Pregnancy After Loss - trying to conceive, loss, and the long road to Motherhood

Pregnancy after loss doesn’t end when the baby arrives.For many women, that’s when the emotional weight finally surfaces.In this episode writer and advocate Seetal Savla shares her full journey through miscarriage, IVF, donor conception, pregnancy after loss, and early motherhood - including the parts that are rarely spoken about.We explore:Pregnancy after loss - anxiety, fear, and living with constant uncertaintyIVF and fertility treatment - why it often feels overwhelming and isolatingCommunity and support - what actually helps, and what unintentionally hurtsParenting after loss - gratitude pressure, postnatal struggles, and matrescenceFertility and miscarriage at work - culture, disclosure, and psychological safetyResources mentionedBig Fat Negative: https://www.bigfatnegative.com Happy Mum Happy Baby: https://happymumhappybaby.comFertility Matters at Work: https://fertilitymattersatwork.com/Seetal Savla (Instagram): https://www.instagram.com/seetalsavla/Seetal (LinkTree): https://linktr.ee/seetalsavlaTimestamps:00:00 – Trailer: “I was expected to be strongest when I felt weakest”01:05 – Intro: Seetal Savla and why this conversation matters01:57 – Seetal’s story begins: first pregnancy and early loss03:28 – IVF, NHS funding, private treatment and repeated failures04:52 – Donor conception decisions and COVID uncertainty05:46 – Miscarriage after donor IVF and navigating care abroad06:43 – Pregnancy after loss: fear, secrecy and anxiety07:50 – Parenting after loss and reproductive trauma resurfacing09:03 – Navigating fertility treatment without guidance or support11:49 – Finding community: Instagram and TTC spaces13:52 – Family, culture and the limits of well-meaning support16:19 – Gratitude pressure after birth and postnatal reality18:24 – Sleeplessness, breastfeeding struggles and identity shift19:33 – What actually helped during the darkest moments20:28 – Why birth isn’t the finish line - it’s the start22:09 – Matrescence, grief and mourning your old self23:54 – Postnatal support, doulas and cultural care models25:51 – How to support someone well (and what not to say)34:26 – Fertility, miscarriage and the workplace39:57 – Why workplace culture matters more than policies41:35 – Are employers improving support for fertility and loss?45:47 – Turning pain into purpose through sharing49:04 – “Rainbow baby” and the complexity of hope narratives51:25 – What a better start to motherhood really means54:34 – Practical postnatal support and realistic preparation54:58 – Where to find Seetal and her work58:05 – Closing reflections