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Pregnancy Loss: A Personal Journey As 1 In 4

Pregnancy loss happens in about 10-25% of confirmed pregnancies. That is 1 in 4. This percentage may actually be higher as some losses occur before a woman even knows she is pregnant.

Early loss, a loss which occurs before 8 weeks gestation, is the most common. Pregnancy that ends before 20 weeks is called a miscarriage. The reason for miscarriage is difficult to diagnose, as chromosomal abnormalities is believed to be the most common cause. Pregnancy that ends after 20 weeks is called stillbirth which is less common. In most cases, there is nothing a woman can do to prevent a miscarriage or stillbirth.Read More

5 Surprising Facts About Birthright St. Charles

As an organization that serves the greater St. Charles community, Birthright is always grateful for opportunities to meet people within the community to share what we do and how their support can make an impact in the lives of those we serve.

These connections happen in a variety of ways, from participating in organizational fairs to presenting to various groups about our mission. During our time doing community outreach, we have found that many people are often surprised to learn the scope of our history and services.Read More

5 Lessons We Learned from “The Greatest Showman”

A few months ago I found myself sitting in the movie theater wowed by the flash of color and fantastical musical numbers dancing across the screen before my eyes as I watched 2017’s The Greatest Showman for the first time. It wasn’t until my second (and third and fourth) viewings of the film, though, that I was struck by the tremendous lessons its plotline could lend to all of us, regardless of where we are at in our lives or what we are facing.

So, Grammy-worthy soundtrack aside, here are 5 lessons we can learn from The Greatest Showman:Read More

The Truth About Postpartum Depression

Content contribution from Terry Blanton, LCSW

A Personal Journey

I’ll never forget the day I took my first newborn son home from the hospital. There was a flurry of fear mixed in with joy as I changed him into his ‘going home’ outfit and strapped him safely into his pumpkin seat, all while my discharge nurse echoed off directives for our first night away from the care of the hospital. I felt a strange pit form in my stomach as she left me with the final statement “Now, you’ll be emotional. You’ll probably shed some tears- but if you find yourself not wanting to get out of bed, that’s when you know something is wrong.”Read More

An Open Letter To Our Strong, Brave Clients

Dear Birthright Client,

Though I’ve never met you, I feel like we are part of one another’s stories in some small but deeply significant way. I have been blessed by Birthright, as I know that you have too.Read More

We Are Stronger Together: Remembering Irena Sendler

March is Women’s History Month, an opportunity to celebrate and remember the countless women who have inspired, lead and catalyzed positive change in the history of humanity. Women are powerful individuals but can be even stronger when united together with passion for a common cause.

I recently came across the story of one unsung hero who perfectly exemplifies the strength of femininity, both as an individual and in the way she rallied other women together to create a network of talent who would save hundreds of lives. Hers is a story which has inspired and stuck with me in particular in relation to my work at Birthright.Read More

Pregnant On Campus

I found out I was pregnant the second semester of my freshmen year of college. It was early spring, and I knew I would have my baby during the fall semester, sometime in November. For the first several weeks of my pregnancy, I was not able to think long term. I could only focus on the present, how I felt I would have to quit everything in my life, and how many times I was throwing up. I began to miss almost all of my morning classes. I was a good student, with good intentions to go to class, but I would wake up and feel nauseous, sometimes even throwing up and having to go back to bed.Read More

Our Journey: Love, Loss Faith, & Grace

Our Blessing, Our Grace

A few months after we married, Andy and I learned that our prayers for our family had been answered. I was pregnant and we were ecstatic. Aside from some afternoon fatigue, my pregnancy seemed to be going smoothly until our 12-week anatomy scan. We watched as our daughter stretched her arms and kicked her legs, showing us how much she had grown. The sonographer began taking measurements of Grace’s head, then stopped and said a doctor would be in to confirm what she was seeing. I think she had already seen that our baby was going to die.Read More

My Choice

The following story is shared as it was written and shared with Birthright and reflects the personal journey of this specific client. Birthright understands that each woman’s circumstance is unique and this story does not directly represent each woman that Birthright strives to serve.

I was terrified when I found out I was pregnant. Read More