NAVIGATING PREGNANCY LOSS: A WORKBOOK, PLANNER, AND JOURNAL
I’m so sorry- if you have come across this page, it probably means that you, or someone that you know and love has experienced a pregnancy loss.
No matter what the circumstances, the nature, and type of loss that you has been experienced, it is a loss, and women need to work through it in order to come out of the other end stronger.
WHY A WORKBOOK?
In our society, the taboo around pregnancy loss is lifting, and people are speaking about this more publicly, but we still don’t have any ceremonies, rituals, and processes for women to go to, and go through, after a miscarriage.
When I was in this situation, I wanted a plan, and a process to help myself heal. There is so much information out there, but nowhere to store it and record what I wanted from it. I wanted it all in one- a mix of practical, emotional, and spiritual. A physical and private document that I could keep, and that would keep everything in one place. Something to do with the time and space that I had taken off from work that I knew would be helpful. I couldn’t find a Workbook like this, so I made one.
The workbook is designed to align with, and sit alongside professional support from perinatal counsellors or psychologists, and was designed to fill the space while you are on a waiting list, or in-between sessions, where you want to keep processing, but don’t know how…
THIS WORKBOOK IS FOR YOU IF...
YOU HAVE RECENTLY EXPERIENCED PREGNANCY LOSS, AND WANT TO PROCESS THIS COMPLETELY IN ORDER TO EMERGE STRONGER AND READY TO CONTINUE WITH LIFE.
YOU CRAVE A STRUCTURE AND PROCESS THAT WILL WORK ALONGSIDE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT.
YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT WHAT YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON WILL BE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE IT IS BASED ON SCIENCE-BACKED STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE MENTAL HEALTH
YOU WANT TO GAIN CLARITY ABOUT WHAT THIS EXPERIENCE MEANS TO YOU, AND YOUR FUTURE.
PURCHASE FOR A LOVED ONE
It can be so hard to know what to say and do when someone you know and love experiences pregnancy loss.
Instead of sending a card, let them know that you are there for them by sending them this resource, and know that it will help them in their recovery.
You will receive a digital PDF file that you can print and give to them in person, or send on for them to print if you are far away.
ABOUT THE WORKBOOK
The Navigating Pregnancy Loss Workbook was designed to be used immediately, from the time of the loss, and over the next few weeks and months. The content revolves around evidence-based strategies for promoting psychological wellbeing, including narrative therapy and self-compassion, with a focus on reconnecting to the mind and body.
The workbook moves through three phases:
1. Practicality: In the early days after experiencing pregnancy loss, it can be really hard to keep thoughts, plans, and processes together. This section helps you to gain clarity on what you want and need, so that you can direct others to help to create this for you.
2. Processing: Here we start to move through some of the context around your loss. Drawing on narrative therapy, we start to re-write your story together. Using a series of prompts, you will begin to write your story as you need it to be told, and tell yourself the story that you need in order to heal.
3. Progress: After some time. Moving through these initial phases, we move to progressing the self in ways that are needed to emerge from this experience whole again. Here you will find evidence-based strategies to enhance self-compassion, and reconnect with your body, all broken down into parts that make them easier to engage with.
EVIDENCE-BASED APPROACHES
NARRATIVE THERAPY
Research on narrative therapy suggests that changing the stories that we tell ourselves about life’s difficulties is key to the process of making sense of our traumatic experiences.
“In a stressful experience like miscarriage, creating a coherent narrative may help women understand their experiences and may aid them in coping with grief.”
(LeClair-Underbergpp, 2008. pp 4).
SELF-COMPASSION
“You have to care about yourself before you can really care about other people. If you are continually judging and criticizing yourself while trying to be kind to others, you are drawing artificial boundaries and distinctions that only lead to feelings of separation, and isolation. This is the opposite of oneness, interconnection, and universal love” Dr Kristin Neff.
Practising self-compassion has been found to improve stress, depression, anxiety and wellbeing, and reduces feelings of shame and blame around the self that are often associated with pregnancy loss.
Brene Brown
“Owning our story can be hard, but not nearly as difficult as spending our lives running from it. Embracing our vulnerabilities is risky, but not nearly as dangerous as giving up on love and belonging and joy- the experiences that make us the most vulnerable. Only when we are brave enough to explore the darkness will we discover the infinite power of our light”
WHEN YOU PURCHASE THE WORKBOOK, YOU RECIEVE:
67 pages of evidence-based content, prompts, and activities that will support you through the practical challenges, processing of loss and grief, and progress towards improved mental health and clarity
A digital PDF file that you can print, bind, complete, and keep your thoughts, feelings, and the story of your loss contained, together, and complete.
Time to spend on healing yourself, away from a computer and anything that feels like ‘work’
Comfort from the ability to process your loss, gain a sense of closure, and move forward.
DOWNLOAD NOW
$10 AUD
A note on pricing from Zali: I've prioritised getting this out and available over being perfectly graphically designed, because I want as many women as possible to be able to access this resource and benefit from it.
To me, the function is more important than the form at the moment- so I am able to offer this at a lower price point.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Dr Zali Yager
Zali Yager is a researcher and innovator in the area of health and wellbeing.
With a background in health education and promotion, and a PhD in improving body image and wellbeing, Zali has always been driven to help people to feel better about themselves. Zali has 16 years of experience in research and academia, and a strong understanding of the health psychology literature and evidence.
Zali also has three young children, and experienced pregnancy loss after her surprise baby #4 was declared to have anomalies incompatible with life at 14 weeks of pregnancy. Struck by how little self-help resources were available to compliment the wealth of information available about pregnancy loss, Zali created this workbook, specifically designed for women to use at the time of pregnancy loss to gain clarity and emerge with strength, kindness, and compassion for themselves and others.