New poetry book ohmymamabody.com written by Vicky Renz, has just been published supporting mothers that go through the trauma of miscarriage.
With 1 in 4 pregnancies ending in miscarriage that’s 40 million miscarriages A YEAR as there are an estimated 130 million births worldwide annually. At least 50% of women suffer in silence and 1 in 10 known cases battle with severe depression.
Recent research has been conducted by Vicki Renz of Oh My Mama Body, a platform supporting pregnancy, postpartum and miscarriage topics.
Miscarriage is a hugely taboo topic. You only need to look at the backlash received by Chrissy Teigen and Meghan Markle recently when they bravely stood for women and openly spoke about their miscarriages.
Oh My Mama Body is passionate about breaking the taboo around the topic of miscarriage, helping women to find their voices instead of suffering in silence.
- 100% of women who have miscarried admit that the words (or lack of words) of others can be most harmful. From uncaring medical terms such as „just a bunch of cells“ to unsympathetic family members saying „at least you know you can get pregnant“, to people saying nothing at all because it feels too awkward.
- 50% of women prefer to remain silent and not mention their miscarriage. Miscarriage is shrouded by feelings of shame, guilt and unworthiness. Women are left feeling like a shell of their previous self, walking around hollow on the inside and showing a brave face to the outside world.
As well as giving birth to 2 healthy boys Vicki experienced five miscarriages and knows just how distressing it is to be on the receiving end of ill-considered and unsympathethic remarks.
1 out of 10 women who contact Vicki after experiencing early pregnancy symptoms, end up miscarrying. With lockdowns in place during 2020, Vicki has seen hundreds of women contacting her on her YouTube with worries about pregnancy.
- Healing After Miscarriage, a book of poems is the perfect gift of consolation. For those who want to show that they deeply care but can’t find the words for the situation.
- The depth of feeling and emotion in the poetry and illustrations of Healing After Miscarriage touch the soul where it is needed most.
Vicki is making huge steps forward in breaking the silence, stigma and shame around miscarriage. She has recorded two episodes with the TryingAgain podcast and has a further two planned with the LoveAfterLoss podcast. Furthermore she recently received coverage in The Independent.
Vicki spent hundreds of hours studying healing techniques to help her recover from miscarriage. She has created an online course and coaching programme to guide women on their pathway through grief to wholeness, based on the techniques which worked for her:
- Understanding the cycle of grief
- Guiding women through their trauma
- Deep healing and communicating with your baby
- Discovering your personal pathway out of the cycle
- Stepping into your full empowerment
When asked about the book, Vicki said,
“I became acutely aware that so many women were suffering at the perceived cruelness of words at a time when they are already feeling traumatised and distressed. I really felt that a gift of consolation is something that would help so many women with their emotions. To have a safe place of solace and comfort, where they feel understood and supported.“
She continued “what’s more, it is meant as a gift that people close to them can give, when it is hard for them to find the words and want to show that they care”.
Vicki’s “Oh My Mama Body” YouTube channel is growing fast, heading towards 6000 subscribers already. Her video “12 Little Known Very Early Pregnancy Symptoms” hit 300,000 views in December. In response to hundreds of comments, Vicki produced shorter videos covering early pregnancy symptoms and miscarriage to really help women understand their bodies.
One of the main wishes for Vicki with Healing After Miscarriage is to reach women who are feeling lost, alone and empty and give them a lifeline. Coaching needs to come from a place of empathy with a focus on deep core healing. With the right coaching and support, so many women can be guided through their cycle of grief to reach a place of wholeness again. All women who have miscarried deserve to live a life of empowerment.