Thank you so much for the love and support yāall showed Edwin and me yesterday after we shared our happy news! Iāve been overcome with gratitude ever since!! Todayās post is a long one so buckle up. This is also probably the most personal post Iāve ever written. We waited until almost the third trimester to share our pregnancy news, not because we arenāt excited ā weāre over the moon! ā but because I really felt like protecting our little bubble.
My experience with getting pregnant and staying pregnant changed how I see the world and changed how I think about pregnancy announcements (I can tell you right now youāll never see me announcing a pregnancy on a holiday like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Motherās Day, or Father’s Day because, while joyous, seeing those posts was extremely difficult). So, we waited until the time was right for us. I also knew that when the time was right, Iād write this post. For me personally, yesterdayās post wasnāt complete without todayās post so here goesā¦.
I had a miscarriage.


The road to this pregnancy has not been easy.
It’s been far different from anything I would have imagined. I have such an extreme gratitude for my body and my health as well as such profound respect for every woman who has ever struggled with any aspect of conception or pregnancy. Like anything, it is truly impossible to understand what it is like to go through a miscarriage unless youāve experienced it yourself.
I tend to be a pretty open person and pretty comfortable with my feelings. I donāt hold my cards too close to my chest. So, I recognize that this post might seem like an overshare of personal information to some of you. If itās not for you, then I completely understand and respect your opinion. For me, I feel like I couldnāt share our joyous news from yesterday about our healthy pregnancy without sharing the other side of the story.
Our miscarriage is part of our story.
It really feels like a lie to only share the good news. After our miscarriage, I read a few miscarriage posts from other bloggers and they helped me. So, I hope this post reaches even just one person who is in need of a little extra love and support in this area. A miscarriage really is one of lifeās traumas but it unfortunately is an extremely common one. So, I see absolutely no reason not to talk about it and absolutely no reason to keep it hiddenā¦
Our Pregnancy Journey
For starters, I had a really hard transition from going off birth control. Never before in my life have I felt like I was struggling with anxiety or depression until going off of the pill. There was about a two-month period where I really struggled to get out of bed in the morning and truly struggled to feel like myself and understand the way I was feeling. Thankfully, it was a phase and I leveled out and got back to being me. It just took a bit of time and me reaching out to loved ones to express how I was feeling and to ask for support.Ā
When it came to the timing of trying, it might come as no surprise that I was ready before Edwin. I know this isnāt always the case. But, between the two of us, as the female, I was the one that was ready to go. We were completely open about it all and waited for a time that worked for both of us. It was very important to me for Edwin to feel heard and ready before we started trying.
The minute we decided to officially start trying, I was pretty shocked at the stress I felt around it. No one was putting stress on me. I was putting it on myself. Iām generally a very laid back person so I was honestly in disbelief by how much I struggled with the concept of having something I wanted (i.e. pregnancy) be so out of my control. During this time, I went on a lot of walks to de-stress. And talked a lot with one of my best friends who is a mom. She gave me so much perspective that I couldnāt see at the time and I will always be grateful! I also wrote this post aboutĀ how to get out of your own head in light of this time.
We got pregnant.
We were extremely lucky last summer (summer 2019) to get pregnant the second month we tried. In all honestly, I had lots of thoughts like āWow! That was easy! I donāt know what all my stress was about! Weāre so lucky!ā running through my head. If youāve ever been pregnant, then you know that you start making plans well before you are actually pregnant. Then, the day you find out you are pregnant, your whole world changes and your plans become real.
During the time we were pregnant, I loved the planning and the conversations Edwin and I had about our baby, our growing family, our house, holidays, andĀ soĀ much more. Telling Edwin we were pregnant and showing him the positive pregnancy test was so incredibly special. And something I will always remember even though it turned into loss. Sometimes, I look back on that day and on the time we were pregnant and I feel like Iām thinking back on someone elseās life. We were so very happy until we werenāt. I look at photos of myself from that time and I barely feel like it was me.Ā
I miscarried at about 8 weeks.
