loss of a child

This is part 16 of our Birth & Parenting Series. Our other parts can be found on the front page under “Birth & Parenting Series” toward the bottom, or linked here. This is a story of loss, and having to deal with the pain of miscarriage, a terribly common burden on women today but one that goes unspoken all too often. LR writes about her experience here and I hope this can bring some community and understanding around a difficult topic. When your plan for children hasn’t gone the way you hoped, and everyone around you is having children, it can feel isolating. She writes beautifully and poignantly that you are not alone. — We had been trying for over a year, which I mention only to explain my hyper-awareness of anything and everything that could be interpreted as a pregnancy symptom.  Over the course of several days earlier this year, I noticed multiple changes that just HAD to be pregnancy-related.  As such, a sudden bout with nasal congestion had me in a serious quandary about whether or not it was safe for me to take medication.  Though it was still two days before my period was due to start, I decided a pregnancy test was warranted.  And just like that, there it was . . . a positive result!  Okay, okay, I admit that the result was very faint but a positive is a positive, right? A few days later my period was late and I was ecstatic.  It…