Archives for March 2014

Laura Ricketts, SBD

Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® serving Virginia

email: LauraRicketts.SBD@stillbirthday.info

Laura@filumenabirth.com

Certified in Psychological First Aid

 

FiLumena means “Daughter of Light.” It is the philosophy of FiLumena Birth that every women who gives birth, in any trimester and in any circumstance, deserves to be treated with dignity and love. FiLumena Birth walks with women and their families as they journey towards birth, through labor and delivery and serves home, birth center, and hopsital birth clients.

 

About Laura

Laura Ricketts, SBD, PFA, started FiLumena Birth to serve women. Laura attends many different kinds of births and draws from a wealth of resources and knowledge as she assists and advocates for women as they give birth in a variety of settings with various pain relief techniques, accupressure, and labor support.

A mother of 7 children in Eternity herself, Laura understands the unique and difficult circumsances that surround a bereavement birth and a birth with an unexpected outcome. She is committed to serving mothers who are high risk, anticipating a NICU transfer, expecting a stillbirth or experiencing a first or second trimester loss, or who have received a fatal diagnosis for their preborn child. Laura brings with her love and compassion and considers it an honor to serve bereaved families as they say hello and good bye to their babies.

Laura lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with her husband and children. When she is not serving a mother or family she can be found homeschooling her school-age children, hanging out with her awesome hubby, avoiding a big pile of laundry, or playing with yarn.

I serve the Northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, the NOVA Natural Birth Center region, and the West Virginia Eastern Panhandle.

Links:

http://fiLumenabirth.com

http://facebook.com/filumenabirth

Twitter: @FiLumenaBirth

 

 

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Discover what the SBD credentialed doula has achieved.

Tracy Abney, SBD

Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® serving Alabama

email: TracyAbney.SBD@stillbirthday.info

 

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Discover what the SBD credentialed doula has achieved.

Moving Gears: Return to Zero

The news we’ve been so excitedly waiting for!

Rather than limiting the scope of the film to a smaller number of theaters, the team has moved gears and are instead working with Lifetime cable television network to have the film accessible to a much, much, much larger audience.

Rather than focusing on making the biggest dollar, their focus is on sending the most accessible message.  Make no mistake, the gift of this, is ours.

There’s been talk since the beginning of the making of this film, of what the message of this movie will do to others, for us. And I want to address that, so let me say it again: the talk has been, what this movie will do to others, for us.

It’s true, a film of this magnitude will surely break silence and cross borders and unhinge taboos and open avenues of healing that have never before been created.

But as the excitement is mounting and the Lifetime premiere date is nearing (May 17!), I want to invite you, to pause, for just a moment.

To switch gears about what this movie will do and for whom.

For a very sobering moment, I want to invite you, to think, to truly think, what this movie will do for you.

For you.

To see a full, feature length film, broaching the subjects, shining on them through your own bright, television set, the subjects that have been hidden in your own heart. Tucked. Maybe shoved in there. Maybe by others. Maybe by you.

This film, it is a whisper of love. A candle, flickering gentle warmth into the coldest, darkest shadows of your soul. It whispers, that you are seen, and that even in the seeing, you are not mocked, scorned or shamed. You will be validated. You will be encouraged. You will be inspired.

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Get Together!

1.} Return to Zero will be on Lifetime television cable network on May 17. Show times vary by time zone, so please use this link for the details, and visit the Return to Zero facebook page directly.  You can also see if your area already has a “Local Leader” who may now be working to coordinate locations for the Lifetime viewing.

2.} You can take advantage of the free SBD Network if you’d like to leave messages and comment directly to others who are seeking a place to watch the film in your community.

Here’s some things you might coordinate with people to do or bring:

  • invitations for your community – placed at community centers, bulletin boards, any free public event notifications like your local radio stations, churches, counseling centers.  Just a simple card like the one below will do.
  • popcorn or other snacks
  • cans of pop or bottles of water
  • tissue – a box or a handful of individual/travel ones
  • journals and pens

 

Things you might want to include in your planning:

  • time after the movie to talk and reflect
  • both a male and female who will be comfortable leading conversation after the viewing
  • a friendly way to close the evening – this could possibly be a great way to kick start a regularly planned meeting time for all of you!
  • the link to Amazon should be available then or will be soon after, to purchase the DVD for yourself!
  • an invitation to return here to stillbirthday so we all can talk about the film!

