Pregnancy Loss, Infertility, and Hope in Community with Ashley Bitterman

Today's episode is going to be a heavy listen. I'm speaking with Ashley Bitterman, who is an advocate for pregnancy loss, infertility, and host of the podcast "Unexpecting."   Ashley and I had been working with one another professionally, but also struck up a personal friendship in the process. When we met recently, she shared very openly about her podcast "Unexpecting," which focuses on pregnancy loss. Ashley has been through a number of challenges trying to conceive her first child with her husband, and has found a voice sharing about her journey.   As she was sharing her research on the topic, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people struggling with pregnancy loss and infertility challenges. There's so little known about what causes infertility in the majority of couples. Because we don't talk enough about this subject, you might not realize how common this form of loss is. As she was sharing with me her experiences with infertility and pregnancy loss, the community of people that reached out to her gave her the platform to share real stories from people and families going through pregnancy loss in an honest, raw way.    I asked Ashley if she would come on the show and talk about her experiences and the community around this topic. It's a heartbreaking story, but what I think is important in this interview and on "Unexpecting" is that it allows us to normalize these types of conversations. Because we often avoid these difficult discussions, people who experience pregnancy loss feel isolated. It's incredibly painful to think for your whole life that you will have a child and then find out that you may never have the opportunity. We need to normalize this as everyday conversations and remind people who are suffering that they are not alone, and we can make this possible by coming together and sharing stories.   If you are going through the traumas of pregnancy loss and infertility, I hope that this interview brings you community and helps you in your healing journey. If you know a family member, friend, or loved one who is experiencing this, I hope that you find some answers on how to best support them and make a comforting space for them to heal.    Find Ashley Bitterman here:   Unexpecting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unexpectingpodcast/    Listen to Unexpecting on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unexpecting/id1586460698      Find Nick Thompson here:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nthompson513/    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXipWcR8Pit6vYHd1ZcKgKg