Cradle Podcast: Baby loss & pregnancy choices

What happens after a miscarriage?Not just in the days immediately afterwards, but months and years later. What happens to the guilt? The anger? The fear of getting pregnant again? And what happens when everyone else seems to expect you to simply carry on?Kay talks to Clare Campion about losing her baby to miscarriage and the impact that loss had on her life for more than a decade.Clare talks openly about the shock of discovering there was no heartbeat, the experience of going through miscarriage treatment in a maternity hospital surrounded by pregnant women, and the anger and isolation that followed. She also talks about the guilt that can come with baby loss; the desperate search for something you might have done to cause it and why none of it was her, or your fault.Clare also talks about:· Reaching a point where she realised she couldn't keep holding everything together, eventually seeking counselling and later undergoing EMDR therapy.· She explains why she avoided talking about her miscarriage even in therapy, and how, more than ten years after her loss, she finally began to process what had happened.· The loneliness of miscarriage and why baby loss can be particularly difficult to grieve when there are so few physical memories.· How fear can replace excitement in a subsequent pregnancy, the anxiety she experienced, the repeated private scans she paid for because she needed reassurance, and how difficult it was to relax even after her daughter was born.· What happens to relationships, both friendship and partners, after baby loss.· The things people say after miscarriage, and why simply sitting with someone, listening and staying present can mean far more than trying to find the perfect words.If you've experienced miscarriage or baby loss, and you feel like you need to talk. We are here. Ready to listen. https://cradlecharity.org/

Pregnancy and baby loss are rarely discussed openly, but within the South Asian community, cultural stigma, expectations of hidden grief, and traditional silence can make an already tragic journey feel intensely isolating. In this episode of Cradle, Kay talks to Imtiaz Fizal, who shares her extraordinary story of grief, endurance but also hope.Having lost five children to a rare genetic condition and experienced 17 miscarriages over two decades, Imtiaz reflects on navigating deep personal sorrow without a space to speak about it. She talks about the harsh contrast between cultural expectations around mourning, like being excluded from cemetery burials and being expected to move on after five days. But she also talks about an issue anyone faces after baby loss; the reality of living with lifelong grief.Tragically she has also had to support her own daughter through loss, which has reopened past wounds. But now dedicates her life to breaking down barriers for other women and families in her community. Key ThemesThe Reality of Multiple Losses: Imtiaz recounts her journey through 17 miscarriages and the loss of five children to a recurring genetic disorder. Cultural Stigma and Hidden Grief: How traditional expectations in the South Asian community often restrict open conversations about baby loss and emotional processing. Gender Divide in Mourning: The distinct cultural rules separating men and women during funerals, burials, and grieving periods. Intergenerational Trauma: The emotional impact of supporting her rainbow baby daughter through her own experience with miscarriage. Peer Support as Healing: Turning two decades of isolation into community action by building safe spaces for women and men to share their stories. Episode Timestamps00:00 – Welcome to Cradle: Kay Crewdson on navigating baby loss and finding community. 01:25 – Imtiaz’s story: Recounting the loss of five children and a rare genetic diagnosis. 03:20 – Navigating 17 miscarriages and welcoming two rainbow babies. 04:09 – "Shush and keep it to yourself": Cultural silence in the South Asian community. 07:40 – The day of the funeral: Traditional rules, gender separation, and cemetery exclusions. 11:05 – The "five-day rule": How short mourning periods leave parents to grieve alone. 14:47 – Finding the strength to try again amidst repeated heartache. 18:42 – Reopening the box: Watching her daughter face baby loss and supporting her through it. 25:00 – Dark moments, mental health struggles, and finding a reason to keep going. 26:16 – How men grieve in silence: Cultural expectations placed on husbands. 33:00 – A daughter's goodbye: The night Imtiaz’s infant son passed away at home. 38:35 – Turning pain into purpose: Community work, breaking taboos, and helping others heal. 48:45 – Closing thoughts and resources for support via Cradle Charity. LINKSIf you or someone you know has been affected by any of the themes discussed in this episode, support is available:Cradle Charity: Access 1-to-1 support, peer groups, and counsellor-led sessions at cradlecharity.org.

Welcome to Cradle.Honest, compassionate conversations about baby loss, from the charity Cradle. Hear real stories of grief, love and remembrance and find comfort in knowing it's not just you.Whether you’ve been through baby loss yourself, are supporting someone who has, or simply want to understand, you’re welcome here.You are not alone.https://cradlecharity.org/

10: Jenny Agg - Miscarriage & Trying AgainIn the final episode of Season 1, Kay chats with author Jennie Agg about recurrent miscarriage and the journey to be pregnant again and writing about itJennie AggJennie Agg is an acclaimed health and science journalist, whose work has appeared in The Times, Guardian, Mail, Telegraph, Red, Grazia, Elle UK, and Women’s Health, among others.She writes the award-winning blog The Uterus Monologues. Life, Almost: Miscarriage, misconceptions, and a search for answers from the brink of motherhood is her first book.In this episode we coverJennie before miscarriagenaiveté and ignorancecatastrophisingwhen to inform?why the taboo?work (returning)from pregnancy to 4th miscarriageNeed & numbnessPregnant againMentioned in this episode:Marriage - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0cpnd15Find:https://jennieagg.com/http://www.uterusmonologues.com/https://www.instagram.com/jenniemonologuesContinue the conversation - https://twitter.com/cradle_charitySend us a message to let us know what in this episode has resonated with you - [email protected] podcast was produced by RogueSpirit Productions - message to see how they can help you produce your podcast - [email protected]

Episode 8 - Dan Hill - Daddy's With Angels In Pt 2 Kay digs deeper into the life of Dan Hill, director of Daddy's with Angels and charts the spectacular growth of a self proclaimed "not very nice man" through the joys and triumphs of 12 pregnancies into the head of a global charity https://www.daddyswithangels.org/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/daddyswithangels.angeldads.international Continue the conversation - https://twitter.com/cradle_charity Send us a message to let us know what in this episode has resonated with you - [email protected] This podcast was produced by RogueSpirit Productions - message to see how they can help you produce your podcast - [email protected]