Monday, May 11, 2015

Nurses are Human....

Not every labor nurse can care for a mother who will have a stillbirth. Some nurses just can’t do it, some just don’t want to do it, and some just aren’t good at it. Frequently, the same nurses are chosen over and over again to care for a mother who will not get to take their baby home. I knew early on that I would be one of the nurses chosen to care for these families. 

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Ever Upward: Overcoming the Lifelong Losses of Infertility to Define Your Own Happy Ending

“When are you having kids?”
“Why don’t you just adopt?”
To the 1 in 8 couples who endure infertility treatments, common questions like these do not feel at all innocent or well-meaning. Instead, they can feel invalidating to the brutal battle of infertility and minimizing to the often arduous path of adoption.
Ever Upward is the story of how Justine Brooks Froelker redefined her life for the better after the heartbreaking, devastating and lifelong losses of infertility. Beginning with Justine’s incredible story of surviving two back surgeries, a year in a body cast and IVF with a gestational surrogate, Justine guides the reader through the strategies she used to overcome the loss of her dream of motherhood and chose to thrive through the ownership and acceptance of her childfree, yet childfull life.
Providing a voice to those silenced by infertility, Ever Upward gives permission to talk about it, embrace it and own it all. Opening the conversation to ask for understanding and acceptance of the path that sadly doesn’t include children, it challenge us all to consider more than one happy ending.
Ever Upward is Justine’s story, and yet it is our story, parent or not, because behind the wall of shamed silence, the smile and “I can do everything” attitude lies millions of couples suffering with the pain of infertility. Join Justine as she shows us that the connection to our stories in the only way back to the truth of who we are.
Justine Froelker, author of Ever Upward, will donate $5 of the purchase price of Ever Upward through their online store to Share! This purchase price is cheaper than most retailers and as of now will be the only place to get a signed copy of the book!

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

This information was posted on the NPR twitter feed and I thought it was applicable to this audience. 

Miscarriage is a common yet seldom discussed health problem. What do you wish people knew about it? 

Email NPR CrowdSource - nprcrowdsource@npr.org, and we may use your (confidential) answer in a story.


Monday, May 4, 2015

Caring Companion Workshop Available

The Caring Companion is a two-day training seminar designed to educate and prepare a parent volunteer in providing peer support to a family experiencing the loss of a baby. A Companion is a parent who has also experienced the loss of a baby and who wishes to guide and support a newly bereaved family through their journey, from the hospital bedside through the grieving process. This workshop will provide a Companion with the education and hands-on skills to work with families who have experienced the tragic death of a baby through early pregnancy loss, stillbirth, or in the first few months of life.
September 12 – 13, 2015
Community Commons, St. Peters, MO


For more information, please email companion@nationalshare.org or call the National Office at 636-947-6164.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Mother's Day & Father's Day Grief



Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are often some of the most difficult days bereaved parents face. If your only child has died, you may wonder, “Am I still a parent?” Even if you have living children, these days can be challenging to get through when a part of their family is missing. 
For this issue, we want to share stories, poems and ideas on how bereaved families have celebrated these two special days. 
Please take a moment to read this edition of our magazine or pass along to those who may benefit from its contents.

Sunday, February 8, 2015

Notes of Hope... Love Letters To Your Baby

Share is launching a "Notes of Hope" campaign in February! We encourage all bereaved parents, grandparents, siblings, family/friends and professionals to email or mail a love note or poem to your sweet bab(ies) and all babies that have gone far too soon. 
Share's intention is to create a beautiful keepsake journal that will be published digitally in October, during Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. Please continue to spread the message of hope.

We encourage all love letters/poems to be received by email (jnikodym@nationalshare.org) or by mail (National Share, 402 Jackson, St. Charles, MO 63301) by April 30, 2015.