SOLO: Recurrent Miscarriage, Pregnancy After Loss and Amenorrhea: My Journey to Motherhood
Mind Body Mother host Helene Kusman shares her own personal journey to motherhood. With her first son, she experienced post- birth control amenorrhea and got pregnant without a regular cycle, and with her second son she had multiple miscarriages on the road to conceive him. Helene describes the surprise of coming off of hormonal birth control in late 2017 in preparation to try to conceive only to discover that a she would not have a regular period and was experiencing post hormonal birth control Amenorrhea. After two random cycles in one year’s time, she discovered she was pregnant at the end of 2018 with her son Harper who was born in June 2019. Helene discusses the mind game of navigating the unexpected when you assume coming off birth control means getting pregnant and why she didn’t let herself keep pregnancy tests at the house and wound up taking them at crazy places like a pilates studio.
After the challenges that came with being new parents during the pandemic, Helene shares the timeline her and her husband Andrew had envisioned for having a second baby. Like many things in motherhood, the reality was very different and she shares what it was like to have that timeline come to fruition only to wind up in the ER and lose the pregnancy. Helene details the process of TTC or trying to conceive after loss and using ovulation tests to help get pregnant again quickly only to receive daunting news of ominous HCG hormone betas. After a couple of viable scans she gets into the heart wrenching reality of starting to bleed and a scan with no heartbeat followed by a DNC.
Helene proceeds to tell the story of trying to conceive after multiple losses and working with a Reproductive Endocrinologist at a fertility clinic, testing positive for pregnancy the same day as testing positive for covid and a happy ending of a healthy pregnancy with their son Graham.
If you’ve ever wanted to know what its like to go through multiple miscarriages and maybe two to support a loved one who has experienced this, or have gone or are going through this or something similar yourself, this episode will bring you knowledge and comfort. Helene asks listeners to share their thoughts, questions and own stories to growing their families with her @MindBodyMotherPodcast.
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This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice.