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Elizabeth Petrucelli, SBD

Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® serving Colorado

email: ElizabethPetrucelli.SBD@stillbirthday.info

gorgeousnessElizabeth Petrucelli, SBD, CCCE

Mile High Doula

All That is Seen and Unseen Author

Certified in Psychological First Aid

Elizabeth has been married for over 15 years and has 2 living children and 1 angel baby. She has been serving families since 2004 and is a professionally trained doula, childbirth educator, and parenting instructor. Her focus and passion lies in bereavement support for birth in any trimester. Elizabeth offers support tailored to the needs of her clients. Bereavement support is offered free of charge;  however, love donations are welcome in order to support other families through their time of need.

Elizabeth is a birth & bereavement mentor and walks through the journey with her clients utilizing phone, email, text, and in-person support. She provides support for miscarriage, stillbirth, fatal diagnosis, and adoption providing support through the hello and good-bye. She is constantly building her resource and support network to best serve her clients. She is highly compassionate and is honored to be a part of her clients birth and loss journey.

 

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Discover what the SBD credentialed doula has achieved.

Tracy Goble, SBD

Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® serving East Central Illinois

email: TracyGoble.SBD@stillbirthday.info

 

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Discover what the SBD credentialed doula has achieved.

Yearning for Hope

Told by: Sabrina

My daughter was born sleeping at 32 weeks on October 6, 2012.

We named her Zayra Rayne she weighed 4lbs 4 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long.

I posted my story about my daughter under the 32 weeks page. Sadly this was not the end of our disastrous 2 years. 6 months after we lost out daughter, we decided to try again. The doctor gave us the go ahead but warned this pregnancy would have more tests so we could try to prevent another sleeping baby. I got pregnant that month, we were so happy this was going to be our rainbow baby.

I had blood work down 4 times a week to check my HCG levels to ensure they were rising like they should. At 8 weeks I began to bleed, we called the doctor and we were told to come right now.

We had an ultrasound done and to our horror our child had passed away at 6 weeks. I decided that I would let my body do the natural thing and have my child at home. I was in pain,it felt as though I was having contractions that night at 9 p.m. I gave birth to our daughter whom we named Deona Marie. The next day the doctors confirmed my baby was no longer there.

My doctor would later inform me that he knew I would miscarry because my HCG levels stopped rising at 6 weeks. 2 months later I became pregnant once again, it was our little surprise but we were ecstatic and scared. I had blood work done 3 times a week my HCG was rising great. I had every symptom in the book. I went to the doctors for my 8 week check up, I had to go alone because my husband had to work. During the ultrasound I saw my babies little legs and arms sadly I also saw that my baby did not have a heartbeat.

He had passed away the day before. We named him Ace Hope. The doctor told us we should do an emergency D&C because he wanted to know why this happened. I reluctantly agreed. The tests showed nothing, we still do not know why this has happened 3 times in a row.

I am unable to comprehend why this is occurring to us. All I wanted was a baby to hold and love to be ours; and it can not happen. I have no hope left.

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Janelle Repp Ribbe, SBD

Certified Birth & Bereavement Doula® serving Virginia

email: JanelleRepp.SBD@stillbirthday.info

Certified in Psychological First Aid

 

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Discover what the SBD credentialed doula has achieved.

He Can Do God’s Work Even Faster

Told by: Sarah

My heart is at peace and also saddened all at the same time……..

Our hope for this Mother’s Day was to shout some happy news, but instead our news is not so happy. On March 4th, I found out that my husband and I were expecting another child. All seemed to be going well, and we went to the doctor last Friday.

First stop was the ultra sound. Our first 100% confirmation of this little life being formed inside me was evident, but what was not, was movement. The ultrasound tech didn’t say much of anything, just sent us back to the doctor’s office.

We patiently sat awaiting any news. The doctor came in and was friendly, but she got straight to the point. What we were there for….Was our baby healthy and alive? Although we had hope that it was, much to our disappointment, it was not. The baby stopped developing at 11 weeks and I was 13. There was no heartbeat. She reassured us there was nothing we did wrong, maybe the doctors weren’t 100% accurate and they make mistakes, but to her it seemed hopeless.

