In collaboration with the Butterfly Run Vancouver, BC Women's Health Foundation and Reproductive Mental Health we are sharing real stories from real women to support pregnancy loss, infant loss and infertility. Read Jen’s story about miscarriage and her experience with recurrent pregnancy loss, an and an ectopic pregnancy, and how through these experiences it inspired her to found The Motherhood Project.

JEN’S STORY

My personal journey through loss continues to evolve and continues to play a monumental role in the work we do with women and mothers every day at The Motherhood Project. The knowledge that without our season of loss, we would not be in our current season of abundance and joy is one that offers hope and perspective to me always. Prior to having our rainbow baby in January of 2019, I experienced 3 consecutive losses in the span of 1 year. After the first 2 losses, I was referred to the good people at the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Clinic at BC Women's Hospital. After undergoing testing, my team felt confident that the next outcome would be successful. It was not. Fortunately, I was being followed by the clinic and would receive an early ultrasound that would serve as potentially life saving. On Dec 22, 2017 I was to have my first routine early ultrasound. I went alone as we were unpacking from a move, it was a busy week prior to Christmas and the drive was to Vancouver from our home in Delta. It was routine after all. At my appointment with the RPLC my ultrasound showed, which would then be confirmed at VGH, that I was experiencing a cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy where the pregnancy occurs within previous scar tissue from a c-section. A very rare complication. There were no options other than to be immediately admitted to the hospital, medically terminate the pregnancy and wait for the subsequent miscarraige to occur. I was discharged on Christmas Eve and follow up care lasted well into the new year. Processing and recovering from this year is ongoing, lasting well in to my new normal *exhale* Thus began my education and training in support of infant and pregnancy loss, in addition to training in trauma. Once becoming pregnant with our rainbow baby, I was seen at the RPLC for my entire 1st trimester. I was, and still am, so thankful for their care and compassion. I was acutely aware that this was lacking in many other places. It became clear to me that perinatal mental health and the mental health of women experiencing pregnancy after loss, was also work I had to pursue. When eventually founding The Motherhood Project at 4 months Postpartum, these issues would become fundamental in all that we do and stand for. We extend much gratitude to Kim Forrester Photography for reminding us all that we are not alone, and that we have a community to lean on throughout our journeys of loss no matter what point in the journey we are currently in. The ability to raise awareness and speak our stories is powerful and profound. It is also critical to the healing process.