josiah+co. Blog
Navigating Pregnancy After Loss
Melissa Sulley
Pregnancy after loss is an emotional rollercoaster. It can be filled with fear, joy, guilt, love, excitement, grief, relief, pressure, exhaustion... and a whole lot of anxiety. This is 100% normal, and it's completely okay to feel all these things at the same time. As I currently navigate my 10th pregnancy after recurrent loss, I bounce all the time between excitement and fear, anxiety and joy. I dream about holding a newborn and then tell myself to not get my hopes up in case I jinx it. I am very much aware of the realities of pregnancy and all the...
My Top 6 Grief Essentials
Grief Miscarriage Pregnancy + Infant Loss Resources Stillbirth Support
Melissa Sulley
We all will experience grief of sorts in our life and yet it is rarely talked about. So when we are confronted with grief we often don’t know how to navigate through it, we get stuck. I’ve been journeying through grief now for 12 years. My journey started when my step-father passed away suddenly in 2008 and has continued these past 6 years as I’ve navigated through recurrent second-trimester pregnancy loss. I’m well acquainted with grief; we’ve become good buddies butting heads every now and then. As I’ve navigated through this journey here are a few things that have been...
Navigating Grief + the Holidays
Melissa Sulley
This season, this holiday, is so difficult for so many reasons. Many of us are grieving. We’ve lost teeny tiny babies and full grown children. We’ve lost parents and friends and people we’ve held dear. We’ve lost jobs and relationships. We’ve lost our support systems and life as we knew it prior to this damn pandemic. This holiday season will look drastically different from seasons in the past, and when we add grief on top of that it seems almost unbearable. As I’ve been reflecting on what this season looks like this year and how to navigate grief through it...
That Time I Went to an Abortion Clinic
Melissa Sulley
The title isn’t what you think. I didn’t have an abortion. And even if I did, I know there would be a multitude of reasons and circumstances leading up to that decision. It’s not all black and white; dualistic decision making. What this is about is how COVID-19 gave me no choice but to manage my miscarriage in a safe space alongside those choosing to end their pregnancies. You see, I know my body. I know my body clings to my lifeless babes and refuses to let go. I know after hours and hours of induction I’m subjected to D&Cs...
'Good Grief' Challenge: Day 5 // Your Grief Community
Melissa Sulley
We all need people in our corner. People who understand our journey, or at least aspects of it. There is something healing about being seen and heard; having our stories validated. Being able to speak with no filters, and share all our raw thoughts and emotions with no judgement. When I experienced our first loss I didn’t know anyone else around me who had experienced a similar journey; until I started talking about it. As I shared my story, other people began sharing their stories with me and I was able to build a community around myself with people...