It happened a few days shy of a 9 week appointment we had with my doctor. We didnāt know anything was wrong until I started cramping and bleeding. My body miscarried the whole pregnancy so I did not need a D&C. The miscarriage in full lasted a week. Three to four days of that week were really the bulk of it and the days I was really in physical pain.
The emotional pain of seeing and feeling your baby pass through your body in this way is a pain I don’t really have words for. I canāt imagine that Iāll ever forget the doctor appointment confirming what I knew was happening to my body. Everyone at our doctorās office was extremely kind and supportive of us, which I am eternally grateful for.
I knew in my bones that I was miscarrying but I was still pretty numb and in denial until we got to the doctor. Never in my life did I picture that I would be sitting in the waiting room with silent tears streaming down my face while holding my husbandās hand. When we were in the appointment, I couldnāt bring myself to look at the screen during the ultrasound. The physical and emotional pain was honestly too great. I hate giving blood more than anything so the subsequent blood work I had to do that day and in the weeks that followed was a little dose of torture for me as well.
In all, the appointment was one of those things where you find yourself living your life and itās impossible to imagine that it is in fact your life. I canāt explain it. It was traumatic but my doctor and the nurses really were the silver lining.
The real silver lining in the whole experience was Edwin.
I never needed to have this experience and didnāt need to grow closer to him in this way but it happened and weāre so much stronger! I canāt imagine having gone through this with anyone other than Edwin by my side. To say that he was incredible in every way would be the understatement of the year. He went above and beyond for me and for us and I feel so grateful for him and his love.
Of course, Edwin experienced loss too but he still managed to pick up the pieces when I struggled to. The miscarriage strengthen our marriage and our love for one another. I never questioned that Edwin would be a wonderful husband and father. But he really stepped up in a way I could never have known without experiencing something like this.
Another thing I really learned through the whole experience was the power of hope.
Through some coaching, I really worked on replacing stress with hope. Anything I was stressed about, I worked on reframing and replacing the stress with hope. Instead of being stressed about something, how could I be hopeful about it? It was at times hard but really worth it every step of the way. Hope is so powerful and so positive. I urge you to embrace it and donāt deny it if you find yourself needing it.
In addition to Edwin, I really got through the miscarriage thanks to my relationships with the Lord, my family, and my friends.
Three friends in particular were absolute rocks throughout the experience. At the start of my recovery and healing process, my dad gave me the greatest gift. He told me that I now had a tremendous opportunity to grow my relationship with God, which is an opportunity that doesnāt come along every day. This changed my whole perspective and really rocked my world in the best way. Dad, Iāll never forget this!
Both Edwinās and my families were incredibly supportive and there for us in every way. Thank goodness for mothers! Mine is just the best! The support I felt from my girlfriends was also undeniable. I will be forever thankful for two of my best friends who unfortunately knew all too well how I was feeling after experiencing their own similar losses. I mentioned it before but you canāt understand the pain unless youāve experienced it yourself. And I really relied on my friends who had.
Female friendships are one of the greatest gifts in this word.
I really hit the jackpot with these two and so many others. If any of you are or do sadly go through a miscarriage, I really do recommend talking with your girlfriends who can relate because they will know when to listen, when to console, what to say, and perhaps most importantly what not to say (more on that below). Thank you to every single person who loved on us extra hard during our miscarriage and the months that followed!
Edwin and I also welcomed Hopper into our lives while healing from the miscarriage. A dog obviously isnāt the same as a baby but we were so ready to grow our family and our hearts were wide open so we leaned into that and were blessed with the most loving pup in the world! He is an absolute sweetie who wouldnāt have come into our lives if we hadnāt miscarried. Blessings really do come in all shapes and sizes.
After a miscarriage, itās not always easy to bounce back.
I canāt speak for every woman but it wasnāt easy for me. There were many bad difficult days as well as good bright days. I canāt remember exactly when but it was weeks until I realized I had a day without tears. Even on good days, there were sad moments. You also canāt try to get pregnant again right away so the whole thing feels very out of your control, which added to my sadness.
