It’s taken me awhile to feel comfortable to share this publicly on my photography page but I’m so excited to announce that today I’m 19 weeks #PREGNANT, expecting my third child this June♥️

As many of you who have been following my journey know, I suffered two consecutive miscarriages in 2019 — one at 8 weeks in March and another at 10 weeks in July. The second loss was very traumatic as we had already heard the heartbeat and knew from testing that the baby was a boy. We were beyond heartbroken and even though six months have since passed, I still get choked up thinking about him— and how if I was still pregnant with him, I would be 39 weeks today.

There’s a stigma in our society with miscarriages— that women shouldn’t share their pregnancies until the second trimester—once they’re certain their babies are healthy. However, through my experience, I discovered many women who become pregnant, lose their babies before the 13-week mark and are forced to suffer silently. 

In fear of sharing something so personal in such a public fashion, I almost didn’t share my story— however, I felt compelled to let others know our baby did exist, our hearts were broken and we were grieving. I simply could not hide behind a superficial smile and pretend it never happened. 

Once I shared my story, I received so much support and encouragement from others who’d also experienced the same pain, sadness and devastation. It was only by being vulnerable that I opened myself to connecting with others who completely understood my thoughts and feelings.

Going through that dark season taught me two things:

1) Always show love and empathy towards those who are grieving the loss of a pregnancy. Every kind word, gesture and prayer means more than you realize.

2) Every life, every heartbeat is truly a miracle. Had I not experienced these losses, I would not cherish this pregnancy and this baby as much as I do now. I look at motherhood differently than I ever did before and I won’t ever take for granted the ability to conceive and deliver a healthy child. 

We are so thankful for this new baby growing inside my belly and we cannot wait to meet HIM in a few short months! Three boys ages four and under and I could not be more grateful to be their mommy 💙 (01.20.20)