#36 Lucas’s Story, Infant Death and Parenting After Loss with Abi Bradley

In Episode 36 of Footprints on our Hearts, I chat with Abi Bradley about her son, Lucas, who died aged 12 days old in 2014. We discuss the traumatic circumstances of Lucas’s death as well as Abi’s experience of pregnancy and parenting after loss. We also talk about PTSD, which Abi experienced most strongly some years after Lucas’s death.

In the interview, we cover:

• Abi’s pregnancy with Lucas and his birth and first 11 days
• What happened when Lucas fell suddenly sick and was rushed to hospital (10:20)
• The police arriving to question them only a few hours after Lucas died (17:49)
• Having to return to their house without him (23:17)
• Finding support through the Sands forum in the first weeks and months of grief (30:42)
• Abi’s experience of pregnancy after loss and bringing her daughters home (32:29)
• Parenting after loss and how EMDR therapy helped with PTSD (42:48)
• Why Abi decided to set up When You Wish Upon a Star (50:50)

You can connect with Abi on Instagram @abibradley.x. She also has an Instagram page and Facebook page for her business, When You Wish Upon a Star, selling beautiful cards and keepsakes with the baby loss community in mind.

Find our more on Abi’s website (https://whenyouwish-uponastar.co.uk/) and Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/wishuponastarbyabi).

If you’d like to support the show, the beginning of the month is the best time to do it! Find out more at https://www.patreon.com/footprintsonourhearts. You can also support the show by spreading the word and leaving a review or rating on your podcast app!