After I miscarried, something I really struggled with in conversations with others was when people said things to me like āJust wait, you will get pregnant and know your own joy of pregnancyā.
I imagine itās different for everyone who has a miscarriage but, for me, there was nothing more gut-wrenching that I could hear. What I didnāt understand and still donāt understand is how people could say something along those lines. I WAS pregnant. I DID know the joy of pregnancy. But I simply had that joy taken away. The amount of insensitive comments made to me (keep in mind they were unintentional from people who didnāt and couldnāt understand) were astounding. I have the utmost empathy for any women who is struggling to or canāt conceive. I can only imagine the bone-headed things you hear and the daily reminders you must see, feel, and hear. And I will by no means pretend that I can relate because I simply canāt but I can empathize with you, love you, support you, and pray for you.


I know itās hard to know what to say to someone you know going through a miscarriage. And I wouldnāt have known had I not gone through one. So, I thought Iād share some thoughts on what to say and really what not to say. Other women with similar experiences to mine might feel differently but this was my experience. I know that, when said, all of the things I say not to say below are said out of love, support, and kindness. I appreciate that completely but would still warn against saying them.
What To Say, Or Not Say, To A Friend Going Through A Miscarriage:
1. Donāt say āoh my friendās cousin had two miscarriage and now she has three kids!ā or āmy friend from high school had a miscarriage too. I know itās so hard.ā
Hereās the thing⦠miscarriages are incredibly common (1 in 4 pregnancies end up as a miscarriage) but that doesnāt mean that they arenāt a traumatic event. Unless you yourself have had a miscarriage, donāt offer up someone you know as an example so you can relate. Accept that you canāt relate and, honestly, be grateful that you canāt relate because it means you havenāt had a miscarriage.
Attaching another random person to someoneās miscarriage by saying things like āmy friend from high school had a miscarriage too. I know itās so hardā honestly undermines the person currently going through the miscarriage and makes their struggle and trauma seem small and inconsequential. I can honestly say that I know these comments were meant well and out of kindness. But they are extremely painful to hear.
2. Donāt say āJust wait, you will get pregnant and know your own joy of pregnancy.ā
As I said earlier, women who have gone through a miscarriage have obviously been pregnant before and they know the joy of being pregnant. Comments like these are just another extremely painful reminder that the joy was taken away.
3. If you are pregnant and youāre telling a friend your happy news after the friend suffered a miscarriage, donāt say āwe werenāt even trying, it just happened.ā
Yes, I know multiple women who truly were shocked to find out they were pregnant and who truly got pregnant in a situation where they werenāt trying (usually in instances of breastfeeding and not having gotten their periods back, having gone off the pill for 1 month… situations like that). However, I feel pretty strongly that if you arenāt on any birth control or are having unprotected sex and you get pregnant, then that doesnāt fall under the category of ānot trying.ā Sure, you can be tracking your monthly calendar or not but even so, if you arenāt using contraceptive/protection then it seems pretty obvious that you can get pregnant any month.
Iām kind of at a loss with this one. I imagine people say it to their friends to try to soften the blow and make it seem like they werenāt planning to have to tell the news that they are pregnant while you arenāt. However, it hurts and comes off weird and competitive as in, you might have been trying but we werenāt. I donāt know. Other women might feel differently than me on this one but I struggled with it.
4. Donāt keep a pregnancy from a friend who has suffered a miscarriage.
Instead, treat the friend like you always would with love, care, and respect and like a confidante that youād share your news with. By no means do I recommend telling a friend you know is recovering from a miscarriage in a group setting or on a group text though. Tell her one-on-one in person or on the phone.Ā
5. Donāt say āDecember will be here so soon! Youāll be able to start trying again in no time.ā
This one is so so easy to say and in a sense, you can attach hope to this one. However, Iād urge you to not say it too soon to a friend after a miscarriage and to be careful with how and when you say it. When you want to get pregnant and canāt/arenāt yet and after youāve had a miscarriage, every day, week, and month seems so much longer. A few months might be nothing to you but if your friend is waiting for the okay from her doctor to be able to start trying again and then has the waiting game of actually trying ahead, then a few months is a very long time.
