ensuring a peaceful recovery after pregnancy,” she says. These issues inspired her Frida Recovery Kit for Incomplete Pregnancies ($34.99). It contains four sets of disposable underwear, six ultra-absorbent maxi pads, and an upside-down peri bottle for showering and toileting.
Bodily’s core package contains memory bracelets, a turmeric mix, a pregnancy loss support book with “resources… on how to manage and talk about your loss with words of encouragement,” and Dr. Osborn’s The Miscarriage Map: What To Expect When You’re No Longer Expecting ($90). Based on your trimester, the company suggests adding mesh underwear ($14 for 5), maxi pads ($7.50 for 14), and breast pads ($24 for 4, $36 for 6).
Post-incomplete pregnancy sufferers may need emotional or mental health care to compensate. Hirschhorn promised to strengthen the patchwork home physical therapy plan using Frida’s items. The recovery package promises to assist women through all stages of healing, regardless of how their pregnancy ended.
A package like this may assist with at-home aftercare, but you should still see your OB/GYN to ensure you’re recovering well and physically well. “Those packages are thoughtful and sensitive extra tools for women during a very difficult time,” says Santa Monica-based board-certified OB/GYN Lisa Masterson, MD. “They shouldn’t replace a women’s doctor’s care. We must anticipate women’s physical and mental requirements during and after [miscarriage or abortion] and their specific demands. Some have strong assistance, while others need referrals.”
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How Full-Spectrum Doulas Can Help
Losing a pregnancy or choosing to terminate is very difficult, so having a caregiver who understands these incomplete pregnancies may be helpful.
“I always tell my [miscarriage] clients that they’re not just mourning the loss of something that was eight weeks in your experience; you’re mourning the loss of a system that you’ve carried with you for years, decades, even if you didn’t necessarily [realize it],” Dr. Osborn says, referring to the story of parenthood we learn as children. “Early miscarriage may be quite unsettling.” She adds that even voluntary abortions change people’s perceptions about themselves, the world, their family, and their identity. A professional caregiver can at least make sure you’re informed before, during, and after.
Full-spectrum doulas may help. Birth doulas provide educational, emotional, and practical assistance to clients undergoing many life transitions, including abortions. “There’s a lot of heated sentiments surrounding it given the link of our society to abortion,” says Vicki Bloom, a full-spectrum doula who works with abortion clients in-person and over the phone before, during, and after their experience. “We must meet that individual where they are and provide emotional and bodily comfort.”
Bloom believes a full-spectrum doula may assist a patient awake throughout an elective termination with a medical professional using breathing methods to ease discomfort or distract them. Pregnant women who have home abortions may call a hotline for help from a certified caregiver.
Bloom has also counseled miscarriers. “They may be having a sudden miscarriage at home and want assistance,” she explains. “The doula may have to adjust if a birth client loses the pregnancy. Finally, some in-clinic abortion clients have medical issues after an incomplete miscarriage. Any doula working in that setting will witness a case like this.” Bloom notes that most full-spectrum doulas operate as volunteers or on a pay-what-you-can basis due to the nature of the profession.
Bloom also prioritizes aftercare for her clients, as not everyone has a supportive network. “When I’m