Ep 227: Fighting Stillbirth with Elizabeth O’Donnell of Aaliyah in Action

Addressing stillbirth can be a sensitive and challenging topic but it’s an essential one. Like with anything else in birth, it’s always better to learn about every possible outcome, even the ones you don’t want. Besides educating yourself, it’s important to listen to this episode because parents who have experienced stillbirth don’t deserve to suffer in silence. Avoiding their stories out of fear that it might affect your own pregnancy denies support to those who need it most. If it happened to you, wouldn’t you want others to hear your story?

Elizabeth started the non-profit Aaliyah in Action after her personal experience with stillbirth. Losing her daughter during pregnancy made her acutely aware of the system’s lack of support for grieving parents. In response, she stepped up to fill that gap, now offering the helping hand she wishes she would’ve had during that challenging time.

In this Episode, You’ll Learn About:

• How Elizabeth channeled her grief into helping other families
• How she learned about her baby’s passing and figured out the process for delivery
• Why she still tried to stick to her birth plan and brought in her doula
• Why Aaliyah in Action prefers to send packages to hospitals rather than directly to homes (though they do that, too!)
• What comes in the self-care packages
• What are some dos and don’ts for supporting those who have suffered a loss

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Full website notes: drnicolerankins.com/episode227

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