Keep in mind too that itās a long time to want something and not be able to control it at all. In the beginning of my recovery process, these comments broke me. After a while, as time passed, I felt a lot more hope attached to these comments. Itās a tricky line to walk so just be gentle with it.
6. Don’t shy away from a friend after a miscarriage out of fear of not knowing what to say or fear of having a hard conversation.
Pick up the phone to let them know youāre there and listen when they are ready to talk. I know exactly which friends of mine I shared my news with who never hesitated to call, text, drop by, or check in on me throughout the months following my miscarriage just as I know the friends who didnāt. And I will say that it really put a spotlight on which friends I knew were there for me unconditionally. I love you all so much!
7. Realize that if you are pregnant that any friends you have recovering from a miscarriage will be extremely excited for you.
Itās completely normal to go through a miscarriage and be overjoyed for your pregnant friends while also being sad for yourself. I really felt the two feelings as completely separate feelings, not intertwined ones.
8. Realize that a friend who has gone through a miscarriage wonāt just ābe betterā one day.
It is an everyday thing. In the beginning, itās an all-day thing. Then, for me it moved to everyday but not all day. Iād say though that it was pretty much always the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing I thought about before I went to sleep up until we were pregnant again.
9. Do listen to your friends recovering from a miscarriage.
The fact of the matter is that you donāt know what to say if you havenāt experienced it yourself. So, instead of trying to say the right thing, listen to your friend, be a shoulder to cry on, be a sounding board, answer the phone, etc. If you practice listening, then I venture to say that youāll be a lot better equipped with what to say because you will know where your friend is at.
After writing this, I feel badly because I shared quite a few ādonātsā and I donāt mean to come off negatively at all. Iām not sure how to avoid the ādonātsā so I hope you found them helpful. This post very well might not relate to you now but save it for a rainy day if you ever need support in this area for yourself or a loved one (although I whole heartedly hope you donāt!).


Iām going to write a post dedicated to my first trimester of my current healthy pregnancy because it in and of itself was a very confusing time for me full of positives and negatives. I would honestly say that my healing process from our miscarriage lasted throughout the first trimester of my current pregnancy.
From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE SUPPORT YESTERDAY!
Edwin and I are overjoyed to be welcoming a baby into our family and Iām thrilled I get to share it all with you. Becoming a parent is not easy so I hope you know that if you are struggling, I am reaching out through this blog post and giving you a very supportive hug. To all the women out there who have had one or more miscarriages, who are struggling with conception or infertility or anything else, you are stronger than strong. Iād love to give each and every one of you a hug full of warmth, love, and support. Iām in awe of each one of you!! To everyone who made it to the bottom of this post, I love you guys! Thank you for reading! Iām excited to share some more positive pregnancy posts with yāall in the coming months!! xx
Photography by Hannah Alyssa
Jillian! I am over the moon for you and Edwin, and moved by your story. I appreciate you sharing the very raw and vulnerable parts of your experience getting pregnant. This is very courageous of you! As someone who experienced miscarriage and struggled to convince, Iām all too familiar with its all-consuming heartache. Seeing others share their exciting news when youāre struggling in this way is salt to the wound!
I wish you and Edwin the best in this new season! āŗļø Iām excited for yāall to experience this kind of love. Please know I am always here for you as you take on this new role. He/she is already the luckiest to have you two!!!
Thank you so so much for your incredibly thoughtful and kind message Taylor-Rae! Your words means the world to me. I am so sorry that you too know the pain of miscarriage but so happy you have found joy on the other side! Thank you so much for your support! I feel so much love and am lucky to get to read comments like yours!! Hugs!! xx
That is a truly lovely post and I know a lot of people will resonate with it. Thank you for sharing. I wish you the best of health in your pregnancy ?
Thank you so much for reading and for your kind comment!! I so appreciate your warm pregnancy wishes! I’m lucky to have such thoughtful readers like you! xo
With my little english (I talk spanish) I can tell you this was so emotional and I send you lots of love!
