A great bra makes all the difference! Every woman should get fitted - well at least 85% of us should!

While I know this blog is about helping women who have suffered from miscarriage, I had to share on another subject…. getting the right fitting bra. You have to check out this Bracumentary… it is 3 women getting a bra fitting! It seems to make all the difference in the world… I had to share… and if I can figure out where to get a fitting near me, I will be going this weekend!

Check it out: bracumentary

Tell me what you think.

 

Want/how to help women who have suffered from miscarriage? Vote for us by July 15th. Will take less than one minute!

See link at bottom of posting…

I had to ask one last time (for a while we were in the lead, but we are up against some BIG companies and could use some help), the more we can get the word out, the more we can help women and their families… OurHopePlace.com is in the running for Fast Company’s reader favorite…

Information: Our website Our Hope Place (www.OurHopePlace.com) has been entered in the “Fast 50″ which is Fast Company magazine’s annual readers’ challenge, a worldwide search for ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Fast Company’s goal is to remind the world of all the good that’s created when passionate people with big ideas and strong convictions are determined to make a difference. Please take a moment to click on the link below, read about Our Hope Place and then fill out the short survey at the end (under 1 minute to complete) so we can win - which means we will spread the word about Our Hope Place and help women and their family’s suffer less. Please pass this email onto anyone you know who would vote for us. Thanks so much for your time!

Link: http://www.fastcompany.com/fast-50-2008-application/fast-50-2008-application-75

 

It’s been 5 months since my miscarriage, I am still in such pain, Thank You for your help

From and email sent to OurHopePlace.com

Hello, I just wanted to say thank you so much. I’m 22 and I had a miscarriage in February at 13 weeks. Nobody in my family realizes what I am going through. I know its July, but I am still stuck where I was at in January. The due date is July 31st. Even my fiance doesn’t understand it. I woke up that day and thought that I had started my period. I went to the bathroom and had a contraction and the floor was covered in blood. I didn’t know what else to do so I jumped in the shower and screamed for my fiance. There was no time to call an ambulance, so I just stood in the shower screaming at my fiance to do something and he was just in shock. We were living in a basement and I had to be carried up the stairs because I had lost so much blood that I couldn’t even stand. By the time we got to the hospital I had almost bled to death. I was in so much shock that I was just staring at the wall. When they had told me my due date, I don’t think I had ever cried so much in my life. All I kept asking was why, why did this have to happen to me? There are so many people killing their babies, why me? Mother’s Day was horrible. We went out to eat and they were handing out roses. They offered me a rose and I broke down. With my family, if I don’t keep a happy face on, then I get lectured. So I kept a happy face on, and when I got home that night, I didn’t sleep a bit. I haven’t talked to anyone about what happened since January. My mother is completely oblivious to what I am feeling. She told me I needed to get back on birth control so the mistake won’t happen again. I just wanted to let you guys know, that even though its been almost 6 months, you guys have helped me so much. Through the tears I read through your site, and I appreciate what you guys are doing so much. Thank you and take care.

 

Miscarriage and How Friendship Helps Healing (based on a story I read in Ladies’ Home Journal about Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts)

I couldn’t wait to write tonight. Today I saw the August, 2008, Ladies’ Home Journal - the one with Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts on it. The title is DS and RR on Friendship and Healing. All I could think is how friendship has strong healing powers, it helped DS and RR, it helped me with my miscarriage. When I read the article, many of the words struck true with me… thought I would share some here…

- “Never underestimate the power of a woman”
- “Friendship is knowing someone believes the best of you”
- What I love about this article is how they recognize what Robin has done is made it so we can talk about cancer as part of our lives. It isn’t something we have to avoid or speak about in hushed voices. How strong she is, and how much I appreciate what she has done. And how I hope that is what Our Hope Place will do for miscarriage
- “They treated me like Robin” — no matter what she was going through her friends and family didn’t treat her differently
- You need to be true to yourself
- DS thought of Robin’s diagnosis, “what right do I have to be afraid? And I would hate to let what I think may happen, or worry about, change what is happening today.” It is all about your friend, you need to focus on her. And Robin replied, “Which was helpful, because I was shaken. And to look at her and see that she is convinced — I need that certainty. Diane never wavered for one moment in her belief. That was empowering.”
- “Soon you’ll wake up and cancer won’t be the first think on your mind anymore… Before it used to consumer my eery thought. And then you realize you just want to get back to having fun, taking vacations, and living your life.” Wow, that rings so true for me, that is what Our Hope Place is about. It’s about thinking positive thoughts, its about moving forward, it’s about helping women and their families suffer less and begin healing.

It was our friendship that helped us heal from our miscarriages, it is our friendship that we build from to create Our Hope Place.

check out the article - I don’t think you will be disappointed - when you’re done, call your best friend and say Hi.

 

Hope To See You At The July 8th - Ladies Who launch Networking Summer Event! Tickets Available At The Door!

Please join us for our Ladies Who Launch summer networking event!

