COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Pregnancy loss is a topic that is difficult to address, but more common than you'd think. The CDC reports that 1 in 4 women will miscarry and the same number now struggle to get pregnant. This is why I have shared my personal experiences with loss and infertility. If you need support, reach out. It's why Kate Cronenwett reached out.
“I had three miscarriages and my son was stillborn. Kate Cronenwett was 26 weeks into her pregnancy when her son Evan stopped moving. Facing the unbearable, Kate looked everywhere in our community for support, explaining, "I just wanted to see somebody that survived the death of their baby because I didn't know how that was possible.”
When she came up empty handed, Kate turned to social media. That’s where she met Lisa Wochos. Lisa and her family had just moved to Colorado Springs and two weeks after doing so, she suffered a miscarriage. “You don’t know how hard it can be unless you are going through it. I needed someone to talk to, to cry to and to help so I put one post online to see if anyone wanted to meet in person and Kate reached out."
The two have now created a chapter of Share, a local group that's part of a nationwide initiative to support families through the grief of infant loss. Share does everything from bed-side companions, memorial events and face-to-face or online support groups.
The women are adding resources for families, people like Amanda Ring. Ring is a doula with Mindful Arrivals Doula Services and is finishing her bereavement training, “because they shouldn’t have to carry that alone. I want to be there for any births, all births, any trimester, all outcomes.”
Kaitlyn McEntire, a local photographer and doula has also expanded her services to offer bereavement photography, “These are deeply impactful both for processing and for coming to terms with the fact that it did happen. You did have your baby. Your baby is yours. This allows you to grieve on your own timeline.”
The women would eventually like to add in a companion program where the hospital will reach out to them when a mother experiences a loss so the group can offer support and resources in the moment. In the past two years, Share has trained 765 medical professionals and caregivers to provide improved care for families who have experienced the death of a baby.
Share Support Group of Colorado Springs
Kate Cronenwett | katecronenwett@gmail.com | 269-370-0265
Group meets the 2nd Tuesday of the month from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Please contact Kate Cronenwett for location address.
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