Thank you so much for your love! All of the support and kindness I’ve felt from readers like you has been tremendous!! xoxo
Jillian, thank you so much for sharing your story. I canāt imagine the pain you went through or how you feel today! You and your family are in my thoughts.
Thank you so much Mackenzie! You are so sweet to leave such a thoughtful comment! I hope to never have to go through it again but everything is for a reason and it was all worth it since it brought us to the joy and excited anticipation we feel today! Thank you for reading! xoxo
Sending love. Thank you for sharing your journey and advice.
Thanks so much Amber!! I’m sending love right back to you!! Thank you for always being so supportive!! xoxo
Love you so much!
love you more!!! xoxo
We are looking at transferring to South Carolina. I wanted to know more about the culture in the area & that is how I found this blog. I recently had a miscarriage over the holidays. We were spending time with new friends after moving far from home right before the pandemic. I felt like I could not share what happened with anyone we were with at the time or even anyone when we got back “home”. It felt far too personal & awkward. I have since found support with close friends from our previous home, an older lady neighbor and my phenomenal doctor. I will try again in March and am hoping for the best, but I am at peace with whatever is in store. Thank you for sharing this… I feel less lonely, a little better and I also got a great glimpse into life in the Carolinas. Your family is so cute! Best to you!
Thank you so much! I am glad my post gave you some solace. I am so sorry for your loss and the heartache you’ve experienced but very happy you have found a community of support around you. That is crucial! Sending lots of support your way! – Jillian
This is a beautiful, thoughtful post. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a supportive comment! It means so much to me! I’m incredible lucky to have great readers like you! Thank you for reading my post! xx
So beautifully written and packed with great information!
Thank you so much Caroline! I am so glad you got something from the post. Thank you so much for reading and for leaving such a sweet comment!! xx
So moved by this beautiful piece. Jillian you are a gift to the world!
Thank you so much for all your love, support, and encouragement!!! Sending big big hugs and lots of love!!! xoxo
Congratulations to you two. This tips are great. My close friend had a miscarriage last year. Six months in. And as much as I was there for her, I struggled with what to say to her During that rough time. Some days she talks to me about the baby and I still donāt know what to say to her or how to navigate through this difficult topic. But I sit and listen to her. Wishing you two the best.
Hi Christine – thank you so much for your comment and for reading my post! My heart hurts for your friend but I can already tell she is incredibly fortunate to have a supportive friend like you! Sometimes the best thing is to acknowledge that you don’t know what to say and to just listen and be a rock of support (which is sounds like you’re doing beautifully!). My heart goes out to your friend! She’s lucky to have you! Thank you for reading! xoxo
Jillian and Edwin I am so happy for you both.
I see so much love and respect between you. The heartbreak you experienced and now subsequent joy you so beautifully shared was a breathtaking read.
Thank you for being vulnerable enough to share.
Ohhhh thank you so much for reading and for your thoughtful comment Mrs. Wilson!! You and Lauren are the absolute best! I feel so much love and support from both of you and am lucky to have y’all in my life! Sending lots of love!! xoxo
Wow…brutally honest. Congratulations to you both !
Thank you so much for your warm wishes! Yes, very honest… I saw no other way to write the post. Thank you for reading!
Love you Jillian. So thankful you shared the ādos and dontsā with us. Even women my age (58) struggle with this. Actually especially us. In our days of early marriage and pregnancy, we didnāt have the internet and online friends and were often encouraged to suffer in silence. Many of us suffered alone. Iām so thankful you are moving forward and that you have shared your struggles and hope with all of us. Prayers And Love for all of you.
Awwww thank you so much!! Sending so much love back! I truly can’t imagine having gone through our miscarriage without a support system (including Marissa!!!) so my heart goes out to every women who has or who hasn’t felt comfortable opening up. It is hard but I found it so worth it in the end. Thank you for reading!! I hope I get to see you sooner rather than later!! Hugs! xoxo