When:  Tuesday, July 8th, 2008

Time:  6 PM cocktails & h’doeurvres

           7 PM speaker Ann Buivid & Linda O’Shaughneasy of Artemis woman

Place:  Fairfield History Museum

           370 Beach Road, Fairfield, CT

Cost:  $30 (non-members, free for members)

To purchase tickets:  please call 203-292-3834 or email rhendrix@ladieswholaunch.com

Speaker/subject:  Join us to hear how Ann and Linda, co-founder and CFO of Artemis Women, share ow they turned an idea for a wellness company into a multi-million dollar profitable business in 3 years, while obtaining over $2 million in financing from angel investors.  In 2002, Ann and her partner left their corporate careers and founded Artemis Woman, LLC.  Ann has been featured in USA Today and Business Week.  Don’t miss what they have to share about scaling up a business past the $1 Million level, and the challenges in raising necessary capital.

 

Catered by ZEST

 

Hope to see you there!

 

Miscarriage: Say The Right Thing, Say Something

Well I was going to take the week off blogging for some R&R with my family, but I couldn’t resist writing on this… I was reading the July issue of Parents Magazine, and was very happy to see an article “Say the right thing”. It is all about personal crisis that women go through: miscarriage, divorce, infertility, sick child, when someone says something hurtful.

I love that they have a list of what to and what not to say. On Our Hope Place we have a complimentary list, we also add things you can do, and have a perspective test (an aide in thinking about what to say). I really think the most important thing is to say/do something. If there was a passing in someone’s family, would you not say something.

It is great that more and more miscarriage is something that is openly discussed. The purpose of this blog and OurHopePlace.com is to demystify miscarriage. We are all about friends helping friends cope, hope and heal after miscarriage. And we support anyone doing the same… so check out Parents Magazine (July issue)… and say something if you know someone who has a miscarriage.

 

My miscarriage story: I was so lonely… why do people act like nothing happened?

From an email sent to OurHopePlace.com
How I wish you had this in 1991 when I had my first
miscarriage.  I remember how lonely and grief stricken I felt and how
hurt I was when friends and family acted like nothing had happened.
After all, I had two healthy, beautiful children, so losing one isn't a
big deal.( I actually had someone tell me that it was only tissue and
it wasn't like I got to know it and love it.  How wrong that person was!)
It happened again in 1992 right before Christmas
and it was a very sad holiday for me.  I never had any more children
because I was so afraid of having my heart broken again.  So, for any
woman going through this now, they are lucky to have this site
(OurHopePlace.com)!

 

Miscarriage Story: I had a miscarriage 15 months ago, I felt all alone

From an email sent to OurHopePlace.com

I seen your website  address in Redbook.  And had to go online 
and seewhat it was about. i had a miscarriage about 15 mths ago, 
and still feel pain and loss at times. I have a healthy 4 year 
old girl, and the miscarriage pregnanacy wasn't planned. My 
husband did not want the baby so he stated was a real relief when
I lost the baby, which made the grieving harder to go
thru by myself. Really had no friends or family who
ever reached out and am crying right now thinking
about it. I believe I have a tiny angel in Heaven that
I will meet some day. I was 9 weeks pregnant when I
lost the baby, no expanation for it. I will never
forget the night I sat in the bathroom from 1-3 am and
lost the "baby" in the toilet alone. I loved the
website.

 

Miscarriage story: I had a miscarriage 4 months ago - do you have any advice

From an email to Our Hope Place and OHP's response.


I had a miscarrage 4 months ago. I have not handled it well.

I have shut out my family because I am watching all my sisters

and friends have easy pregnancies.  I know I must be hurting

them but it is so painful. Do you have any advice for me?

Dear Jenn*, We are so sorry for your loss and pain!  

We too know the devastation of miscarriage.

We are glad you found us, and reached out.

Perhaps in some small way we can help.

I remember when I had my miscarriage it seemed

like everyone was pregnant and having an easy

time of it.  Worse yet, I knew people who were 

unhappy about being pregnant.  It all seemed 

so unfair!  What helped me was: 1) having someone 

to talk to who knew about miscarriage first hand.

Someone who knew what I was feeling/thinking

without even having to say it...  it was also 

great that this friend of mine had gone on to 

have two beautiful children.  This gave me hope.

2) a special bracelet that my friend gave me 

(you can find them and the story about them on

OurHopePlace.com)  

I still wear my bracelet.

I use it to make myself think positive thoughts. 

3) crying in the shower - really, I cried every 

day in the shower for 4 months 4) trying to be 

kind to me, and give myself time to grieve... 

miscarriage is a real loss, one that needs to

be grieved for 5) each day I forced myself to 

do one "normal" thing - everyone so wanted me to

get back to normal (huh?)  but I tried  --  at 

first it was just "going through the motions"  

Everyone grieves in their own way.  Find what 

works for you...  Feel free to visit our blog 

and post, or write to us again.  I hope maybe this

helped a little.  May you find peace and happiness.

-Sharon 

 * named changed

 

Miscarriage story: I blamed myself for my miscarriage, I still ache to hold a child of our own

From an email sent to Our Hope Place.
In 2002 I suffered two miscarriages and I
totally blamed myself. I was angry at everyone and then I was
depressed because I saw other happy families and wished that my children were
still there. My husband did everything to try to comfort me but I was
just going through life day by day not really caring and just hiding how
I truly felt. Now it is 2008 and I am 40 years old and still ache to
hold a child of our own.