She gave us a few minutes to process and came back in with news from another doctor. “It is hopeless, the baby is gone.” What a dagger to the heart.

And yet peace swept over me all at the same time. I immediately knew right where my baby was….In the arms of my Savior and Lord. He WAS healthy and alive!

The doctor gave us the options of allowing the actual miscarriage to take place at home, they could give me medicine to speed up the process or they could put me under and perform a procedure to clear out my uterus. I knew there was no way I was going to MAKE this happen. After all, my God is a God of miracles and He can do anything should it be His will. After a week of more evidence of the life inside me losing the battle, I began cramping and bleeding Thursday night.

I knew the miscarriage was iminant, but the cramping stopped and I was able to sleep through most of the night. I woke yesterday morning feeling good. I got up and started doing my normal morning routine. I got my girls up and we started the day. After moving around, things started up again. And by 11 am, my fear was becoming a reality. Trying to stay strong and put on a happy face for my girls while going through pain and knowing what was about to happen was so hard. I was able to get the girls fed and put down for their nap and come 1:00 pm, things were rapidly happening.

My mother in law was able to come help with the process and about 3:45 pm, the life that was once inside me, no longer was.

An instant wave of grief swept over me as we picked up this lifeless baby. Tears flowing from my eyes, I knew I still wanted the chance to hold my child in my hands. I was asked if I was sure and I knew I was. I needed to see, hold and tell my baby, “Mommy loves you.” I did and again peace… a reminder of the pain and suffering my child will not have to face in this world.

For that I am grateful, but yet I remembered all the things I will not get to experience. No wiping tears, hearing a little voice say, “I love you mommy,” no kissing scrapes on knees, no bedtime stories, no hugs, and the list goes on and on.

I knew I wanted to know what this little baby was and I asked if we would be able to tell. I looked and I saw and again…..peace. We miscarried in December and we were hoping for a little boy then. A couple days after my miscarriage, my devotional was talking about how we need to let God do His work in our lives and to be patient, not force things and trust Him. That Abraham and Sarah had to wait a really long time for what they wanted most…..a son.

Tears streaming from my eyes, I knew that was God’s promise that I would one day have a little boy. I felt Him reassure me in that promise when I found out I was pregnant again. More confirmation came when people would find out that we were expecting and every one of them would say, “It’s a boy.” My confirmation was there. And I KNEW God had fulfilled His promise. He just never promised I’d get to keep my son. I could only rejoice in the promise God had kept and I immediately knew that God was laying a name on my heart.

Jeron Robert was who this baby was. “He will sing” and “bright fame” is what it means. He IS SINGING with his two other brothers and sisters that were there to meet him. And he is and will live up to his bright fame.

I had started rationalizing, questioning, searching for answers as to why. My mother in law reassured me that I did nothing wrong and maybe there was something wrong with the baby. After closer examination of this beautiful little baby boy, we realized that he had 12 fingers and 11 toes.

God knew and my body knew that there could have and would have been complications later in his life. But in our eyes and God’s he is still perfect. My father told my best…..he said, “with all those extra fingers and toes, he can do God’s work even faster.”

What a sentiment…. and again tears.

I don’t understand it all, but I am so grateful that I was able to carry Jeron inside of me for 14 weeks and to me, he is a blessing, and is still my son.

I am now the mother of 5 children! Who knew? I have three already doing so much more with their lives than I could ever hope or imagine for them and two beautiful girls who have the privilege and already are doing so much here! As hard as it is to lose a child, this is still a wonderful Mother’s day for me, because I am blessed to be the mother of such amazing children. I may never know Jeron as a child, but my body and heart know him. And he will forever be a child who has changed my life so much with the short amount of time he had.

Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. As we bury our son tomorrow, we will begin the healing process knowing that although his life here is over, he is still ALIVE AND WELL!!!!! Praise God!

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My Fourth Son Born Sleeping

Told by: Angela

I have had 5 pregnancies and only have three living children. My first pregnancy I was 16 years old and had a miscarriage at 13 weeks. My second I had a beautiful baby boy at 17 years old, full term and healthy. My third I had another beautiful boy at 21 years old it was a great pregnancy but resulted in emergency C-section, so my next was a scheduled section and it went really well, healthy baby boy at 23 years old.

