AllPaths Podcast

After enduring four pregnancy losses in just twelve months, the most healing words Macie heard didn’t offer false hope or easy silver linings, they simply acknowledged the brutal truth: "it's not ok, this sucks." In this episode of the AllPaths Podcast, Macie, a 26-year-old Michigan native living in Massachusetts with her husband and their Great Dane, Luna, shares her journey through recurrent pregnancy loss.Macie speaks candidly about the physical and emotional toll of repeated loss, beginning with a first-trimester miscarriage following a high-risk monosomy X screening, moving through subsequent unexplained losses, and navigating a diagnosis of Factor V Leiden that required daily blood thinner injections. She reflects on the loneliness of facing pregnancy loss at a young age, the sting of well-intentioned but dismissive comments like "you're young, you have time," and the pivotal moment an ultrasound technician gave her permission to stop putting on a brave face and acknowledge that her situation simply was unfair and painful.Towards the end of the conversation, Macie offers a vulnerable look at being in the "messy middle" of her family building journey as she is currently pregnant again, exploring the complex mix of anxiety and guarded hope as she reaches the end of the first trimester while managing progesterone support, daily injections, and clear genetic testing. Together with the hosts, she examines the comfort found in specialized perinatal therapy, the power of connecting with peers in the AllPaths "Expecting After" Support Group, and the practical ways loved ones can show up by offering safe, quiet spaces to grieve rather than trying to fix the unfixable. And by speaking candidly from the unresolved middle of her journey rather than waiting for the safety of the other side, Macie reminds us that you don’t need a neatly tied-up ending for your story, your grief, or your guarded hope to matter.🧡 You are not alone: https://allpathsfb.org/support/.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Pregnancy loss, miscarriage support, recurrent pregnancy loss, pregnancy after miscarriage, infertility support groups, Factor V Leiden pregnancy, blood thinners during pregnancy, progesterone supplementation pregnancy, NIPT testing early pregnancy, genetic counseling prenatal, coping with pregnancy loss, pregnancy anxiety after loss, miscarriage causes testing, early pregnancy bleeding causes, fertility clinic evaluation recurrent loss, Sara Bareilles, the messy middle, pregnancy after loss, Expecting After support group, peer support, support groups, AllPaths Family Building support, emotional support infertility, prenatal blood clotting disorders, how to support someone after miscarriage, how to support someone after pregnancy lossCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!

Driven by the stark reality that half of all recurrent pregnancy loss cases go completely unexplained, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA) co-founder Megan Hanson shares her story and discusses turning patient heartbreak into scientific progress. Megan opens up about her personal path through six consecutive miscarriages, the trauma and anxiety of navigating pregnancy loss, and growing her family, first through gestational surrogacy in 2021 and later through an unexpected spontaneous pregnancy in 2023. She reflects on the dismissive reactions often encountered in healthcare settings after miscarriages and underscores why medical curiosity and emotional support must be prioritized after every loss.Turning her pain into systemic action, Megan explains how she and her husband founded RPLA on the principle that "unexplained is unacceptable," asserting that finding answers requires dedicated research funding and prioritization. She highlights RPLA's key initiatives, including support and resources for anyone navigating recurrent pregnancy loss, an annual research grant funded in partnership with the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the launch of the RPL Community Registry on the I Am Rare platform. This HIPAA-compliant registry allows anyone aged 18 or older with multiple losses to contribute self-reported health and care navigation data, creating a community-powered data set to help researchers discover root causes, identify and eliminate healthcare barriers, and turn collective lived experiences into meaningful scientific progress. Ultimately, Megan emphasizes how patient-contributed data can give purpose to personal grief while finding answers and improving care for future families.Connect with RPLA at https://rplassociation.org.Join the RPL Community Registry at https://rplassociation.org/rpl-community-registry.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Pregnancy loss, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Association (RPLA), Megan Hanson, recurrent miscarriage support, unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss, RPL Community Registry, pregnancy loss research registry, surrogacy, gestational surrogacy, intended parents, IVF with PGT, reproductive immunology and miscarriage, antiphospholipid syndrome miscarriage, pregnancy and infant loss awareness, emotional support after miscarriage, support groups, peer support, support groups for pregnancy loss, fertility advocacy and research, navigating fertility after loss, how to support someone after pregnancy loss, maternal fetal medicine for recurrent loss, pregnancy after loss, parenting after loss, NICU and premature birth after loss, time to live birth after miscarriage, AllPaths Family Building, American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), research grant funding, community dataset, grief supportCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!

