Written by: Ashley Holmes, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Millions of women worldwide endure infertility and pregnancy loss on their path to motherhood. October has become recognized as Infertility and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month, and it is imperative to shine a light on this topic because so many women struggle silently. As a collective, it is vital to acknowledge and work towards understanding the grief that goes hand in hand with those striving to grow their families.
Top 3 tips to honor your journey
Honor your feelings and give yourself ample time and space to process them. Give your mind, body, and spirit what it is intuitively seeking for you to be able to move forward without such a heavy heart. There is no "right way" to grieve – allow the waves of grief to move through you without suppressing the tears and heartache.
If you are struggling with infertility or pregnancy loss, it can be challenging to communicate your needs to others. Specify how they can help you while you are navigating this challenging time. It’s so helpful when someone takes on the little things for you, especially when you are feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically exhausted. Being able to hold space for people and sit with them through their uncomfortable emotions will allow them to be witnessed and feel supported exactly where they are.
Whether you carried them for a day, weeks, or months they were a part of you, and creating a ritual/tradition or ceremony can begin the healing process. The memory of your baby will be forever etched in your heart, and you can honor your loss by planting a tree, having an altar, or a memory box. Speak their name frequently and unapologetically because in doing so it gives other's permission to voice their loss too.
As a society, we have a long way to go in continuing to raise awareness for infertility and pregnancy loss to support couples experiencing this hardship. When I saw how Niagara Falls was lit up pink and blue on October 15 in recognition of Infertility and Pregnancy Loss; I believed it was a positive step in the right direction. Let us continue to shed light on this heartbreaking topic so that those struggling feel less alone. I will forever be an advocate for awareness because I suffered with infertility once too, and want to be a beacon of light for people who are in the depths of grief right now.
Ashley Holmes, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Ashley Holmes is the CEO and founder of Holistic Fertility Coach Inc., a Registered Yoga Teacher; a meditation guide; an Ayurvedic health and wellness educator; a Reiki practitioner second degree; and an international best-selling author. Her passion for customizing yoga, meditation, chakras, ayurveda, and Reiki empowers women to come back into balance and alignment to heal themselves and conceive with ease. She uses this energy medicine to support women struggling with infertility to help them conceive naturally by healing their womb. She has been blessed with twins and a miracle baby and is fulfilling her passion and purpose by offering what the traditional medical world does not – mind, body and spirit.
