#8 Extremely Premature Babies and the Heartbreak of Losing a Twin with Sarah Playle

In Episode 8 of Footprints on our Hearts, I talk to Sarah Playle about the challenges she faced in her four pregnancies, giving birth (twice) to very premature babies and the unique sense of loss that comes when one of your twins dies.

In every podcast we talk about legacy, but I think Sarah’s words at the end of this podcast, when she talks about the greatest gift that Rosie has given her, are some of the most poignant I’ve heard. They definitely had me tearing up!

In the interview we talk about:

• The challenges she faced in her first pregnancy, which ended in miscarriage, and her second pregnancy, when she gave birth to her son, Indy. (7:17)
• Finding out she was pregnant with twins and going into labour at 25 weeks. (13:57)
• Rosie and Isla’s delivery at 25+3 weeks and finding out Rosie was stillborn. (19:04)
• Isla’s fight for her life in NICU and the early days of parenting an extremely premature baby. (23.15)
• Grieving Rosie, why they delayed her funeral and empty arms. (28:44)
• A fourth complicated pregnancy and Felix arriving at 28 weeks. (34:55)
• Sarah’s grief journey and the unique sorrow and joy of losing an identical twin. (46:31)
• Talking to siblings about loss and Rosie’s greatest gift. (53:46)

In the episode, I mention Brené Brown’s short video on the difference between sympathy and empathy.

Sarah recommends the book Sam and Finn by Kate Polley for talking with a surviving twin about their brother or sister. You can also get personalised versions.

In the podcast introduction, I talk about Mother’s Day, coronavirus and why we need to support each other in these difficult times. In the words of Victor Hugo, “Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise”.

I also mention a selection of free books that I collated for my readers. You can check them out here.

If you enjoy the podcast, I’d really appreciate it if you could leave a review on your podcast app. You can connect with me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/footprintsonourhearts/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/skyesfootprints) or email alison@footprintsonourhearts.com.