How do you hold space for others through infertility, pregnancy, and the postpartum period while quietly navigating your own recurrent pregnancy loss?In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we sit down with Caitlin Vinter, a perinatal therapist and mother of two, to discuss her personal and professional journey. Caitlin candidly shares her three-and-a-half-year path through recurrent pregnancy loss, enduring five miscarriages alongside multiple rounds of IUI and IVF, a blood clotting disorder, and recurring endometritis infections. She reflects on the emotional strain of navigating unpredictable fertility treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of unexplained loss, and the eventual arrival of her sons following targeted medical interventions and perseverance, all while supporting her clients through their own, often complicated, journeys.Drawing on both her lived experience and her clinical practice specializing in perinatal mental health, Caitlin offers insights into coping with the profound uncertainty and emotional weight of fertility struggles and recurrent loss. Our conversation covers the heavy emotional toll of cumulative and disenfranchised grief, the importance of finding specialized support communities, the reality of partners processing loss differently, and ways to cope with feeling a profound lack of control over your own body, journey, and future. Caitlin shares the mantras and mindsets that helped her throughout her own struggles, including radical acceptance, staying flexible through twists and turns, and allowing space for both joy and grief.Caitlin also offers advice to friends and family who are unsure how to support a friend or family member navigating fertility struggles, pregnancy loss, or other types of reproductive grief. We discuss a few ways to show up for a loved one during the episode, but read Caitlin’s blog post, based on her journal entry written about a year into her own family building struggles, for a deeper dive into how choosing action and acknowledgment over silence can make all the difference when helping loved ones feel seen during their journey.Connect with Caitlin at Era Psychotherapy.Find support and community at AllPaths’ free, virtual Pregnancy Loss Groups.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Pregnancy loss, miscarriage, recurrent pregnancy loss, IUI, IVF, fertility treatment, infertility, endometritis, pregnancy after loss, mantra, radical acceptance, flexibility, mental health support, mental health provider, therapist, therapy, group support, peer support, AllPaths Family Building, Return to Zero, grief, relationships, perinatal therapist, PMH-C, Postpartum Support International, resilience, reproductive grief, disenfranchised grief, cumulative grief, for family and friendsCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!

In this mini-episode of the AllPaths Podcast - regular full-length episodes resuming next Tuesday - host Emily catches up with listeners, expressing gratitude for the success of AllPaths’ recent Footsteps for Family Building Walk, while acknowledging the emotional challenges of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in October.Recognizing that 1 in 4 confirmed pregnancies ends in loss, Emily speaks openly about the lingering, evolving nature of grief and emphasizes how crucial a safe, open space to talk with others is for healing. Finally, Emily shares valuable support offerings from AllPaths, including two free monthly virtual support groups, personalized mental health professional matching and curated resources to ensure no one has to grieve in isolation.AllPaths Loss Support & Resources:Free Virtual Pregnancy Loss Support Groups: Two monthly groups, one tailored for individuals who are not yet parenting and another open to anyone who has experienced loss, including those with living children, providing support to those who have experienced miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, chemical pregnancy, TFMR, and/or recurrent pregnancy loss.Mental Health Provider Directory & Matching: Access to specialized mental health professionals focused on family building challenges through the AllPaths’ Professional Directory. Email [email protected] for customized provider matching based on insurance, location, virtual preferences, and more.Resource Library: Discover additional podcast episodes, guidance for loved ones, and support tools in the Loss section of the AllPaths’ online Resource Library.Wave of Light: As part of PAIL Month, International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day is observed every October 15th, culminating with Wave of Light around the world, created by families lighting candles to honor the little ones held in their hearts from 7-8p local time. AllPaths participates in the Wave of Light each year by lighting our Remembrance Lantern and we invite you to join us at https://allpathsfb.org/wave-of-light/.Don't miss our next episode!Be sure to follow or subscribe to the AllPaths Podcast on your favorite app so you are notified as soon as regular, full-length episodes resume next Tuesday. If this mini-episode brought you comfort, please take a moment to leave a rating or review, and share it so anyone struggling to grow their family can join the conversation.TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:AllPaths Family Building, community, Footsteps for Family Building Walk, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, PAIL, October, International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, Wave of Light, peer support, support groups, pregnancy loss, miscarriage, chemical pregnancy, TFMR, ectopic pregnancy, recurrent pregnancy loss, primary pregnancy loss, Pregnancy and Infant, grief, loss support, grief support, supporting a friend or family memberCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!

In this episode of the podcast, AllPaths Executive Director Lauren sits down with volunteer support group leaders Ashley, Kristen, and Jillian to discuss their personal family building journeys and talk about the power of peer support. Each guest shares the unique path that led them to this community: Kristen details her experience navigating secondary infertility, severe diminished ovarian reserve, and a successful "kitchen sink" IVF protocol; Jillian reflects on enduring back-to-back pregnancy losses and a failed IVF transfer before ultimately being able to successfully carry to term; and Ashley opens up about her struggle with endometriosis, IVF challenges, and her rewarding path to parenthood through foster care adoption. Together, they highlight how community support creates a vital safety net for people navigating complicated, often isolating, fertility and family building journeys .The conversation explores what makes AllPaths' 20+ free virtual monthly support groups such a compassionate, low-pressure resource for anyone navigating fertility treatments, loss, adoption, or any other family building path. The leaders unpack the dynamics of group sessions, where attendees are free to simply listen or share at their own pace, give advice only when requested, and connect through mutual understanding and levity. They also offer practical wisdom on advocating for oneself in medical settings, prioritizing mental health therapy, and how friends and family can thoughtfully show up for loved ones with simple check-ins rather than unsolicited advice. No matter what twists and turns you encounter on your journey, this episode provides a comforting reminder that no one has to walk alone.🔸Find your people in one of AllPaths' free, virtual peer support groups today. TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:Fertility treatment, IVF, pregnancy loss, recurrent pregnancy loss, adoption, adoption through foster-care, peer support groups, volunteer, nonprofit, peer leaders, fertility support groups, IVF support group, peer support infertility, miscarriage support group, pregnancy loss support, infertility, secondary infertility support, trying for another, diminished ovarian reserve information, IVF success stories, PGT testing, adoption support group, foster care adoption support, postpartum anxiety after infertility, virtual peer support groups fertility, AllPaths Family Building, how to support someone with infertility, fertility therapist resources, coping with infertility and loss, navigating IVF journeys, family building resources nonprofitCONNECT WITH ALLPATHS FAMILY BUILDING: https://allpathsfb.orgFollow us on social media @allpathsfbWant to share your story or ask a question? Get in touch at [email protected]!