EP 186: She Made Me a Mother: Losing My First Baby to Stillbirth at 39 Weeks

Jennifer Crouse expected to bring home her first baby. Instead, at 39 weeks pregnant, she learned her daughter, Charlotte Grace, had no heartbeat. In this episode, Jennifer shares the story of losing Charlotte to stillbirth just days before she was supposed to be born. She opens up about the shock of becoming a mother and grieving her child at the same time, the self-blame that followed, and the reality of navigating postpartum without her baby in her arms. Jennifer also talks about the isolation that often comes with loss, the impact grief can have on mental health, and how stillbirth changed her relationships, identity, and outlook on life. We discuss what coping with grief has looked like in the years since Charlotte's death, the importance of finding community, and why connecting with other loss moms helped her feel less alone. This episode is an honest conversation about stillbirth, life after loss, motherhood, healing, and learning how to carry both grief and love forward after losing a child.