E132: Four losses and Two moments that could have killed her — Guest Jayme Serbell
What does maternal mental health actually look like for bereaved mothers? Not the Instagram version.
The real one — with rage, and fear, and loving a child you can barely look at, while grieving another you'll never hold.
Today I'm joined by Jayme Serbell, a writer and memoirist whose journey to parenthood spans 6 pregnancies, multiple losses including 3 early miscarriages and an ectopic pregnancy that cost her a fallopian tube, a devastating twin pregnancy where she was faced with an impossible medical decision, a postpartum haemorrhage that nearly took her life, and a postpartum rage diagnosis that finally put language to something she'd been carrying alone.
Jayme speaks with extraordinary honesty about the cumulative weight of loss — how grief compounds, how trauma travels into every pregnancy, every birth, every ordinary moment with a child you fought so hard to hold. And how, even after all of it, the healing happens — slowly, on its own timeline.
In this episode we explore:
- How Jayme's second pregnancy connected the dots on an unrecognised first loss — and the disorientation of grieving both at once
- The way trying to conceive after recurrent loss stripped the intimacy out of one of the most intimate acts of her life
- The impossible decision she and her husband faced in her twin pregnancy, and what it meant to carry both boys — one living, one not — until birth
- The postpartum haemorrhage that left her separated from her newborn in the ICU, and how trauma from that birth shaped everything that followed
- What postpartum rage actually looks and feels like — and why the shame around it runs so deep
- How an ectopic misdiagnosis led to the loss of a fallopian tube and an entirely different kind of grief: anger at the system that failed her
- The way her losses compounded inside her postpartum experience — and why bereaved mothers are at higher risk that rarely gets named
- Trusting your body's knowing, firing doctors who dismiss you, and giving past versions of yourself the grace they deserved
Jayme is currently writing a memoir about her journey to parenthood and writes at Jayme Shares Things on Substack.
Connect with Jayme:
If this episode resonated with you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts — it helps more bereaved mothers find this space.
Connect with Sharna on Instagram: @reproductivelossleadership
Interested in becoming a Pregnancy Loss & Trauma-Informed Specialist? Head to the show notes to find the Certification application.
Please note: Nothing shared in this episode constitutes medical advice. If you need further support, please reach out to your healthcare provider. Be gentle with yourself.
Connect with Sharna
Find me here: @reproductivelossleadership
If today's conversation resonated with you, I'd love to stay connected.
My mission is to help change the landscape of pregnancy loss care through education, advocacy, research, and evidence-informed, trauma-informed support. Whether you're navigating your own loss, supporting someone you love, or you're a healthcare professional wanting to improve the care you provide, there's a place for you here.
You can follow my work, explore educational resources, listen to more podcast episodes, or learn about the Pregnancy loss recovery method & Integrated Pregnancy Loss Care framework Or the Pregnancy Loss & Trauma-Informed Specialist Certification.
Together, we're creating a future where every pregnancy loss is acknowledged, every family is supported, and every practitioner feels confident to provide compassionate, person-centred care.
I'd love to hear what resonated with you from today's episode.
Share your thoughts, leave a review, or connect with me on social media—your voice helps shape this conversation and reach more families who need it.
Thank you for being part of this community. Together, we're changing the future of pregnancy loss care.
Follow the podcast page: @pregnancyloss_podcast
