Hayley Weichler

Thank you for reading my story…

I am a certified birth doula, bereavement doula, and owner of Compassionate Beginnings Doula and Birth Services based in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. For close to 8 years, I have supported over a hundred families in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. To be there to support families through such a vulnerable, transformative time is not simply a job, it is an honor.

But let’s remember, 1 in 4 families will unfortunately experience a pregnancy or infant loss.

With the time and clientele over the years, not all of my doula clients have brought their baby home. I have been there from early losses to full term stillbirth. Until more recently - before bereavement and grief training - I admittedly was scrambling around for resources and additional avenues of support to fully be able to continue being there for those loss families. This was an area which was outside of the support I had trained for as a birth doula. However, that is the point. Nowhere in the moments, days, months after these family’s tragedies was there somebody with direct guidance and resources.

My own loss story occurred at approximately 4 weeks of pregnancy, one year before becoming pregnant again with our live daughter. Because it was so early on, I did not even know I was pregnant until it was happening. In our society, early losses are very often not recognized to be more than a bump in the road of fertility. I felt little validation to grieve for this baby, and so, I was sad for a couple of days and then felt like I was suppose to get over it. We are here to tell you, your loss is as significate of loss as you feel, no matter what stage of pregnancy you experience it.

Connecting and collaborating with Lauren has allowed us to be able to create this outreach with our shared passion to do more and do better by the loss community. We want you to know we see you, we hear you and you have our support during your difficult times.