Mar 31, 2022
Today Chelsea Spoelker joins me to share the story of her daughter Stella and how this short, but incredibly powerful life changed hers forever. Stella was born with Trisomy 18, a life-limiting diagnosis and lived for 39 days. Chelsea shares with me how, through Stella’s life, she learned to celebrate each day like it was her last. She began that journey of celebrating and honoring her life while she was pregnant and each day, each milestone after she was born. Since Stella’s death Chelsea has learned what it looks like practically to parent and celebrate and honor a child that has died and today she is sharing all of that with you.
Navigating milestones, celebrating birthdays,
knowing how to honor the anniversary of your baby’s death, or
knowing how to honor your baby on holidays or even in the
everyday is incredibly challenging; those dates often feel
impossible, but this conversation will help, reminding you that you
aren’t alone in this and giving you practical ideas for what
navigating milestones could look like.
While this conversation specifically centered navigating milestones and celebrating and honoring our babies, Chelsea also shared what it was like to make the decision to carry Stella to term when her medical team was advising to end the pregnancy, the very drastic steps she and her husband took to seek out medical care where they felt supported, how she and her husband navigate milestones differently and something that all loss moms can identify with – regret. Chelsea opens up about all of that and more.
And toward the end of the episode Chelsea gave a simple but powerful encouragement when she said: “figure out what works for you, what feels right for you and honor that, do that.” I loved the encouragement to do milestones in any way that feels right for you.
If you are looking for practical help navigating milestones, I have two things that will help:
Lastly, this episode is dedicated to all of our trisomy babies and to the mamas that love them. In honor of Trisomy Awareness month we celebrate your babies, we remember them, we remember you.
QUESTIONS WE DISCUSS IN NO.156
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