So when I got pregnant again June of 2013 is when we found out, I wasn’t expecting anything to go wrong. I was hoping for a girl this time around, plus my pregnancy was completely different from the boys, I was sick all the time and couldn’t eat or sleep. I got the flu in December and went to the ER they said all was well with me and the baby.

We didn’t have insurance throughout the pregnancy so I didn’t see a doctor the entire time. I started having what I thought was Braxton hicks in February, they were very strong but weren’t lasting very long or close together so I didn’t think I needed to go in yet. I lost some of my mucus plug but my water hadn’t broken yet. March 12th, my husband was working graveyards, I realized I hadn’t felt my baby move since the day before, it was like all the sudden it dawned on me, I felt like an idiot. I tried everything to get the baby to move, laying on my left side eating sweets even drank a soda, nothing worked. I

felt so defeated and devastated. I knew my baby was gone, I lay in bed all night holding my bulging baby belly and crying. My husband got home the next morning and we got a babysitter for the older boys and went in to the L&D. They tried finding baby’s heart and could not find it so they did an ultrasound, they thought they found a very weak heartbeat and there was no amniotic fluid, the doc kept asking me if my water had broke and i finally yelled at him no! so he rushed me into surgery, when they put me to sleep i was praying to God, please let my baby be ok. I woke up to the pediatric nurse and my doc hovering over me telling me my baby boy didn’t make it.

I was so lost and confused, I couldn’t believe what they were saying. Finally they took me to my husband, he was alone and crying and scared. They finally explained to me(they had already talked to him) that the baby had a hole in his heart, severe swelling of the brain and most likely was Down Syndrome(which would have been just fine with me) plus the cord was wrapped around his neck loosely … I was in shock, they said that he wouldn’t have made it on the life flight to the nearest big city that could actually do the surgeries he needed, plus his chances of making it through those were very low.

They brought him into the room and I just held him sobbing, my husband wouldn’t touch him he was really afraid. We only took three pictures of him, I regret not taking more, I also regret not having my older children come and meet their baby brother. We had him cremated and now his body is at home with us and around my neck, I wish everyday that he was in my arms instead. Sometimes I can feel his presence with me. I blame myself everyday for not knowing something was wrong sooner. Thank you all for listening, I hope my story can help someone else. Sterling Holden  March 13th, 2014 5lbs 12oz 18inches We will love you Forever and Always

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Zayra’s the Eldest

Told by: Sabrina

My daughter was born sleeping at 32 weeks on October 6, 2012,we named her Zayra Rayne she weighed 4lbs 4 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. I posted my story about my daughter under the 32 weeks page. Sadly this was not the end of our disastrous 2 years. 6 months after we lost out daughter, we decided to try again.

The doctor gave us the go ahead but warned this pregnancy would have more tests so we could try to prevent another sleeping baby. I got pregnant that month, we were so happy this was going to be our rainbow baby. I had blood work down 4 times a week to check my HCG levels to ensure they were rising like they should.

At 8 weeks I began to bleed, we called the doctor and we were told to come right now. We had an ultrasound done and to our horror our child had passed away at 6 weeks. I decided that I would let my body do the natural thing and have my child at home. I was in pain,it felt as though I was having contractions that night at 9 p.m.

I gave birth to our daughter whom we named Deona Marie.

The next day the doctors confirmed my baby was no longer there. My doctor would later inform me that he knew I would miscarry because my HCG levels stopped rising at 6 weeks. 2 months later I became pregnant once again, it was our little surprise but we were ecstatic and scared. I had blood work done 3 times a week my HCG was rising great. I had every symptom in the book. I went to the doctors for my 8 week check up, I had to go alone because my husband had to work. During the ultrasound I saw my babies little legs and arms sadly I also saw that my baby did not have a heartbeat.

He had passed away the day before. We named him Ace Hope. The doctor told us we should do an emergency D&C because he wanted to know why this happened. I reluctantly agreed.

The tests showed nothing, we still do not know why this has happened 3 times in a row. I am unable to comprehend why this is occurring to us. All I wanted was a baby to hold and love to be ours; and it can not happen. I have no hope left.

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The SBD® Doula provides support to families experiencing birth in any trimester and in any outcome.

Here at stillbirthday.info, you can learn about the SBD® Doula.