie opens up about how Rowan shaped not only her journey as a mother, but also her work, her purpose, and the way she now moves through the world. We also talk about her rainbow baby, and what it looks like to hold both grief and joy in the same life.

We talk about:

• Experiencing an unexpected pregnancy after infertility and PCOS
• A peaceful, connected pregnancy during the quiet of COVID
• The moment everything changed and navigating pregnancy loss
• How grief reshapes identity and motherhood after loss
• The concept of “before and after” loss — and living in both
• Carrying your baby with you in your body, your work, and your life
• Finding purpose and moving into grief-informed care
• Parenting a rainbow baby while honouring an angel baby
• The ongoing nature of healing after pregnancy loss

This episode is a gentle reminder that grief and love can live side by side — and that even after loss, motherhood continues in its own sacred way.

Get to know Abbie:
Abbie is a massage therapist, nurturer, and mother currently living in Southwest Florida. Originally from rural upstate New York, she brings a deep sense of care and presence into both her work and her life. She is a mom to her daughters and her son Rowan, who passed away — an experience that has shaped her compassion, her purpose, and the way she supports others through grief and healing. Abbie believes in slowing down, finding beauty in the simple moments, and living with gentle intention.

Instagram: @bonitaspringsmassage
Website: https://www.facebook.com/Rowanwellnesscenter/

Connect with Kristin:
📍 Website: thedoulalife.ca
🌈 The Haven — Pregnancy After Loss Community 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.