In this episode of the AllPaths podcast, we sit down with Jen Rogalski, Assistant Director of Empty Arms Bereavement Support, to discuss her journey through late-term pregnancy loss and her subsequent path to healing. Jen shares the heartbreaking story of losing her first son, Baby R, at 37 weeks after noticing decreased fetal movement. She describes the "robotic" days following the diagnosis, the challenges of navigating a loss after the initial swell of support passed, and the vital role that peer support from Empty Arms played in helping her and her husband, Eric, through the depths of grief. Now parenting a living son, two-year-old Drew, Jen shares how she used the Count the Kicks app during that pregnancy to monitor fetal movement, which provided her with a sense of empowerment and security by giving her tangible data and how the Empty Arms community continued to provide support as she navigated pregnancy and parenting after loss.
Jen’s personal experience also prompted a major career shift. After Drew’s birth, she began working for the organization that had provided such a lifeline for her, helping expand Empty Arms’ support services by creating regional "hubs" and developing bereavement resource bags for local hospitals, with items designed to provide immediate practical and emotional comfort as well as connection to the community so that other parents aren't left to find help on their own as she once was. Beyond local support, Jen is also a passionate advocate for stillbirth prevention. She has traveled to Washington, D.C., to speak with legislators about prevention measures and frequently shares her story to encourage others to find a voice for their own experiences. Her work aims to bridge the gap between medical trauma and community healing, ensuring no parent feels they are "floating on a pool raft" alone.
Throughout the conversation, Jen offers poignant advice for those starting their family-building journeys and for friends looking to support someone through loss. She emphasizes the power of consistent check-ins, sharing how a simple daily text message from a family member for an entire year provided a necessary lifeline during her darkest days. By speaking openly about her experience and transition from a grieving parent to a leader at Empty Arms, Jen’s story underscores the vital link between community support and healing, showing how peer connections can transform the isolation of loss into a shared journey of recovery.
Connect with Empty Arms at https://www.emptyarmsbereavement.org/.
Learn more about Count the Kicks and download the app at https://countthekicks.org/.
TOPICS COVERED IN THIS EPISODE:
Pregnancy loss, late-term pregnancy loss, placental health, placental abnormalities, medical trauma, bereaved parents, community support, peer support, family building support, coping with pregnancy loss, stillbirth awareness, parenting after loss, grief support for parents, family building resources, emotional support for parents, navigating grief, nonprofit family support, bereavement support groups, advocacy for stillbirth prevention, Count the Kicks, pregnancy after loss, community support for parents, peer support for grieving parents, mental health after loss, connecting with bereaved parents, understanding pregnancy complications, grief, loss, peer support, peer support groups, Empty Arms Bereavement Support
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